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Honda CBR600F (2006) – Bob Pickett takes out the final iteration of Honda’s classic and asks “Would it still be relevant today?”

With thanks to Johns of Romford for the loan of the bike

2006 Honda CBR600F In 2006, the world had moved on. Being an excellent all-rounder was no longer good enough. In the mid-sized sports category, the demand was now to be totally performance focussed. 600cc bikes were no longer road bikes with a sporting angle, but race-biased machines with a nod towards road use. And Honda met this challenge with the CBR600RR. And in 2006, this meant the final demise of the truly brilliant CBR600F. For 20 years this bike had evolved and grown into one of the best all-round machines ever made (quite an achievement for a bike that was good enough to perform at world level).

Five years later, and the world had moved again. Riders were now starting to look more at their bikes being able to do a spot of everything. Sales of the once-dominant sports machines was falling away dramatically. Honda saw this and brought back the CBR600F – but not the bike that they killed off in 2006, but brand-new machine based around the Hornet (which was in itself originally modeled on the CBR600F – loop, anyone?) This made me wonder, could they simply have brought back the original CBR600F, saved all that R&D work and got back to life as it was?

To answer the question, Johns of Romford were kind enough to lend me a 2006 model; the final iteration, with 20 years development behind it. So, would this bike cut the mustard in 2011? Time to find out…

2006 Honda CBR600F The bike I rode had 17,500 miles on the clock and was up for sale at £4,699. Despite it’s sporting pretensions, the CBR600F’s road bias is immediately evident, as you find plenty of room to move about and even sit quite upright for town work. But if you want to wrap around the tank for sporty riding, you can do so with ease. Town work shows up the age and lineage. At low revs the engine is pretty gutless with nothing of note happening under 4,000 revs. 5K is good for gentle cruising (and is where 70mph is achieved in 5th), but it really likes being ridden at 8 thousand revs and up.

Unfortunately, on the day of the test ride the weather is a mixed bag meaning I don’t get the chance to really try out the bike’s performance, but I did find enough dry patches to work the bike and this really showed the refinement of the overall package. Two decades of development mean this is a refined package. The suspension is stiff but forgiving (potholes are handled with aplomb) and the bike copes with the inevitable potholes without fuss. But corners are where the CBR600F shines: the first time I get to tip in at pace is a revelation as the CBR flows through the bend. Inspired by this, I seek out more corners and I am rewarded with a right/left/right combination of thankfully dry tarmac. And it is like liquid as the Honda glides through the combination.

And the stability at speed is impressive. At 70mph I take a corner and the CBR holds the line beautifully. So I try to upset it, heading to a downhill left/right combination. The CBR glides into the corner as before, flowing from one bend to the next, so I try changing line mid-corner. And the CBR couldn’t have cared less., just staying on line and continuing it’s silken route from corner to corner.

2006 Honda CBR600F As a guess, 5K is where the inevitable “get through the MOT” dip lives. Crack open the throttle at 5K and there is a very slight delay in the engine picking up and surging forwards. Dig deeper into the rev range and this blip goes away. But if I’m honest, I wasn’t that bothered about testing out the engine performance to it’s fullest. All I wanted to do was find yet another corner, and another, and another… you really could spend all day just taking corners, reveling in the handling.

And all day wouldn’t see you in agony. Unlike the CBR600RR that replaced it (and left me unable to walk after a morning in the saddle) the CBR600F’s road-bias means the comfort level is far greater. And the ability to move around a lot and sit upright when required allows the rider to work out those aches and pains normally associated with riding an essentially sporting machine. But the weight does go onto the wrists, which does start to tell later in the day. I also find I start to get aching elbows, but then I don’t ride a bike with clip-ons day to day so that has to be a factor.

Time to deal with some of the other important items. The gearbox is slick – a common Honda gripe is that gearboxes may be feel notchy, but this one felt light and precise at all times. But that may be down to a careful owner loosening it up carefully.

And braking is filled with confidence. The twin 296mm discs offer strong but progressive stopping power. I like my brakes to let me know what is going on and the CBR’s were spot on giving constant feedback as they brought me to a standstill.

2006 Honda CBR600F The original CBR600F is one of those bikes that Honda can be rightly proud of in terms of it’s finish. Five years and 17,500 miles later the bike still looked as good as new (the one blemish I found could have been due to a sticker being removed and the bike being loaned to me before it could get decently cleaned). Clocks give decent feedback and a range of information without being cluttered. I would like a gear indicator as I’m spoiled by having one on my current bike and want all bikes to feature one.

So, would the original CBR600F cut it in 2011/2012? Oh yes it would. Perhaps the engine would need a mild re-tune to bring in a little more power lower down the rev range, but otherwise this is a motorcycle that has the genuine all-round performance being looked for, but with all the sporting ability you would need. For a bike that first saw the light of day in 1987, that is one hell of a compliment.

Thanks again to Johns of Romford for the initial loan of the bike

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