Honda CBR600F4

...second hand 2 year old Honda CBR600F with 6k on the clock. It's the 2002 fuel injected version. My first bike was a Suzuki SV650S which I got after passing my Direct Access in 2002. The Honda was something of a step up from the SV, which was starting to limit my learning on account of its budget suspension. I fancied something a little bit sharper to challenge me a bit more. I looked around at the sports 600s and even considered a 900 for a while ...
...a Kawasaki ZX6r and the Honda CBR600F. The reliability issues with carb icing on the Kwak led me to buy the Honda. £4300 later I was the proud owner of a brand-ish new CBR600F in navy blue /silver.

Engine

I had expected the 600cc four to smoke the pants off my old SV, as it turned out, the healthy mid range that the twin had was gone, replaced by a fairly strong midrange, but with a screaming top end accompanied by a ... more

Introduction

My second bike ever, was a second hand 2 year old Honda CBR600F with 6k on the clock. It's the 2002 fuel injected version. My first bike was a Suzuki SV650S which I got after passing my Direct Access in 2002. The Honda was something of a step up from the SV, which was starting to limit my learning on account of its budget suspension. I fancied something a little bit sharper to challenge me a bit more. I looked around at the sports 600s and even considered a 900 for a while then dismissed it - then I realised; a couple of years on a 600 would be a good learning exercise for me. The two bikes I considered were a Kawasaki ZX6r and the Honda CBR600F. The reliability issues with carb icing on the Kwak led me to buy the Honda. £4300 later I was the proud owner of a brand-ish new CBR600F in navy blue /silver.

Engine

I had expected the 600cc four to smoke the pants off my old SV, as it turned out, the healthy mid range that the twin had was gone, replaced by a fairly strong midrange, but with a screaming top end accompanied by a rather addictive airbox snarl coming on from as low as 5k revs. I think this bike makes 100 odd horsepower, which is ample for the road. The only thing is you have to adapt your riding style to get the most out of it. The CBR isn't the peakiest of the 600s by any stretch, but it is still only a 600, and makes the majority of its power up at the top, so that's where you need to be to exploit it. If you're more of a smooth style rider (like me) and don't like thrashing the pants off your bike (I'm a mechanical engineer by trade and I have a certain amount of mechanical sympathy for my bikes), you might want to try something with a few more cc's like a 1000cc v-twin. I should add here that the fuel injection is very smooth, from cracking the throttle open through the full range, the power comes on nice and smooth, not at all jerky, and the bike will hold a constant throttle (constant speed) without any hunting (on/off) type response often associated with FI systems.

Chassis

The CBR600 package is very light and nimble, and goes round corners with ease. This is the first bike that I ever got my knee down (both actually) whilst on a track day at Oulton Park - which I thoroughly recommend to everyone. The bike was fitted with brand new Diablo Corsas which were unflinching in their desire to 'eat tarmac'. It was clear that the limiting factor wasn't the bike or tyres, more the size of the rider's Cohones (no comment). It was an excellent outing and the CBR put in a good performance (although it's clear that trackdays are all about the rider, and not so much the bike).

Front and rear suspension are fully adjustable for preload as well as rebound and compression damping. This gives you all the settings from plush and comfy to 'track day' hard. You will find the right setting for you. Handling on bumpy UK roads is very good, and the CBR tracks your chosen line with a surefootedness which inspires confidence, only becoming a little jumpy over very large bumps (i.e. those frequently seen in London!)

All (Year) Rounder

Speaking of town, in the 24k miles that I've covered on the bike in the last 14 months, I've done 2 track days, a 2000 mile solo tour to the south of France(in 5 days), and daily commutes of 60 miles come wind rain and snow, and it never let me down once. A lot of that riding was through London, and the bike was fine in town. That's not to say I'd have been better off on something more upright, but when the winter comes and it's cold enough outside to 'freeze the balls off a brass monkey', sometimes it pays to have a fairing and a seating position which allows you to duck out of the freezing wind blast. (my heated jacket helped slightly). Come winter, I'd also had enough of fiddling around with the chain in the dark, so I fitted a Scottoiler which I still argue is the best invention for a motorcycle (see my review). I also have to say a British winter hasn't had too bad an effect on the bike's finish. The obvious bits are looking a bit tatty like fasteners and bits behind the fairing, but the paint has held up well and responds well to a nice bit of wax polish every now and then (I hasten to add here I do wash my bikes regularly). By comparison, my SV's forks corroded badly, whereas the Honda's are fine.

As a do anything tool, the Honda CBR600F is hard to beat. It has a halfway riding position, slightly forward biased, but still reasonably comfy. The saddle is nice and comfy to for rider and pillion, and on my recent "tour de France" in August I was covering 400 miles of twisties a day, and I found the comfort generally good (that's not to say I wasn't saddle sore by then end of it - I definitely was!). The forward bias is no doubt what makes the handling so good, placing weight over the front end, and keeping it nice and planted. I'd say the bike is comfy as long as you're relatively fit and can take the weight of your upper body using your back, stomach and thigh muscles. But at the end of the day these supersport 600s are designed for the racetrack, so any touring ability is a bonus.

As already mentioned, the majority of the power is in the upper rev ranges (10-14k), where rapid progress is achieved in any gear, The bike is a safe choice for new riders on account of the progressive power feed. This is something you will welcome when the road is cold and wet and your hands have little feel left in them on account of the cold, and you're trying to throttle smoothly round a wet roundabout. Try that on a 1000cc superbike, I dare you! Despite your best attempts, the CBR600 will not wheelie off the throttle in first, even with a smaller front sprocket fitted (unless you have a pillion on the back and pull away from the lights a little too earnestly, sorry Mike!). It's very stable indeed and follows your line without questions. Mid corner direction changes are a cinch too. The bike inspires confidence with its surefootedness, and does pretty much everything asked of it. The main thing for me about it is its durability. After 30k miles, the bike still looks and feels fresh (granted I've fitted a new rear shock and new head bearings), and this is a testament to the big H build quality. I would definitely buy anther Honda - their reputation is justified.

Maintenance

Gosh, almost forgot the most important bit. Being an engineer and a bit of a tinkerer by nature, I like to get to know my bikes, and by that I mean taking them to bits, and generally doing as much maintenance work as I can - it helps me to bond with my bike, and increases my appreciation for my machinery. I like to buy bikes which are easy to work on - mainly because I'm not paying someone £50 an hour to change my oil and filters and tighten the chain and lube the throttle cable when I can do it myself. I have the tools required to do it myself. So this is basically what you have in store. Get yourself a Haynes manual for the CBR600F (which is very good), fit a K&N air filter, change oil and oil filter every 4k miles, fit a Scottoiler to drastically increase chain and sprocket life (don't bother with a smaller front sprocket either, the aluminium ones don't last nearly as long and make a lot more noise, stick to the original Honda ones with rubber dampener on front sprocket). The big service is 16k for valve clearances (shims). Whilst the garage is doing that, get them to change the spark plugs (iridium ones are expensive about £16 per plug ouch!). Coolant and brake fluid needs changing every 2 years, which is fairly easy to do with Haynes. Other than that, keep an eye on head bearings which will wear progressively and will drastically affect your handling. Keep tyres in good nick to prevent falls, I've found Bridgestone BT020s are the bomb for regular usage, especially in the wet - Pirelli Diablo Corsa for track day work. That's your choice really. Anything else - oh, accessories: I fitted a Harris Carbon fibre hugger which has been slightly blasted by a small stone - but still looks good and keeps the majority of crud off the shock, and R&G crash protectors which have saved some serious scrapes from a few low speed spills. I also fitted braided hoses, but to be honest I think the original hoses were better.

Problems (smallest section)

Some things that do need attention are cam chain tensioners which can stick and make the engine rattly around 5k - this isn't an issue mechanically, but it will start to take away from your riding pleasure until you change it (40 odd quid, easy to DIY). Also, the gearbox is a bit notchy, but you'll soon get used to it.

Summary

I would heartily recommend this bike to anyone looking to get back into biking or someone stepping up from a smaller learner bike. It's a potent tool in experienced hands too, except with pillion seat for your missus (or future missus), and all day comfort thrown I for good measure. Its approachable nature and do-everything attitude, not to mention it's desirability and corresponding strong resale value make it an excellent choice. Go test ride one, it'll open your eyes as to why it's the best selling sportsbike in the world…….
 

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