Pity the Japanese rider—or envy them. Due to their country’s moto-regulations, they have historically had a wide range of small-bore bikes that aren’t available in North America. Some of these are extremely cool concepts, and others are basically the same as Western bikes, but with smaller engines. It appears that is the case with the just-announced Honda NX400.

Taking a look at the NX400, it appears to have the same bodywork as the NX500, which debuted for Western markets last fall. The NX500 itself wasn’t really an all-new bike; it was just a remodel of the CB500X, which has been in Honda’s lineup for more than a decade.

What was new last fall? As we told you then:

… the engine itself is still a liquid-cooled 471cc parallel twin. Max output is unchanged, at 47 hp and 32 lb-ft of torque. Why not give the bike more jam? Because it’s an A2-legal machine. Under Europe’s strict graduated licensing program, these machines are legal for less-experienced riders, and Honda wants to keep it that way.

However, the engine should feel like it has more muscle thanks to an electro-tweak. There’s an ECU update that Honda says “improves acceleration feel.” The Honda Selectable Torque Control system is now standard as well.

A set of five-spoke aluminum wheels is also new, along with new brakes—full story here.

Honda NX400

It appears the NX400 is basically the exact same thing, but with the cylinders sleeved down to 399 cc. Does that mean it’s slower? Maybe not. The Yamaha SR400, a JDM/Asian-market model made basically the same power as the SR500 because the smaller pistons revved higher. If you also boost compression, you might find the little 400 might make roughly the same power as its 470 cc big brother. I must say that I’d be very curious to know if that’s the case—are there any ADVers out there with the chance to demo both platforms, and report back?