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Mid-range sports tourer from Honda in the test
The differences to the Hornet

Photos: fact

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Honda CBR 600 F.

Honda

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Honda CBR 600 F.

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Honda CBR 600 F.

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Honda CBR 600 F.

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Honda CBR 600 F.

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Honda CBR 600 F.

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Honda CBR 600 F.

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Honda CBR 600 F.

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Honda CBR 600 F.

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Honda CBR 600 F.

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Honda CBR 600 F.

Top test: Honda CBR 600 F

Mid-range sports tourer from Honda in the test

The new CBR 600 F doesn’t just want to pick up where the old one left off. It takes a slightly different approach in terms of technology and purpose.

The old C.BR 600 F was a phenomenon. Trouble-free everyday motorcycle on the one hand, and a sports fan that can be turned into a racing machine with little effort on the other. Over the course of the model’s history, however, the other side gradually gained the upper hand. This is not only supported by the fact that the F was good for the Supersport World Championship even in its last season, but also features such as aluminum frame, aluminum swing arm, injection or four-piston brake calipers, which drove up the price. The step towards the super sporty CBR 600 RR, which took place in 2003, was consequent. Since the final farewell to the old F at the end of 2006, the question of which motorcycle should continue the tradition of a sporty type of everyday suitability and versatility has remained open. "I’ll do it", The 2011 CBR 600 F speaks up today, and to confirm it, it comes at an attractive price of 8990 euros, including VAT and combined ABS, plus ancillary costs of around 170 euros. It costs 400 euros more than the closely related Hornet 600, and anyone who has to drive on the motorway more often or in cooler temperatures will find this sum well spent for the full fairing. The journey to the consumption lap and test track, which started one fine spring morning around eight o’clock, made this clear to the testers in a direct comparison. The wind protection that the sleek shell offers especially for the driver’s hands as well as the chest and shoulder area is surprisingly good. As a positive side effect of this, the CBR is much more stable than the undisguised Hornet at high speeds. This is not due to any differences in the chassis geometry, but rather to the impulses that the Hornet rider, shaken by the wind, almost inevitably introduces into the steering himself, while the CBR handlebars can steer his motorcycle with a steady hand.

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Top test: Honda CBR 600 F
Mid-range sports tourer from Honda in the test

In the extensive cockpit of the Honda CBR 600 F, the rev counter is not easy to read.

As part of the standard adjustment options, it proved to be helpful to completely reduce the preload of the fork springs, but to preload the shock absorber one step more than specified in the manual. The CBR showed itself to be transformed in one fell swoop and then offered the precision and safety of the front wheel control without which nobody can really ride a motorcycle well. In addition, she finally turned so easily and carefree that the driving fun spark really ignited. That’s exactly how it has to be in early summer on the Swabian Alb, and only the nimble Hornet danced a little more light-footed through the alternating curves. A previously uninformed colleague was asked to confirm "Blind tasting" asked with both settings. He, too, was surprised by the great effect of a small difference.

Initial fears that the fork could deflect too quickly when braking sharply or that the new setting would force the rider to crouch forward strongly proved to be unfounded. The new CBR got the same handlebar halves as the old one clamped to the stanchions above the upper triple clamp, but the pilot still sits comfortably upright. Because the steering head and upper fork bridge are arranged quite high on the aluminum backbone frame, which the Hornet and the new CBR have in common. Much higher than the old CBR, which required deeper bows from the driver. The narrow knees on the tank, the shape and padding of the seat and the location of the footrests and levers, which mysteriously fit riders of almost all sizes in a Honda way, complete the consistently pleasing ergonomics of the newcomer. The co-drivers have also been thought of; once they get used to being enthroned way above their chauffeur, they can last a long time on the back of the bench. At this point the old CBR, with its low step in the bench, was more pleasing.

But that is at best a minor thing compared to the enormous progress that has been made in terms of engine characteristics and pulling power. Since the model upgrade of the Hornet, in which it received not only the already mentioned aluminum frame, but also an engine of the latest design, the 600s from Honda have been spoiling with gentle load changes and wonderfully smooth curves. Even from the lowest speeds, they pull on without any problems. The intertwined exhaust system gives an idea of what a constructive effort was necessary for it. When the CBR was allowed to sit in this nest made, they found an engine there whose characteristics are made for them. Despite an additional weight of 13 kilograms, it pulls the old CBR 0.7 seconds away from 60 to 100 km / h, from 100 to 140 km / h it is still 0.3 seconds. Only then does the old woman catch up again. So much for the question of what Honda can now conjure up from a 600 at low and medium speeds.

It is no secret, however, that motorcycles like the half-faired Kawasaki Z 750 R pull through 0.4 to 0.7 seconds faster per step of 40, the new Suzuki GSR 750 even by a second or more per step. These dry measured values - we mustn’t forget – when they are transferred to real driving, stand for a mighty increase in acceleration out of corners. The above-mentioned 750s are not the direct competition, but a worth considering alternative to the CBR, and it can happen that Honda’s extremely high-quality 600 culture is no longer so interesting for many because they are immediately striving for larger displacement. Which would be a shame, because the CBR engine can also fully convince at the upper end of the speed range with its temperament and revving. In terms of acceleration, up to 200 km / h it is on a par with some competitors who have superior displacement.

Braking action at the front. The brake lines come from behind and above, and the sensor cable loops backwards.

Part of the extra weight that the new CBR has to drag compared to the old one is at the expense of the Combined ABS. A term that Honda always uses to describe a combination brake system with ABS, although not necessarily the same. In the case of the CBR, it is a simple combination brake system, i.e. the foot brake lever actuates the central pistons of the front three-piston floating calipers in addition to the single-piston floating caliper in the rear wheel. Front, middle, rear – that sounds confusing, and that’s why it’s again in German: Who brakes behind, brakes in front, albeit only slightly. This works well and with slight corrective braking in an inclined position in the middle of a curve also discreetly, i.e. without causing a strong righting moment in the steering. If only the handbrake lever is operated, the two outer pistons of the front calipers brake, the rear brake remains inoperative, so no one is forced to change the behavior patterns that have been practiced with conventional brakes. Apart from the consistent use of ABS in emergency situations.

When braking harder, the powerful three-piston calipers in the front wheel are neither blunt nor as snappy as is only desired in a super sports car. You can feel the effort for good controllability and a not too rapid build-up of braking power, which fits well with the orientation of the CBR. The anti-lock braking system also avoids extremes; after each modulation of the brake pressure when a wheel locks, it increases the deceleration comparatively slowly and prevents violent reactions such as sudden lift-off or lateral wedging of the rear end. This makes it easier for ABS newbies to brake into the control range after a short practice period without being frightened by the sometimes brutal side effects of more precisely coordinated systems. At the same time, the CBR-ABS avoids dangerous rollover forwards, even in passages with a considerable gradient. On the other hand, this deliberately conservative design wastes a whole lot of braking distance. On average, the CBR achieved a deceleration of 8.9 m / s²; a re-measurement on another test track confirmed this value. In MOTORRAD’s experience, a machine with its weight and chassis geometry would probably be able to withstand 9.5 m / s² without the risk of rollover.

In the CBR family there is a tradition of functional, but not necessarily beautiful or noble detailed solutions, and it is seamlessly continued by the youngest family member. The steel gearshift lever is an example of this, the clutch fitting taken over from Hornet is another, less successful one. It has a molded nose for screwing in an exterior mirror, which in the CBR is mounted on the fairing bracket. The sprue is not only superfluous, it also limits the adjustment range of the clutch lever, because it hits the switch unit. There is certainly something more elegant to be found in the large Honda pool, perhaps the fitting of the CBR 600 RR will fit.

The reader can now guess – the CBR 600 F has also taken over the cockpit from Hornet. It therefore offers the same extensive equipment with a speedometer, two trip meters, a clock, various consumption displays as well as tank and cooling water temperature displays. Various warning lights sound a visual alarm if the temperature is too high or the oil pressure is too low, or if the ABS or the engine control system malfunctions. The whole thing can even be programmed in such a way that a trip meter and the information on current and average consumption are automatically reset after refueling. Such opulence used to be called on-board computers and cost a surcharge. It’s just a shame that the black band on the rev counter runs next to a black edge of the instrument and can therefore hardly be seen at a quick glance. The CBR could use a bit more racing.

The differences to the Hornet

The two sisters Honda CBR 600 F and Hornet 600. The Honet 600, which is more agile in curves, has to let the CBR 600 F pull on the straights.

Because the handlebars were mounted directly on the fork, the Honda developers lengthened the stand and sliding tubes of the CBR 600 F compared to the Hornet by 35 millimeters. Longer damper cartridges compensate for this difference, because springs and preload sleeves are identical on both models. The engineers took account of the higher front wheel load by reducing the air cushion in the CBR fork by six to 64 millimeters. Because additional fastening points were required on the tank for the full fairing, it is shaped differently and lost 0.3 liters of volume.

11 photos

Pictures: Top test: Honda CBR 600 F

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MOTORCYCLE points evaluation / conclusion

The passenger sits high, but not uncomfortable, on the Honda CBR 600 F. The rear grab handles are elegantly integrated into the rear.

engine

For cross-class classification: The Triumph Tiger 800 with its three-cylinder achieves the same number of points in the pull-through rating as the CBR 600. The other engine ratings also confirm the high level of the 600 culture at Honda. The smoothness obviously depends on series tolerances; a Hornet carried for comparison ran almost as smooth as silk, even softer than earlier test vehicles of the same type.

landing gear

In this evaluation chapter, the CBR draws attention to itself above all with its stable straight-line stability at high speed. All in all, the result is the image of an extremely safe motorcycle that prefers to do without exuberant agility and sporty rigor. As one tester noted: "There is a lot of movement in the chassis when wagging around bends, but actually everything is as relaxed as possible."

everyday life

Extremely frugal drinking habits and 18.4 liter tank capacity give the CBR a bomb rating in terms of range. Other highlights are ergonomics and workmanship. Only the options for storing luggage could be optimized for a motorcycle with high demands on everyday practicality.

security

Here, too, the pursuit of safety and reliability determines the most important properties of the CBR: well-moderated interventions by the ABS, friction pairing that is not too brutally coordinated and a comparatively low righting moment when braking in an inclined position.

costs

The Honda is characterized by low fuel consumption and recently exemplary 12000 intervals for inspections; the guarantee remains within the framework of the usual.

	Max points	Honda
Overall rating	1000	654
Price-performance note	1.0	1.3

Sensible alternative: With this price-performance rating, the CBR 600 F consolidates its position as a bourgeois alternative to the racing CBR 600 RR.

Conclusion:

The new CBR 600 F is less sporty than the old one and is therefore a sensible alternative to the super sporty CBR 600 RR. Correctly adjusted, it is recommended for a wide range of customers with its comfortable chassis, good wind protection, moderate consumption and a low price. The standard ABS brings a major safety gain despite being overly careful.

11 photos

Pictures: Top test: Honda CBR 600 F

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Technical specifications

The ABS pressure modulator has its place in front of the battery, right behind it are some relays and the tool kit.

engine

Water-cooled four-cylinder four-stroke in-line engine, two overhead, chain-driven camshafts, four valves per cylinder, bucket tappets, wet sump lubrication, injection Ø 36 mm, regulated catalytic converter, 12 V / 9 Ah battery, mechanically operated multi-plate oil bath clutch, six-speed gearbox, O-ring chain , Secondary ratio 43:16.
Bore x stroke 67.0 x 42.5 mm
Displacement 599 cm³
Compression ratio 12.0: 1

Rated output 75.0 kW (102 hp) at 12,000 rpm
Max. Torque 64 Nm at 10500 rpm

landing gear

Backbone frame made of aluminum, load-bearing motor, telescopic fork, Ø 41 mm, adjustable spring base and rebound stage damping, two-arm swing arm made of aluminum, central spring strut with lever system, adjustable spring base and rebound stage damping, double disc brake at the front, Ø 296 mm, three-piston floating caliper, rear disc brake, Ø 240 mm, single piston -Swimming saddle, ABS.
Cast aluminum wheels 3.50 x 17; 5.50 x 17
Tires 120/70 ZR 17; 180/55 ZR 17
Tires tested: Bridgestone BT 012 "J"

Dimensions + weight

Wheelbase 1437 mm, steering head angle 65.0 degrees, caster 99 mm, spring travel f / h 120/128 mm, permissible total weight 395 kg, weight (ready to drive) 211 kg, tank capacity 18.4 liters.

Service data

Service intervals 12,000 km
Oil and filter change every 12,000 km 2.8 l
Engine oil SAE 10 W 30
Spark plugs CR9EH-9 NGK, U27FER9
Idle speed 1350 ± 100 / min
Tire pressure solo (with pillion passenger) front / rear 2.5 / 2.9 (2.5 / 2.9) bar
Two year guarantee
Colors white / red, white / blue, black / gray

Price 8990 euros
Additional costs around 170 euros

11 photos

Pictures: Top test: Honda CBR 600 F

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MOTORCYCLE measurements

Top test Honda CBR 600 F

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Top test: Honda CBR 600 F

Mid-range sports tourer from Honda in the test

The differences to the Hornet

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Menus

Top test: Honda CBR 600 F

Mid-range sports tourer from Honda in the test

The differences to the Hornet

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