My new bike

[craigs23]

....if everything goes to plan I'll be picking it up on Saturday.

Yes, I know, before you say, it needs a clean.

https://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y51/whers84/myhornet.jpg

[garth]

Got a thing about honda's don't ye?

What's happening to CeeBeebie1?
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You ain't a has been if you never was

[craigs23]

Dad's a Honda man, guess it runs in the family.

They make good bikes, if occasionally "boring". Does exactly what it says on the tin though, which is why I opted for this when it became available.

I'm going to tidy up and service the CB1, then it'll be for sale.

[instigator]

Much was it. Say it was under £1k and I'll hate you forever (says he who bought a cb500 because he couldnt find a hornet/sv cheap enough)

[McGee]

Nice.

Now you gotta be the typical hornet owner and fit your self some Renthals and some bug eye head lights. And when people ask what you ride say a "Fightered Hornet."
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Its pronounced Jixxer!

[craigs23]

Nah, if I'd wanted a Speed 4 I'd have bought one.

The Hornet's going to spend 75% of its life as a commuter, so the bits I'm likely to get for it will be based on this unfortunately. Might get an undertray and fruitier exhaust though.

[LUXY DJ]

id only use one for my couriering, that or a ER5 or CB500

annoying thing is them reg pegs cant be taken off seperately

looks a clean example tho
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GSXR750
(FAR FAR from standard) www.gixerjunkies.net

[m0l0t0v]

[NSR Mick]

[Stevie GooGs]

Nice im not 100% on the huge exhuast tho.
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Current: 2019 Yamaha T7 -> 2015 KTM Superduke R | 2000 Yamaha R1 Past -> 2009 KTM 990 SM -> 2005 kawasaki ZX10r -> 2000 Honda CBR 600 FY -> 2002 Honda XLV 125 Varadero
Bike Pics! -> My Photography Website

[Dom]

Good decision. Great bikes imo.
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Photos and that

[craigs23]

I might add a couple of items here and there, but must remember that this bike is for daily use. The more I work on a bike, the more compromised it becomes. Won't stop me cleaning it every once in a while though.

I've pencilled in a hugger, bellypan and possibly a full stainless exhaust (road legal, most likely with baffles), but other than that, it'll stay pretty much as is.

[Wafer_Thin_Ham]

Excellent choice. Adding some Yellow stripe's will make it faster though.

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[Charlie]

Looks very nice mate, I am jealous! Have fun and be careful

[craigs23]

All sorted now (hopefully, I won't be content until it's back home awaiting its first clean).

Picking it up at 10:30 on Saturday, Insurance sorted - was only a £20 admin charge (quoted £72 tpft for the year, which I thought was quite affordable).

[veeeffarr]

There's something to be said about Honda's factory blue paint, on my VFR the paint finish and colour is probably the nicest I've seen on a bike, it looks the same on that hornet.

Enjoy.

T

[short1uk]

Nice

Just like mine!

Great bike! You'll love it!

Catherine

[craigs23]

[veeeffarr]

[craigs23]

Well I picked it up today...and gave it a quick 2 hour clean...

https://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y51/whers84/hornet13.jpg

https://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y51/whers84/hornet14.jpg

...it's, erm, okay.

The Hornet's good and all and probably up to the task (the reason I bought it), but it's just a bike I like, not love. It's not the usual bike I'd buy - I tend to stick to machines that are a little harder to find, a little more unique. The Hornet feels like a mode of transport at the moment, with little else going for it. It does feel like a budget bolt-on bike, rather something that's been designed as a whole. Nothing wrong with that, just doesn't feel quite there. Maybe some miles will change my mind.

It's in good nick though, especially considering there's over 30k on the clocks.

I took the 50 mile long route back to get to grips with the bike, it does seem lacking in some areas which I'll have to look into sorting if I'm really going to feel comfortable with it. Most of these issues are around the front end. The 16 inch front was a little vague on my Blade, but on the Hornet, with its cheap suspension, I can't tell what it's doing at all. There were a couple of instances when I wasn't too sure when cornering - leading to some disconcerting understeering. Having been on sportsbikes for too long, the bars feel very distant from the front contact patch - I'm too used to having information relayed through my hands, but the Hornet seems to lack this vital feedback. With my winter jacket on as well (not the largest of items, but a little looser than my leathers), the Hornet gathers a light weave over a ton, even when I'm ducking beneath the clocks. Accelerating hard over non-perfect surfaces also makes the bars waggle as much as my Blade used to - even with 40bhp less. I'll see whether I can drop the forks through the yokes a little, or upgrade the forks a bit with thicker oil and better springs. If all else fails I could always try a 17 inch front end.

The front brakes leave a lot to be desired as well, having adequate power and requiring atleast 3 fingers on the leaver to scrub off speed. Not helped when the front end dives so much.

The engine's good though, if a little dull. Wakes up around 5,500 and then stretches its legs at 10k+, but it doesn't half and all get windy at that speed, even in 3rd gear or so.

Maybe I was hoping for a 600cc CB1 a little too much. The Hornet's good, but I hope I can sort some of its shortfalls.

[veeeffarr]

I know what you mean, I love my VFR to bits but I am still crying out for a Futura...

T

[kawashima]

[craigs23]

Well, the bike's better now.

A mix of another 100miles of riding plus dropping the forks 10mm through the yokes has established a growing confidence in the bike. It's tweaked the Hornet's composure a bit, giving more weight over the front and altering the stance so that I don't get that disconcerting weave at high speed any more. It also canters my position into more of an attack mode, without significantly compromising comfort. Has made the front end feel even lighter and faster steering though - which I'm learning to attribute to the similar feeling it has to my previous Blade. I can now ride at a reasonable pace, but my corner entry is still limited a little by the cheap and soft front forks. I do like how much throttle I can use on the 600 - it fires nicely out of corners if the engine's spinning at 10k plus - even on the Continental what-ever-they-are sports touring rubber currently fitted to the bike. The clear stretch of the A272 yesterday was as fun as on my CB1, with some proper speeds down the rare straights too.

Generally, I'm a lot happier and beginning to appreciate the bike for what it is. A good weekend.

[virus]

you could always make some spacers, at a guess id say 3cm long and cram them into the top of the forks, This will harden up the front end and stop it diving so much.

Cheers
John
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own: 81 xs1100g...
owned: 85 rat CG (sold), 91 GS500e (stolen), 84 gsx400f (scrapped), 81 z250 (siezed, siezed, scrapped), 83 cb250rs (sold), 84 gpz750r ratfighter (killed) 84gpz400 (sold), '80 cb650 ratfighter (wrote off) 95gsx6/12f ratfighter (killed) 91 xj900 (sold)
stinkwheel Well I just had my hands up a pigs fanny. Which makes your concerns pale into insignificance.

[mattgirv]

I rode a CBF600 a while back, its the budget version of your Hornet, can you believe it, heh. It wasn't too bad really, I can't think of anything bad to say about it, but I couldn't really think of many compliments either. It just felt a bit bland like it could get me to A to B, if I could be bothered. He recently chopped the end of his exhaust and it actually feels a lot nicer to ride, it is almost cruiser like and quite fun just roaring around town at a leisurely pace. He has binned it far too many times and I must say, the bike has held up better than anything I have ever seen.

From numerous front end crashes, and being sideswiped by cars, er cones (maybe it was more of a mis-maneuver than a sideswipe :p but that is how he put it) and getting hit by a flying cat at 40mph and subsequently sliding down the road for a while, it has only ever had one crankcase replaced - cue metal putty - (from falling off in some offroad antics and hitting a rock), a tank, a rad and handlebars. I'd say that is pretty good going.

I'll note he has no clock He has no mirrors. His radiator fan is no longer working. Though only due to the speedometer.