2011 Honda CBR600F
Is it simply a reskinned CB600F Hornet, or a bona-fide all-round sports machine? Let's find out
Lost amongst some of the glitz and glamour of concept motorcycles, Italian exotica and booth babes, the Honda CBR600F made its debut at EICMA, and could be a crucial motorcycle for the company in 2011.
Last seen in Australia in the year 2000, the Honda CBR600F sold for $13,200, and we can confirm that the all-new CBR600F will be heading Down Under in 2011 - though it's unclear whether pricing will remain around the $13k mark.
So what can we expect when the new all-rounder arrives in 2011?
It'll be more comfortable than the Honda CBR600RR, with a more upright riding position and a seat designed to deliver comfortable cruising for both rider and pillion passenger.
Granted this is a CBR at its core, and hopefully will inherit much of the dynamic DNA from its race-replica cousins, the CBR600RR and CBR1000RR, and should be good for weekend scratching.
We'll have a full review of the bike when it touches down in Australia in 2011 and it'll be interesting to see whether it's just a Hornet with a sports jacket, or a more complete sports bike package.
Power for the new model comes from a 599cc liquid-cooled inline four-cylinder engine, with 36mm throttle bodies taking care of fueling - and the engine appears to be lifted from the Honda Hornet.
The four-pot engine generates the same 102hp (75kW) at 12,000rpm and 64Nm at 10,500rpm as the CB600F Hornet, which means it's essentially a 10-year-old engine. At least we know it will be reliable...
The design borrows a few styling cues from the omnipresent VFR1200F, which can be seen not only in the headlight design (also bringing it inline with the CBR250R) but also the layered elements of the front fairing, particularly around the upper flanks.
Honda has kept things simple with the chassis, making use of a twin spar aluminium frame to hold everything together, with 'everything' including 41mm upside down forks, a 46mm monoshock at the rear and twin 296mm disc brakes up front. And yes, ABS will be an option (or possibly standard in some regions).
If the price is right, Honda could find itself stealing sales from a number of middleweight all-rounders, though there will be some skepticism about the bike's Hornet origins until it's been ridden.
Engine
Displacement: 599cc
Bore x Stroke: 67 x 42.5mm
Compression Ratio: 12: 1
Max. Power Output: 75kW/12,000min-1 (95/1/EC)
Max. Torque: 64Nm/10,500min-1 (95/1/EC)
Clutch Operation: Mechanical; cable-actuated
Transmission Type: 6-speed
Final Drive: #525 O-ring sealed chain
Chassis
Dimensions(LxWxH): 2,150 x 740 x 1,150mm
Wheelbase: 1,437mm
Frame: Mono-backbone; rectangular-section gravity die-cast aluminium
Caster Angle: 25°
Trail: 99mm
Seat Height: 800mm
Ground Clearance: 135mm
Suspension
Front: 41mm tension and preload adjustable inverted HMAS cartridge-type telescopic fork, 120mm stroke
Rear: Monoshock damper with adjustable tension and preload, 128mm stroke
Wheels
Front: 17M/C x MT3.5
Rear: 17M/C x MT5.5
Front: 120/70-ZR17M/C
Rear: 180/55-ZR17M/C ()
Rear: 240 x 5mm hydraulic disc with single-piston caliper (*ABS) and sintered metal pads
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