Welcome!

Welcome to anyone who has no doubt stumbled upon this blog. What you have discovered here will probably be as useful as space junk... a random collection of brain farts I've had, things I've found on the net, experiences I've had etc.

If you are bored out of your mind and just want to kill time feel free to peruse through my posts. Maybe you find something vaguely interesting or amusing.

Laters

My Honda CB 600 F Hornet

I have ridden all sorts of motorbikes ranging from 50cc Yamaha Jogs to litre bikes like the VTR SP-1 and CBR 1000 RR Fireblade and so, while I don’t claim to know everything, I consider myself to be a pretty experienced biker. Part of this is due to the fact that I don’t use bikes just for weekend runs (not that there is anything wrong with that) but I commute on them daily too.

I recently took delivery of a brand new CB 600 Hornet and decided it was a good chance to do a review of it for those thinking of getting one. So here goes...

OUT OF THE BOX:

The saying goes “first impressions last” and rather than the tasteful angles shown on the Honda website (top) this is usually this is the sight you are greeted with (bottom) .

I have been riding litre bikes for 3 years now so my first impression when I saw the Hornet was “wow it’s so small!” But when I climbed onto it I was surprised that the bike felt about the same size as the litre class bikes only lighter.

LOOKS & FEEL:

The Hornet fills the gap between the smaller capacity street bikes that one would associate with delivery bikes and the race replica sports bikes. The benefit of this is that it is a hybrid of the two cashing in on the features each class has.

From the street side the Hornet inherits the naked look and comfortable seating. After many hours and thousands of kilometres in the seat of superbikes, sitting on the Hornet is a joy. The riding position is more upright than a superbike, which means there is less strain on ones back and wrists. Similarly the pillion seat is far more comfortable too since it is much wider than those of a superbike. The foot pegs for both rider and pillion are situated lower down in comparison so the pillion won’t feel as if their knees are wrapped around their ears.

From the Race Replica side the Hornet inherits the engine from the 2007 CBR 600 RR. It has been detuned slightly to provide a smoother response and better fuel economy. This has definitely been achieved, but more on that later.

The dash is very neatly laid out and features pretty much everything one could ask for other than a gear indicator. It has a large centrally located analogue tacho (that’s rev counter in layman’s terms) and a digital speedo. Fuel gauge, the usual warning lights, coolant temp etc. A handy feature on the Hornet is a hazard light switch.

SPECIFICATIONS:

599cc liquid cooled, four stroke, transverse 4 cylinder, DOHC with 4 valves per cylinder is the ramblings you are told but essentially you are getting what is pretty much the industry standard for bikes these days across almost all manufacturers.

Up front the Hornet features 17” 5-spoke rims taking a 120/70/17 tyre, 41mm upside non-adjustable forks allowing 120mm travel and a single 240mm disc with 1 piston calliper.

Bringing up the rear the Hornet has the same 17” 5-spoke rim taking a 180/70/17 tyre, Mono-shock 7-step adjustable preload damper allowing 128mm travel and two 296mm discs, each with 2 piston callipers.

The Hornet has a six speed gearbox with final drive being chain and sprocket. Onboard is a 19L fuel tank.

Dry weight is 173kg and 177kg if you take the optional ABS brakes.

In a nutshell the Hornet has all the regular features.

OUT ON THE ROAD:

After running the bike in I went out for a few decent runs to get a good feel for the Hornet. The Hornet is very comfortable with a fairly upright riding position. This relieves pressure off the rider’s wrists which is caused by leaning forward on the superbikes. With motocross style handle bars you feel like you have a bull by the horns. It’s a nice riding position as it allows you to use your body weight to control the bike easily by moving around in the seat.

The 600cc has plenty of gusto, however the gears feel very short which means you have to change up and down very often. This is most noticeable when one pulls away from a standing start. Just as you have lifted your feet off the ground and before you can rest them on the foot pegs it’s time to change to 2^nd gear.

Handling is pretty good. The Hornet seems to be attracted to corners. On bigger bikes you really have to lean and guide the bike into corners whereas on the Hornet simply looking at the corner and facing your body in that direction gets the bike heading for the apex. Leaning the bike over is a cinch considering the bikes weight. However, the steering is very light and therefore one feels if they are not careful they could jack-knife the steering on the way into the corner. Maybe this is a subjective comment though as I have become accustomed to bikes with a steering damper fitted.

Usually when manufacturers print their fuel economy claims it is based on tests formed in ideal weather conditions on a flat road being ridden by a midget weighing almost nothing. I weigh 90kg and while I don’t ride the Hornet like a stolen vehicle, I’m no granny either. Sticking to the speed limits and using the bike both out on the open road and commuting in bumper to bumper traffic I average 19km/L or 5.26L/100km which is very good. And with a 19L tank you will easily get 260km out of your tank before you need to think about filling up.

PROS & CONS:

The Hornet is a very nimble commuter that offers comfort, good looks, easy riding and fuel efficiency. Being a naked bike, doing DIY maintenance and repairs is a doddle and cleaning all the little nooks and crannies is easier.

On the down side, the lack of a windscreen means that anything over 100km/h will result in the rider having to strain their neck against the buffeting of the wind. The short gears make the bike feel a little slow because you are in top gear very quickly and then lack the torque to accelerate.

CONCLUSION:

If you want superbike performance, go buy a superbike. If you want a fuel efficient bike that looks good and performs well for the tasks for which it was designed then the Honda CB 600 F Hornet is a good choice. And that’s not propaganda. Before I bought the Hornet I was a fan of 1000cc full fairing superbikes, sometimes known as “rice rockets” or “crotch rockets”. After buying the Hornet and getting used to it (and a small paradigm shift) I’ve come to enjoy the bike immensely. The Hornet isn’t going to win many ¼ mile sprints nor decimate Nissan Skyline’s sporting “Zooped Up” stickers on the highway, but then again that’s not what Honda designed the Hornet to do.