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I took my 600 Hornet in for its 4000 mile service and took a loan bike. Normally I get given a CBF500 naked which is just so painfully slow and under powered. I passed my test on one of those bikes and I was already screaming for more power at the time. This time though I got one of the new CBF600 half faired bikes.
It looks like the old CBF600S (and quite like the CBF1000S at that too) but has been updated this year to use the same frame and engine as the 2007 600 Hornet. I knew it would be lethargic compared to the Hornet but figured I'd give it a chance and try it with an open mind.
First of all I had to navigate parts of Nottingham to go get petrol. I make it a habit to never use the stations next to dealers as their prices are always over inflated. So down to Sainsbury's I rode. All of two miles later and my left wrist was aching. This bike has covered just over 800 miles so far so it's been bedded in, but I found the clutch to be really heavy, the lever too far out and too close to horizontal. When you pop the filler open too there is a plate in the neck with three holes in it; one a little larger than the pump's nozzle and the other two oddly shaped. What's that all about?
After filling up I got onto the main roads out of the city. Under 4000rpm the bike just doesn't want to rev at all and acceleration is a chore. Above 4000 though it starts to pull, enough to have a little fun but still nowhere near enough. The 2007 Hornet has a detuned version of the CBR600RR engine, and this bike again has the same engine, just detuend even further.
I can't get used to the mirrors being so far ahead of me either on the half fairing; I much prefer the bar-mounted mirrors of the Hornet. In fact, the whole riders view is horrible. My Hornet has a digital speedo which is easy to read without any concentration at all; the numbers are just there in big characters. This bike has an analogue speedo though which requires more concentration to read. It seems too far away and so small. Then again, it was unlikely that I was ever going to go over the speed limit without really giving it some beans. The fuel gauge is also an analogue affair, and as I mentioned above it was already on low. I much prefer the digital readout on my Hornet, also found on the CB1000R. Flashing lights on the left remind you that this bike has Honda's Combined ABS and is injected and I thought you could tell while riding; the engine is smooth but whereas I use the (carb'd) Hornet's engine braking into low revs when I pull up, the CBF just kept pulling with low revs. It forces you to gear down and brake. OK, so that's a good habit to be in, but it's not one I'm in so it didn't suit me.
I've ridden the CBF500ABS previously and didn't really notice what the brakes were doing, but I noticed this time. I often pull up on my own bike with a handful of brake in the last few metres and it results in the front stopping bobbed down. Releasing the front brake has the rear then drop back to where it's supposed to be. A bad combination of front and rear, I know. The CBF600 doesn't allow this however. It pulls up quickly but also keeps itself perfectly horizontal, which was pleasant, but boring.
The riding position is as upright as you'd expect, but the long, flat seat means that you slide around and it's hard to keep your position on the seat. The gear shift also seems to be in the wrong place. Maybe it's just me being used to my own bike, but this one seems to require me to point my left foot out at the scenery to get my foot on the lever. If I keep my foot forward then I stand on the edge of the lever instead of the end.
The handling of the bike wasn't helped by the fact that it is running on Michelin Pilot Road S tyres. I had these on my original Hornet and felt that they were partially responsible for me loosing the front end. I don't feel anything through them and they just seem too happy to slide. Knowing that they were on this bike didn't instil me with confidence, but then neither did the fact that the bike is so top heavy. Whereas the Hornet feels well balanced and easy to pick up from almost any lean angle, the CBF seemed to want to fall over all the time. Travelling slowly through the city was horrible as it felt that I was using all my energy keeping the bike upright. Maybe that extra weight from the fairing makes more of a difference than I expected?
This bike comes with a centre stand and I haven't used one of these since I did my CBT so I took the opportunity to see if I could remember how to get the bike onto it. It took more effort than I remember the CG125 taking, but it went up easy enough and was nicely stable too. Hardly a selling point for a bike but it's a nice feature.
One thing I did notice though which surprised me was the blue anodised screws smiling at me from the top of the right-way-up forks. Yeah, the budget, commuter version of the Hornet has preload on the forks. The Hornet's never had that, so how come this does? OK, so it's far from fully adjustable, but kudos to Honda for putting any adjustability into the CBF6.
All in all I guess it's an OK bike, but certainly not one I'd care to keep for more than a day or two while my bike is in for a service. Oh, and if you've read this far then you really are bored and fighting for something to do on the net :twofin
Here's Honda's info on the 2008 CBF600S:
http://honda.co.uk/motorcycles/2008/CBF600S/index.html
It looks like the old CBF600S (and quite like the CBF1000S at that too) but has been updated this year to use the same frame and engine as the 2007 600 Hornet. I knew it would be lethargic compared to the Hornet but figured I'd give it a chance and try it with an open mind.
First of all I had to navigate parts of Nottingham to go get petrol. I make it a habit to never use the stations next to dealers as their prices are always over inflated. So down to Sainsbury's I rode. All of two miles later and my left wrist was aching. This bike has covered just over 800 miles so far so it's been bedded in, but I found the clutch to be really heavy, the lever too far out and too close to horizontal. When you pop the filler open too there is a plate in the neck with three holes in it; one a little larger than the pump's nozzle and the other two oddly shaped. What's that all about?
After filling up I got onto the main roads out of the city. Under 4000rpm the bike just doesn't want to rev at all and acceleration is a chore. Above 4000 though it starts to pull, enough to have a little fun but still nowhere near enough. The 2007 Hornet has a detuned version of the CBR600RR engine, and this bike again has the same engine, just detuend even further.
I can't get used to the mirrors being so far ahead of me either on the half fairing; I much prefer the bar-mounted mirrors of the Hornet. In fact, the whole riders view is horrible. My Hornet has a digital speedo which is easy to read without any concentration at all; the numbers are just there in big characters. This bike has an analogue speedo though which requires more concentration to read. It seems too far away and so small. Then again, it was unlikely that I was ever going to go over the speed limit without really giving it some beans. The fuel gauge is also an analogue affair, and as I mentioned above it was already on low. I much prefer the digital readout on my Hornet, also found on the CB1000R. Flashing lights on the left remind you that this bike has Honda's Combined ABS and is injected and I thought you could tell while riding; the engine is smooth but whereas I use the (carb'd) Hornet's engine braking into low revs when I pull up, the CBF just kept pulling with low revs. It forces you to gear down and brake. OK, so that's a good habit to be in, but it's not one I'm in so it didn't suit me.
I've ridden the CBF500ABS previously and didn't really notice what the brakes were doing, but I noticed this time. I often pull up on my own bike with a handful of brake in the last few metres and it results in the front stopping bobbed down. Releasing the front brake has the rear then drop back to where it's supposed to be. A bad combination of front and rear, I know. The CBF600 doesn't allow this however. It pulls up quickly but also keeps itself perfectly horizontal, which was pleasant, but boring.
The riding position is as upright as you'd expect, but the long, flat seat means that you slide around and it's hard to keep your position on the seat. The gear shift also seems to be in the wrong place. Maybe it's just me being used to my own bike, but this one seems to require me to point my left foot out at the scenery to get my foot on the lever. If I keep my foot forward then I stand on the edge of the lever instead of the end.
The handling of the bike wasn't helped by the fact that it is running on Michelin Pilot Road S tyres. I had these on my original Hornet and felt that they were partially responsible for me loosing the front end. I don't feel anything through them and they just seem too happy to slide. Knowing that they were on this bike didn't instil me with confidence, but then neither did the fact that the bike is so top heavy. Whereas the Hornet feels well balanced and easy to pick up from almost any lean angle, the CBF seemed to want to fall over all the time. Travelling slowly through the city was horrible as it felt that I was using all my energy keeping the bike upright. Maybe that extra weight from the fairing makes more of a difference than I expected?
This bike comes with a centre stand and I haven't used one of these since I did my CBT so I took the opportunity to see if I could remember how to get the bike onto it. It took more effort than I remember the CG125 taking, but it went up easy enough and was nicely stable too. Hardly a selling point for a bike but it's a nice feature.
One thing I did notice though which surprised me was the blue anodised screws smiling at me from the top of the right-way-up forks. Yeah, the budget, commuter version of the Hornet has preload on the forks. The Hornet's never had that, so how come this does? OK, so it's far from fully adjustable, but kudos to Honda for putting any adjustability into the CBF6.
All in all I guess it's an OK bike, but certainly not one I'd care to keep for more than a day or two while my bike is in for a service. Oh, and if you've read this far then you really are bored and fighting for something to do on the net :twofin
Here's Honda's info on the 2008 CBF600S:
http://honda.co.uk/motorcycles/2008/CBF600S/index.html
