Introduction

Engine

Chassis

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!)

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.

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.

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.