The 05 CB900F differs from earlier models in now having fully adjustable forks and in new colour scheme's a candy apple red and black, its also cheaper too! I chose the gloss meta-flake black. At just $10,995 the bike is a bargin and great fun!
The 919cc fireblade engine has been retuned to deliver low to midrange grunt, perfect for fast starts (read 10s 1/4 mile) effortless overtaking and due to its comfortable riding position touring duties as well. Sure it doesn't have a fairing, but you can fit a small bikini faining like I have and quite frankly the engine just doesn't care and will quite happily punch you up to nearly any speed you might want, very rapidly.
Even during the runnig in period with limited rpm available. The low to midrange torque on offer as a joy (max 5500rpm). At any set of lights or through any series of bends the Honda makes it easy to lay down globs of torque through its light clutch, fuel injection and 180 section sports radial. Once the bike was run in (750km) and the mineral oil exchanged for semi-synthetic I could really start to have some fun and rev the bike towards its peak torque of 92nm @ 6500 & 81kw/ 108.5bhp@9000prm (not sure where this is measured but probably the crank). These are very similar figures to the VTR1000.
Some journo in Spain, flat on the tank hung on to 255k indicated with no bikini
fairing. I've seen 240 indicated after slipstreaming then overtaking a VTR SP1 (on the road), but it didin't really have too much more to come, however top speed is a bit really academic on a bike like this. Any gear, just twist the wrist and instantly the bike howls, digs in and pulls. When the bike is making it's most torgue @ 6,500rm the front wheel can be lifted on the power delivery and carried through the smooth, fuel injected throttle control up towards the 9000rm peak power. Notching up more gears is simple as long
as the road is straight enough. I can't wheelie round corners, although I know some people can.
I've fitted a factory spec bikini fairing, which makes riding at speed and touring much more comfortable. Its surprising what such a small bit of perspex can do. Without it I'd need to be lifting weights every second day just to hang on with the wind blast above 140kph. Regardless of the retune the engine and chasis package contribute to make this a riducelously easy bike to ride fast. Steering is quick and precise. I found the front end surprisingly planted, where I could feel the road surface much more than I
thought could be delivered through a 'comfortable' handlebar, the 120 section front and 43mm forks work well. Side to side transitions can be described as adequately fast but not razor fast as most modern supersport machines deliver but I aint going racing, Im going for a ride. And when I want to I can stick with the open class bikes easily enough, at least in open sweeper territory.
The riding position feels very natural, absolutely in control and very comfortable. My other bike is a 95Gsxr-w, heavier, more top heavy, less all round power and with a racers crouch, sore wrists after an hour. On the Hornet you sit upright and can see all around and at a simple flick of the wrist you surge forward. Honda have made a streetfighter in their own unique honda way. This aint no bad ass bandit or fazer or z-thou its a Honda, sort of sanatised/civilized muscle bike, does that make sense, I know the $10,995 brand new price made sense to me. Its happy purring along at 60kph or 100kph, the sound of the values whirring away is bliss or you can wind it up to go to jail speed, your choice.
I have now put about 3000km on the bike since new, on all sorts of road and conditions. Even in the wet it fells planted and assured. I did have a front end slide under braking in one down pour. But the road surface was de-laminated stone chip sort of like one big white line and others on the ride had identical experiences. On the plus side, it was a controllable and easily corrected slide, or more realistically the bike corrected it for me then
flatered my riding talents.
I have also fitted Oggy knows and hope to get to a trackday soon and have some on the side fun. Warble warble marketing speak, it also has catalytic conversion, low emissions, great toolkit, multi language manual etc . . . 08/09/05 Avignon.
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Originally Posted by Avignon
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