Honda CB600F Hornet (2007-current)

Bought "BUZZ" beginning 2011 after passing my Direct Access. I always knew this would be the bike I'd want to own one day after sitting on many bikes without even test riding them. My nearest Honda Dealer refused to let me test ride their DEMO as there policy was to refuse anyone who had just passed their licence. Venturing into the unknown not having roadtested any new big bikes and splashing a considerable amount of money was a dawnting afare. First impression sitting on a brand spanking knew CB600FA(ABS) in Pearl White on start-up for the very first time was like entering a marriage and not wanting to let go of this love afare. Originally not wanted ABS as Salesman told me they had none left so paid the extra for Combined-ABS version. I am so happy I did as a truck pulled out in front of me doing high speed on the freeway recenlty and jammed on the brakes without any loss of control! Wow I am happy to be alive! On riding in the engine for the first time was tough as you don't get the best oil from run in oil with all detergents thrown in. Patience was a virtue and the more oil changes I had done over time the more this engine performs as everything starts settling in. Done 8K miles on clock & this CBR engine rocks! Excellent overtaking at high speed. The torque is at high speed unlike the Triumph Speed 1050 triple(Rocking horse on steroids) which just wants to lift it's front wheel dangerously between 1st&2nd gear due to it's short wheel base. The Hornet is much more composed and well pleasing with it's race bread engine reving wright through 12-13K RPM with ease. Extremely well balanced when slowing down stopping at traffic lights due to its fantastic center of gravity design 'Made in Italy'. I have the upgraded syspension version and Ohlins rear fully adj. After 1 mth I have fine tuned the suspension to my liking. Brilliant! I've tested Speed Triple, Thunderbird & Tiger. I must say I have already made up my mind that I have finally made a lifetime purchase with this beauty who will take me to places. I have 'the power of dreams' The engine is a doddle to service. Gearbox is ultra smooth. No jumping out of gear nonsense. Power on tap straight from the word "GO!" Best I had was 58MPG and worst around 44mpg if you keep doing 90-100mph. The updated Hornet is out with sharper looking tail and no grab rail.... Go figure... Put a nice touring screen on this baby and who knows what the furture holds. Get your hands on one you won't be sorry. Italian made and designed. I'm glad Honda made that decision. Enough of my boasting. When you see me, pull over. Safe driving :))

I bought a '09 Hornet after having had a CBR600F (lovely bike, but low-ish bars hurt my wrists...) for a few years and I've never looked back; it is a fantastic bike. What I can't understand is that, apart from BIKE magazine, everyone in the press seems to think that it isn't very good. It never gets put into many tests despite being better than the bikes that are selected! Anyway, who cares I love my Hornet, so stuff the press....

I have an 07 ABS Hornet, which I bought a year old and have now had for 2 years. The bike is great, uses no oil at all, is light on the tyres, good on fuel, smooth, well built and safe. I think it is the best 600 you can buy. It has never let me down. The good points for me are the build quality, materials, engineering and safety. The entire bike is made of aluminium, stainless steel and plastic (with very few parts to rust). The bike still looks factory fresh, and there are no issues with any part of the finish. The CBS and ABS are great from a safety perspective, it must be one of the safest bikes about. The engineering is also top notch. Honda have put a lot of thought into the materials of the bike, for example the entire exhaust is 100% stainless steel, and the frame is aluminium. The engine is great, and very powerful for a 600. Don't forget that 600s are at power levels of 1000s+ of a decade ago, so you rarely need more power. Lastly, the seat and bars are very neutral, and easy on the wrists and shoulders, unlike the 600RR. There are several disadvantages of the bike as well, but they are mainly small faults, rather than actual issues, none of which would make me choose differently. One fault that becomes apparent after about a week of ownership is the fuelling between 3000-4000 rpm with a steady throttle... it is a bit hit and miss, and there is a characteristic rev-hunt that I think should be addressed. Also, the rebound on the rear shock is a tad harsh. There is a slight howl from the intake manifold at about 3000 rpm that is annoying. Lastly, there is a lack of low-end torque from all 600-4s, also displayed here, but the engine is sweet when you open it up. Other than that, I think the Hornet makes perfect sense. Not to costly, not too crazy, economical, superbly well built, safe, fun, won't let you down. Thoroughly recommended, but make sure you get the ABS version. A friend has a 2009 Aprilia, and the Honda build and finish is superior in all respects. Honda come top in reviews because they make bikes like this. If I never ride another bike, it would be no tragedy.

I have an abs equipped model with a hugger and seat cowl so I rated equipment higher than most

Mine is the 2009 model with new preload and rebound adjustability front and rear. Not cheap in Spain. Agile and great build quality. I recommend it.

Nice bike for urban riding. Perfect for new riders but as soon as you start to ride harder you will surely need an other bike.

I choose a honda hornet for my first big bike. As i didn't know what to expect it was interesting riding it for the first time. Once i passed my test, i found a 2nd hand 09 Hornet with 1600 miles (ABS) for £4100, in mint condition, not ridden in the wet etc. Its so easy to ride and this is what many people know it for. The power delivery is very smooth and its brilliant for a day trip. I sometimes use it for commuting and easily filter though the traffic. Its very hard to explain the + and -, until you actually ride it. 5*** !!!!

The MCN review is largely accurate. My experience of my 2007 ABS Hornet has been: Pros: * Brilliant high and low speed handling and chassis set up. Best naked I've ridden, ever. * Decent ~45mpg consumption even if you thrash the hell out of it. * Build and materials quality appears almost up to "old skool" Honda standards. Still perfect on my 2007. * ABS is non-intrusive, unlike old Honda ABS or the BMW systems. * Good value for money - under 100mph as fast as a supersport 600, no plastics to break, with cheap insurance. * Long seat cover, huge grab handles and no painted rear fairing means it's brilliant for bungeeing stuff on without the inevitable scuffed paint. Cons: * The shock is shit. Oversprung and lacking any compression damping, it pogos over the slightest bump, will lose any damping by ~10k miles and is not rebuildable. You then either suffer Fear or pay £3-400 for an aftermarket unit. * It's a 600 four. Needs downgearing at the sprockets if you're not a pipe-and-slippers rider. Blisteringly fast when wound up, but feels like the final drive is made of rubber bands - twist throttle and wait for the engine to catch up. Street Triple, by comparison, gives instant drive when you open the taps. * Pegs are low-ish and the bike tends to sit on its tail unless you jack up preload (which just makes the rear shock more harsh), or I guess unless you weigh 120 pounds or less. Although Honda manages to make this feel great to ride, your toes will hit the ground before your knee sliders you're over about a size 8. * Wind protection even by naked standards is poor (my Duke II was actually better...and it didn't even have a flyscreen), and the Honda option flyscreen looks good but doesn't do much to protect you. Puig, Givi and a bunch of others do higher aftermarket ones for £££. * Typical horrible Honda EFI jerkiness going from shut to open throttle which you have to ride around. Overall, a great A and B road do-anything bike. Not what I'd choose for urban commuters however - the power delivery and EFI issues are a PITA in town.

Owned my Hornet since aug'08 and ridden 7500 miles. I've been riding for nearly 4 years and this is my second Hornet. I ride all year, all weathers and this bike is great. Build quality is excellent, ride is agile, sporty and fun and great in town too. You have to push the brakes hard for the abs to cut in and it is a refined and sensitive system, complementing the whole package. Fuel consumption is 45 - 50 mpg (even hard riding), I have got 170 miles from a full tank, with some to spare but I usually fill up at 150 miles. The engine is a diamond with good torque throughout the rev range. The only 'fault' is the seat - a tad uncomfy after a couple of hours, but hey, either buy a bagster seat or take a break! Fantastic value and probably the best middleweight roadster out there!

Great bike, perfect for commuting, popping around town. Light and agile with a cracking engine