By Mark
At the beginning of the week I told you all about our testing of the Honda CBR 125R and Honda CBR 250R.
Well as part of the test we also got to have a go on the Honda Hornet, just minor refreshes for 2011, and the all new…ish…Honda CBR 600F.
Now there’s no denying that these two bikes are similar. In fact, as Honda themselves admit, the 600F is actually just the Hornet with a fairing and some tweaks here and there.
I jumped on the Hornet first and it was another first for me. I’ve never ridden a naked bike before, something my father drilled into me about always wanting the elements taken off you with a fairing.
I had no pre-conceptions before I got on the Hornet however, but I’m seriously glad I’ve had the chance to.
What a motorcycle this is, it’s another bit of fun from Honda. The sound from the Akrapovic exhaust is deep and throaty but not too loud and it doesn’t lose the ‘Hornet’ sound (the name is from the sound the engine makes, like a Hornet).
In fact, after around 20 minutes, the engine was so unobtrusive that I’d stopped noticing it. The same can’t be said, for example, for my Suzuki GSXR with Akrapovic exhausts which is so loud people hear me before the see me!
You sit squat into the Hornet, there’s a nice digital dash (though not gear selection indicator) and a big fat rear tyre.
The result of this is that you have immense confidence in the bike. I had great fun throwing it into corners as, whilst it looks like a big heavy bike, it feels anything but. It’s light and does what you ask it, you get some great lean angles and, as long as you keep the revs up, the engine is smooth and responsive with a lot more power then I remember my old CBR 600RR having.
Now it’s not to say this bike is perfect, because it’s not. The biggest let down are the mirrors, in so much as they may as well not have bothered putting them on. They are so close to your riding position that you can’t see anything in them at a glance, you find yourself adjusting your whole body to see what’s behind.
This wouldn’t be such a big issue except the majority of these bikes will most likely go to commuters, and they need to have eyes in the back of their heads, particularly in London.
Also the power, whilst nice and spritely if the revs are up, can be a little lacklustre should the revs drop. Having said that however, it’s still a very nice 600cc naked motorcycle.
This leads me to the CBR 600F. As this has a fairing Honda have been able to position the mirrors much further forward, but that is of zero importance really, well, other than you can see what’s behind you!
You see, taking an existing motorcycle and adding a fairing does not make a totally new bike, or a good one at that.
After having such a good time on the Hornet, to then jump on the F was just…well frankly, a bit of a non-starter.
Now I’m not saying there’s anything wrong with the F, far from it. It’s a perfectly good motorcycle, in fact for me, it sums up Honda quite well. It’s safe, it’s no doubt reliable, and it does what you want it to perfectly well.
However, Honda have tweaked the engine so it’s not as ‘Hornet’ sounding, but in doing so have taken out some of the ‘fun’.
The official statistics say the two bikes are the same; both the Hornet and F have 75kW of power at 12,000rpm with the F actually having 0.5Nm more torque with 64 at 10,500rpm.
However, the F, with all it’s ‘fancy’ multi-layered fairing (copied from the VFR), weighs in at 211Kg, with the Hornet weighing in at a spritely 198Kg.
This weight difference is notable, more than you would perhaps think. The Hornet just feels quicker, more responsive to your demands, the F will get there, it just appears to take its time, it won’t be rushed.
Honda say the F is aimed at those who used to ride, perhaps in their early 20’s, but have since gone and got married, had children, and are thinking of getting back into motorcycling.
That’s a very admirable and interesting market for Honda to go for, and the bike is a really good way to get back into biking if you’ve been out for a while, but, if you’d not ridden for a while, wouldn’t you want to remember what made you ride in the first place?
That sense of fun you get on a motorcycle? The sense of freedom? The little bit of danger you feel? You don’t get this from the F, it’s very straight laced, a bike you’d introduce to your parents. The Hornet however, the Hornet is different.
The Hornet is fun, it puts a smile on your face but it can still be nice and refined when the time comes.
Its why, as I have been contemplating changing bikes for a while, the Hornet is now firmly on my list as one to consider. I wouldn’t be disappointed, in fact, thinking back to it now, it makes me want to go out and ride it again, and that’s a good thing for a motorcycle to do to you.
