Riding Honda's New 600s

The plot Regular readers of Torque Monsters Home Page will know that we very much enjoy taking a wide range of bikes out for test rides. So this April, when Honda UK were encouraging motorcyclists to book demo rides on any Honda over 125 cc, offering a prize of a new Honda CBR600RR, Hornet 600 or Shadow Spirit to one lucky participant, it was a test ride opportunity too good to miss!

Andy hadn't ridden a CBR600 since Janet got rid of her 2002 CBR600F Sport, so he opted to have a go on the completely reworked for 2007 CBR600RR. Janet meanwhile, as a former Hornet owner (900) decided to take the (again completely reworked for 2007) Hornet 600 for a spin. Despite her considerable saddle time on the 900 Hornet, Janet had never ridden any of the previous 600 Hornet models, so this was new territory for her.

Andy's magic carpet ride Have you ever dreamed of one of those bikes where, entering a corner 10 mph too fast, you just lean it over a little bit further and carve through on an open throttle? Well, in my humble opinion, the latest CBR600RR is that bike. It has become almost a cliché in the motorcycle press that the CBR600, in its various guises, is all the motorcycle you could ever need/want/use. The last CBR6 that I rode (Janet's 2002 model), whilst undoubtedly a fine motorcycle, didn't really excite me all that much. Admittedly though it did have to live in the company of big torque monsters like the GSX14 and CB13, so perhaps it was always going to struggle a little for my affections!

The 2007 model though is something else entirely. Stepping off my '05 955i Daytona and onto the CBR it felt remarkably roomy and comfortable, much to my surprise, with its long seat and (relatively) high clip-ons. Pulling away, instead of the anticipated mediocre low-rev response of a 15,000 rpm 600, it was immediately apparent that the round town manners of the little Honda are perfectly respectable. Filtering through the usual Saturday morning traffic to get out of Bristol, I was able to pretty much forget about details like which gear I was in, and concentrate on forming riding impressions of this bike.

So, injection response—nice; brakes—check; steering—neutral; ride—suprisingly plush; overall impression—very favourable. By the time half an hour had elapsed, including 10 miles of open road riding, my impression (on pulling in to take some pictures) was that this isn't a bike—it's a magic carpet! From 9000 rpm on, the perfectly respectable round town manners of the engine are transformed into a strong but manageable surge, which itself turns into a blindingly fast rush to the redline above 12,500. The ride, always comfortable and reassuring, allows you to maintain rapid progress, in sharp contrast with the way that a heavier bike, even an open class race replica, intimidates you into backing off that bit sooner.

So, quite simply, this package (in typical Honda fashion), while looking pretty conventional on the spec-sheet (with the possible exception of the weight!), inspires confidence and leaves you to get on with having fun. And the ride back to Fowlers was “more of the same”. The steering, sporty but stable, allows you to choose your exit point from fast bends and just go there, without the bike “getting in the way”. And so we return to my opening comments. By now, having loads of fun, inevitably (I hope the salesman's not reading this) the moment comes where you arrive at that bend you've done hundreds of times before rather too fast. Despite its unfamiliarity I already knew that all I had to do was drop a cog, pitch it in and sure enough the little Honda put a smile on my face.

Janet's ride—“Where Is The Love?” So, a little under eight months after handing over my very lovely Hornet 900 as a trade in, I was sitting on board the new Hornet 600, expecting it to feel reassuringly familiar. Although it is a smaller capacity bike than I have owned for some considerable years, I was expecting the riding position and overall “attitude” to feel like a breath of fresh air, after eight (albeit very happy and contented) months of only riding a rather more committed race replica. First impressions, sitting on board the Hornet, outside Fowlers' new Honda showroom, were favourable. I think the bars are slightly lower than on my old 900, giving a slightly more aggressive riding position (no bad thing), but I did find the back of the tank to be a little wider than I would have liked, which didn't match the shape of the front of the saddle particularly well and felt a bit odd.

It's hard to believe what a long time a mere eight months can be! When I pulled away I found that the more-or-less upright riding position, not “locked in” to the bike in any way, felt distinctly odd and unfamiliar. It is a well-sorted riding position, and should make longer trips a breeze, but I'm surprised by how much I've moved on in eight months, and how disconcerting it felt at first. I also found that, albeit I'm used to larger capacity bikes, first gear felt a bit too tall for a bike that you would expect to spend a fair bit of its life in town.

Generally though, its town manners were pretty good, and I got used to the tall first gear after a while—you expect to work a 600 a bit harder after all! The fuel injection was, while not as good as that on my R1, the best I've encountered on a 600. It's a little too sudden and switch-like for my liking, but that seems to be somewhat inevitable in these days of ever-tightening emissions regs on smaller bikes, and it was certainly more than acceptable. The gearbox was light and positive, and the brakes competent to a degree such that I didn't really notice them, though the rear brake lever was set a little too high for my liking on the demo bike. I never needed to test the ABS! The suspension was perhaps the worst factor in this bike's town manners. After being used to the suspension on my R1, which is sporty but very plush, the Hornet's suspension felt a bit coarse and “choppy”, bouncing me out of the seat on bad road surfaces (of which there are plenty in Bristol). I don't think it was any worse than that on my old Hornet 900—again it's just that my expectations have moved on.

When we reached the open road Andy just disappeared on the CBR6. Perhaps that shouldn't have been much of a surprise—“Tail-End Charlie” always needs to be on a faster bike (or be a better rider) to stay on terms with the bike ahead, particularly on British roads, where there's usually little chance to really wind on the throttle before the next slow vehicle in front, or fast approaching junction. The 2007 Hornet does have the same base engine as the CBR6, but in a reworked form for more torque through the range (inevitably with a price to pay in reduced top-end rush). But, with the retuned engine, considerably more weight to carry, and less clean aerodynamics, the Hornet does have a hard time living with its stablemate. I was consistently dropping back from the CBR on acceleration. And the choppy suspension was also a factor, limiting how hard I was prepared to throw it into bumpy bends, and allowing Andy to confidently maintain a considerably higher corner speed. In that company it felt almost slow, but I'm convinced that's not being fair to the bike, and what it is intended for. It's certainly an undemanding bike to ride fast, with an impressively linear delivery, yet by no means bland. It just didn't “push my buttons” the way I'd expected/hoped that it might.

The post mortem So we found ourselves back at Fowlers, handing back the keys, standing back to look at the bikes we'd just ridden, and discussing our findings with the salesman.

From Andy's point of view, the CBR was, he said, “probably the best bike he's ever ridden”. However the salesman's pleasure was short lived, as Andy then proceeded to berate the bike's looks (admittedly a completely subjective matter), not realising that the bike was the salesman's ride. Hopefully he'll still talk to us next time we're in there! Would Andy buy one though? If he is in the market for a sport 600, yes, almost certainly (though probably in the white colour scheme!). Andy thinks the CBR is a really good bike, and it seems to be getting good press reviews too. It's certainly worth a test ride if you are looking for a sport 600. But just one word of advice—don't criticise its looks!

Many facets of the new Hornet's design are perhaps inevitable, driven by Honda's need to compete in the 600 “nakeds” market, where the offerings are getting more stylish, and also much more powerful (sometimes at the expense of all-round rideability). As such it's a very good package. However, as already said, Janet has moved on, and didn't find it that appealing on a personal level. She also firmly believes that high-level silencers are a “must” for a bike that carries the Hornet moniker! The Hornet 900 had plenty of downsides compared with an open class race replica, but also some clear advantages—most notably that wall of accessible torque. The Hornet 600, while undoubtedly a great bike, had all the same downsides, but no clear advantages over Janet's R1. Perhaps, more than anything else, the test ride showed how an individual's tastes in bikes can evolve quite markedly in a relatively short time.

 

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