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Driving report, Honda F6C
Honda F6 C
The power and magnificence of a six-cylinder boxer make the Honda F6 C an exception in the cruiser class.
Opinions differ on the configuration and properties of an ideal cruiser engine in the top category. Two cylinders, a lot of displacement, little power – that’s how it is practiced at Harley and Kawasaki. Four cylinders, less displacement, more power – this is how Yamaha stages the Royal Star. Lots of cylinders, lots of displacement, even more power – with this combination, the Honda F 6 C throws itself into position: 1520 cubic centimeters of working volume is distributed over six cylinders arranged in a boxer arrangement.
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Although the basic features of the engine have been taken over unchanged from the Gold Wing, where it does its work in the seclusion of a fairing, it can shine in its new workplace: square meters of chrome applied and highly polished aluminum make you forget that this engine block originally was was not intended for public service at all. But it is not just the beautiful appearance that raises the F-six above its Gold Wing counterpart. Larger carburettors and sharper camshafts help it achieve a comparatively proud performance record: The Germany version, which will be released in late autumn, will have 98 hp, a handful more the open version.
The machine, which stands on stage in the USA under the stage name “Valkyrie”, brings the subject of “six appeal” to the man without false shame. If you can count two to three and make the effort to drive around a motorcycle, you will end up with two times three carburettors, two times three manifolds and two times three silencer end pipes. The six-tier display is of course only the beginning of an overall dramaturgical concept. Because it goes on with the voice test: At the push of a button the six-cylinder whispers cautiously in idle, with a little gas, between 1500 to 2000 tours, it skilfully copies the goosebumps-inducing babble of a Big Block-V, finally it sorts its vocal cords and finds the gruesomely beautiful hiss that is inherent in a six-cylinder boxer.
The souped-up Flat Six sucks the juice of its life out of a canister lid-sized fuel container with a capacity of 20 liters. The width of the space between the seat cushion and the fork bridge is halved by a wide handlebar that is bent backwards, so that the hands can rest on the sausage handlebar grips without any preventive measures. The F 6 C does a virtue out of the necessity of having to carry the footrests relatively far back because of its protruding cylinder banks: It offers a more touristy seating position that can be endured well over longer distances.
The fact that longer distances – if they do not lead straight over bumpy serpentine roads – fly by, is primarily due to the heart-warming driving dynamics that the 330 kilo colossus conjures up on the asphalt. As befits a cruiser, the F 6 C comes out of the starting blocks unspectacularly, but with tremendous force: a little gas, clutch off, and off you go. How it continues is in the hands of the driver. Clack, clack, clack (yes, the transmission does not shift completely silently) rushing through the gears and letting the machine glide at low speed is one possibility. And a pleasant one on top of that, because the six already flexes its muscles just above idle speed and smoothly gets the load going from speed 40 in the last gear. Or turn down the gears and enjoy the ride on the cannonball: the engine turns effortlessly up to the speed limit at 7500 rpm and gives the thick ship a lot of legs. Third possibility: keep the six-cylinder in the middle speed range and let the machine shoot away again and again with short bursts of gas – not bad either.
The cardan reaction to be registered, the rear of the machine gently lifting itself out of the springs, leads to the topic of driving behavior – with cruisers usually a rather shady chapter. The Honda F 6 C is no exception and shows solidarity with its competitors. Its chassis characteristics – flat steering head, plenty of caster and endlessly long wheelbase – allow it to run beautifully straight ahead and with a clean line through sweeping bends, but are more of a hindrance on demanding bends: the machine looks unwieldy, and in really tight bends it is also tilted Steering precision leaves a lot to be desired. The brakes, at least available in a double pack at the front, require high actuation forces at the expense of controllability. The suspension elements are also not the yellow of the egg. Despite the advantageous relationship between (a lot) sprung and (little) unsprung mass, the response behavior at the front and rear is poor, and small bumps in the road are hardly reduced.
So what is the bottom line of the F 6 C? An impressive appearance with a lot of engine and little undercarriage. In other words, a cuisin as it stands in the book.
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