I came back to my parked bike the other day only to find a sleak black Honda CBR 600 parked next to my CBF500. The CBR is such a nice-looking bike!
I only got my license a few months ago. The only bikes I have ridden are the CB500 and CBF500. But now I’m thinking perhaps the CBR600F is the bike for me.
:ermm: Warning - noob questions follow:
Is the CBR600F a markedly different bike to ride compared to the CBF500?
Is the bike awkward to handle in slow-moving London traffic?
Is it a silly choice for touring?
What’s the difference in general fuel consumption?
MCN describes the CBR F model as the sporty all-rounder, and the RR model as a full on sportsbike, in which case the F model probably would suit me better, as I want to be able to do long-distance travel within Europe…
Apologies for all the questions, I’m grateful for any opinions and feedback coming my way.
You should also consider CBF600. It is a very different ride to CBF500 - more powerful, 4 cyclinder, half faired, larger bike. However it has the same upright riding position. It was very highly placed in the 2007 Ride survey.
It is not considered a tourer but in everything except power it is virtually identical to the CBF1000 which is often classified as a tourer.
I second the CBF600 (obviously :Whistling: ) it is brilliant… so easy to ride in london, I can get it to fit where most scoots go through and pulls away in 3rd! no need to keep jumping up and down on the gears!
and when needed you can ride it more aggressive and fast ( :ermm: fast-ish) you can!
i moved up to a cbf600, from a 500. its a nice mid range bike that will do most things, always get passed on the straights by the bigger boys , but for allround its good, easy to ride in the city and ive loaded it up , panniers etc and done a couple of nice runs up to yorkshire and it handled it no problem.
and with the upright position vison is good and your back doesnt take as much strain.
its not a sexy bike but it does exactly what it says on the tin:D:D
Just to throw a spanner in the works …
I own a CBR 600 F.It isn’t the best selling 600 ever for no reason.
Perfect for in town, good seating position and nowhere near as severe as some of the sportier 600’s.
Perfect for being a bad boy, after all … it’s a 600 and apart from a professional racer, no one is going to use a 600 to it’s full potential - even my F - no matter what the litre boys say !
It is perfect for the long trips too. I’ve used mine fully loaded up with all the luggage and done 600 miles in a day, yep I’m a bit stiff after that but I’m not a cripple after riding a sports bike and I’ve got the wind protection from the full fairings that you wouldn’t get with the CBF
If I was to buy a 600 again … then it would be a CBR 600 F.
The one thing the CBF has on it’s side is price … I would say that’s it but then again I may be just a little bit biased.
It took two weeks before I was bored of it and wished I had something sportier.
I took mine around France it all weathers (some photos on LB of one event too).
The pegs ground out too easily on cornering. I got a bit more joy adding a cheap sports can. Sounded better, accelerated better and moved traffic on the Marlyebone road rush hour.
It is soo easy to ride though, I often found myself keeping up with sports bikes on the old Ace cafe to Frith Street run, only really losing out on the A40 flyover.
I tried the CBF1000 and loved the smooth power delivery. However I got excited by the Kawazaki Z1000 and could afford it brand new too.
Right now, I’m on a bandit 650, half faired.
And if CBF is your choice I strongly advise a look at the bandit. Same riding position, more power, cheaper parts/acc, and a cheaper bike than Honda.
I couldn’t resist £1 deposit and 0% finance, and the half faired ‘Street Bandit’ with ABS, centre stand, rack and top box for under £4k (pre-registered with 3 miles on the clock).
Don’t get me wrong, I still prefer larger/faster bikes, but the Bandit is better than the CBF (not by much).
And how about the new suzuki GSX650F quite a tidy looking bike, not at all ugly like my teapot lmao I hope they bring out a thou or bigger might be tempted
I had CBF500 great around town picks up quick but runs out a 120 so the 600 would have the edge.
The 500 was ok over distance and I even took it to Paris, the wife on back with a top box and throw over panniers still managed to maintain 100+.
I’ve ridden the CBF600 and although a quicker bike, less vibey and a bit smoother I think the CBF500 is a bit more fun.
I own one too, an 03 model, its literally amazing. Will still pull away even with 2 up, can do the rush hour commute, can do the twisties, can reach 120mph frighteningly fast (not that id know… )
Oh no, why did you have to go and post some photos…! :w00t: :crazy: It’s such a nice looking bike… but it seems the insurance would be at least another £1500 on top of what I currently pay per year for the CBF. Maybe I need to go back to a full time work…
Hmm… fully comprehensive for the cbf500 is £520. When I checked, the cbr600f would be £2000+ on the same policy. I am 30 years old, 1 year no claim and live in W14. The quotes I get are from ebike Insurance.
I park on the road though, so if you keep yours garaged (?) that might explain it. Otherwise I really don’t know. I will definitely have a look at other insurers to try to see what’s up.
Try going to some of the insurers directly. I got a by far the best deal from Norwich Union Direct - they gave me 3 years ncb as introductory offer because I already had a car policy with them.
I have a CBR600F. Looks lovely (even with scratches), is really comfy, and you don’t struggle to hold on when there’s a bit of wind. I’m surprised on the insurance quotes though, I’m 25, no NCB and is £780 FC (garaged though)
