Upgrading. CBR600F or Hornet 600 or FZS600 or SV650?

[MotorbikerTom]

Me again, I know I keep asking but I just wanna get the right bike and i think hearing the +'s and -'s of the bikes I'm thinking about getting, will benefit me.

So yeah, I'm now looking between a 99/00 model CBR600F, an 00/02 hornet (both faired and not), 00/03 FZS600 and an 00/03 SV650 (Preferably faired but any experience of either is welcome).

I just wondered if any of you fellas have had one of these bikes and could tell me what it was like and if there are any of these 4 that is the best.

Cheers,
Tom.
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CBT: 19/02/11 - Mod 1: 27/03/11 - Mod 2: 01/04/11
'97 GS500E > '03 Hornet 600 > '16 Street Triple 675

[Villers]

Before I start Id like to say Ive had a 2000 reg CBR600F, a 2003 Hornet and a 2006 SV650S!

My favourite out of the lot and the one I would choose (even when factoring in the Yamaha) would be the CBR6. Many will disagree but....

I cant speak for the yamaha, but its never ticked any boxes for me personally on the superficial side. Ive never liked the look of it and Ive never been a yamaha fan (the ones at work have always looked old fashioned) but they may for inents and purposes be a good bike so Ill leave that part of the option open to those who know.

The SV650 isnt a bad bike as such but suffers because its a VERY budget bike, with budget suspension, budget build quality and a truly gutless engine. Im talking fast car gutless here. Every one of the other bikes you have mentioned are far superior in every performance class than this bike. Added on to that is the fact that when Suzuki do budget, they do it very well. I have owned one of the most expensive bikes suzuki used to sell and I would be horrified if I had paid the new price for my Hayabusa and it had some of the touches that it had when I got it 4 years later. The SV, like the bandit before it is very prone to any kind of corrosion going at even the slightest hint of harsh conditions. It needs looking after to say the least. Im no riding god but I found the suspension lagging behind me at certain speeds, it was reacting to parts of the road Id hit ages ago and would be like a pogo stick at times. The engine has very little poke above 60-70mph and a properly fast car will show you a clean set of heels (in my case it was an aston martin!)

The hornet is a far better bike than the SV. has a useful bit of go, some decent build quality and I found it very comfortable. For me though there were a few problems, as it was very flickable and light but it hit its limits quite early. The rear suspension suffered from pogo stick syndrome at times and the pegs would ground out at almost nothing. It would peg out coming off roundabouts and all sorts. It also has a very poor tank range for something thats not supposed to be sporty.

The CBR6 has the edge by a country mile over the SV and the Hornet when it comes to performance. Much quicker, much more gutsy and handles far better. The suprising thing about the CBR is that its quite comfy and can be ridden for extended periods without your back, neck and wrists turning to calcium. The suspension is adjustable and the ride can be quite spirited when you want it to be. Tank wasnt fantastic and the equipment that it comes with is pretty poor. I dont think it was up with the ZX6R of its time etc.

Me personally I would go for the CBR. The nakeds do a good job for commuting but struggle further on the scale, With the CBR you have that option as its not a bad tourer/commuter but can make a good case for itself on the twisties. They are hard as nails also, mine didnt see a service until it was 3 tears old, had been written off and I managed to crash it. It had been kept outside its whole life before I bought it and had very little rust.

Another note on the SV Vs my only experience with a fazer, I was out with a guy on a bronze fazer and he was leaving me for dead on the straights. I came up behind him in a bend and whikst being pretty much the same speed he sailed through it and I was lucky to keep the bucking bronco SV on the road!!

Id say make your choice between the CBR, the hornet and the Fizzer. Discount the SV unless you just want to potter about.


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RS125 > CBR6 > SV650S > ZX636R > GSX1300RZ Hayabusa > 06 RSVR Mille > SV1000S > Street Triple 765 RS

[MotorbikerTom]

Now thats an answer!

Thanks Villers, much appreciated advice, I have had the SV in my mind for a while but it may not be what i'm looking for. Just out of curiosity, do you remember roughly the tank range of the cbrf? Quite a major point on what bike I choose.

Cheers
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CBT: 19/02/11 - Mod 1: 27/03/11 - Mod 2: 01/04/11
'97 GS500E > '03 Hornet 600 > '16 Street Triple 675

[Ericck]

+1 for the CBR, I can't speak for the other bikes you mentioned but I have had a 1997 CBR6 for little a while and its a lot of fun.

For me the riding position is a bit uncomfortable after a while (although I am old and creaky) so wouldn't want to go too far on it.

The range doesn't seem too bad but as no fuel gauge I rarely let the fuel run too low.
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Current Bike: 2004 Suzuki Bandit 600S
Previous Bikes: Yamaha FS1E, Mobylette Moped Thingy, Suzuki GS125, Kawasaki Zephyr 550, Kawasaki Zephyr 750, Kawasaki ER500, Suzuki Bandit 600, Honda CBR600F, Triumph Street Triple 675, Suzuki V Strom 650, Suzuki Bandit 1200, Suzuki SV650N, Honda CB500F.

[0l0dom0l0]

I've ridden all bar the hornet, which I will have a go on at some point.

Firstly, the SV650 is probably the single most boring bike I've ever ridden. I enjoyed riding the ybr 125 I did my test on more... I'm not joking. Build quality is shocking, nasty corrosion on a bike that was 1 year old and had a 1000 miles on it! Really can't see the appeal of them, although they do look nice.

Fazer is a great all round bike. The engine is good, smooth and I don't think I've managed to get below 60mpg, even on a track day! Tank range is great too, I had 250 miles with more to go out of mine. Brakes are superb when looked after. Riding position sadly gives me cramp in my legs without fail after 50 miles, have no idea why and its probably to do with the way I am sitting but me and rob are the only people I know of to suffer from this. Build quality is top notch, although there was a few with bad batches of engine paint that flakes off.... in the 2 I've owned one with less miles and newer suffered more than the older one with 3 times as many miles. Suspension is okay, a little soft but its set as a touring bike not a hardcore sports bike so cannot complain. My 02 that I've put 4k miles on has never missed a beat and has needed nothing.

CBR600f, lovely riding position. Really comfy. Engine is good, although midrange isn't as strong as the Fazer. Suspension is much better, handles like a dream. Brakes are a bit crap on the pre 95 models. Okay on fuel but again not quite as good as the Fazer. Loads of spares available. Sadly though, mines not proven to be the most reliable bike I've had. Had problems with the carbs when I took them off, had problems with the stupid shitty alarm that's on there and I think the radiator has rotted through.

Hornet is a great bike too. Friend has one, probably my most prefered styling wise between the bandit/fazer etc. Bullet proof in every way, apart from the reg recs which fail lots. Can't comment on the ride as I said but I've been told its very good.

Don't think you can go wrong on any of them, just don't get the sv. Best bet is to test ride them all and see which you prefer the most.
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CBT Passed: 30/08/2009, Theory Passed: 31/08/2010, Mod 1 Passed: 6/9/2010, Mod 2 Passed: 13/09/2010. Restriction ended 13/09/2012.

Bikes: 2007 Derbi GPR 50, 1998 Yamaha Fazer 600 (written off), 2002 Yamaha Fazer 600, 1994 CBR 600F, 2003 Triumph Daytona 600, Kawasaki ZX6R J1.....Current: 2006 Yamaha FZ6, 1998 Suzuki TL1000R and a Honda VFR 400 NC30.

[Dean-J]

Firstly,Im gonna go completely the other way on the SV650S.

I have an 01 fully faired model, NO corrosion issues whatsoever, no build quality issues whatsoever, and no pogo stick syndrome. Yes it IS a budget bike, and the suspension is not up to CBR standards, however this an be sorted cheaply and easily.

Gutless? well, depends on a few things, the rider for one and their perception of "gutless"! Yes, most other 600+ bikes will leave you in the straights, but thanks to the torque of the twin you can keep up through the twisties without too much drama.

In the real world, it will go from 0 to the naughty side of 100 surprisingly quickly and with no problems. Agreed from 70mph upwards in 5th/6th it does feel gutless, but knock it down to 4th or 3rd if you like, and she pulls strongly up to 125+,

That said, if i had the option of a CBR over the SV i would probably take it! Love CBR's, feel far more focused than something like an SV/Bandit etc, yet not so much that they lose their ability to commute and be fairly comfortable. Im 6"1' and 15stone, and find either bike comfortable.

[weasley]

Thought about a Thundercat? CBR600F-rivalling in every way; there have been a couple of discussions in this forum over the last couple of weeks.
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Yamaha XJ600 | Yamaha YZF600R Thundercat | KTM 990 SMT | BMW F900XR TE

[Cunnington]

[TheDonUK]

The CBR600F is a great all rounder, Used to just about keep up with my ZX6R.

Both would leave Hornets/Fazers/SV's for dead (well not for dead but the performance is greater for sure.)

The other three are detuned middleweight do everything bikes, the CBR is a middleweight sportsbike that can do everything
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[Current Bikes - GSXR-750 K5 & C90-97 ] [Previous Bikes: Runner 125, YBR 125, GS500, Bandit 600, Hornet 600, ZX6R-99, C90-99, R1-99, XT600E-04, GSXR-750 K4, CRF250L '16]

[MotorbikerTom]

Yeah ultimately going and sitting on the bikes is what i'm going to have to do. I do have a year left on my restriction so test riding could be a problem but doubt it.

I have thought about a thundercat as well yeah, just insurance was a bit higher but still tolerable.
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CBT: 19/02/11 - Mod 1: 27/03/11 - Mod 2: 01/04/11
'97 GS500E > '03 Hornet 600 > '16 Street Triple 675

[Villers]

[Paris2]

Too own a fully faired '00 Sv650.

I was shopping for a CBR600F when I bought it, my decision came down to "can I justify the extra £200 insurance for the CBR". It just wasn't worth it for me. Though it is a better bike in almost every way.

The SV is a perfectly good bike. People saying its slow are speaking comparatively, to a ~100bhp IL4 of course it is. But compared to 99% of traffic on the road you'll leave them for dead.

As you say, sit on them and see. If I could have afforded the insurance I would have bought the CBR.
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Current Ride: Daytona 600

[hornetmike]

I was think whilst sat on the toliet that the CBR 97 was the best bike I've ever had.
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87 Honda CG 125 - 97 ER5 - SR 50 -81 Z250- 96 CBR 600 F- 94 GPX600R 88- GPX 400R- 87 GS 125 - 2006 Honda CB600F- 2003 ER5 - Honda CBF 1000 2009 - Honda CBR 600 RR 2011
Current BMW R1200GS 2010

[Tenantry13]

CBR 600 F is the first bike bike for me.

Been riding it for over a year now and the only problem I've had is the cam chain tensioner (apparently conman with this bike). Had to get a manual one to fix this problem.

Use her for everyday commuting and weekend rides with mates. Even been to the Isle of man on her and did my first track day last summer

[Dean-J]

Out for a blast today with a pal on a 11 plate Gixxer 600, the SV may not be the best handling, fastest or most focused bike in the world, but my god it puts a smile on your face through 90miles of twisties

Its horses for courses. If you really need that extra 1 second off the 0-100 time, dont buy an SV. If you really need to be able to go round a corner 10mph faster than the next guy, dont buy an SV. If you want a cheap, reliable, involving bike to ride and have fun on... then well worth considering!

[G]

[Blau Zedong]

Despite the fact many think I have a vendetta against SV's (I don't, I've just ridden one and thought it was wank) the fact remains is there are a lot better bikes out there for the same money, the CBR6 being a prime example.
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18:54:48 Rob Fzs: jews don't give away stuff for free

18:54:59 Rob Fzs: unless its their clothes/ hair/ golden teeth

[Villers]

T'was only a matter of time before you picked that one up G!!

One thing I have noticed is that SV owners are amongst the proudest and loyal that there is. Ive just swept through a 6 page response to 'Is an SV a good bike for a new rider' and theres lots of 'Its not the quickest BUT......', 'Its not the best handling BUT....'

Im suprised BlueX5 hasnt been along to absolutely slate the SV yet, my god he HATES them. I don't dislike them, even when I owned mine I was open about its failings though!
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RS125 > CBR6 > SV650S > ZX636R > GSX1300RZ Hayabusa > 06 RSVR Mille > SV1000S > Street Triple 765 RS

[Villers]

Dooble postage sorry!!
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RS125 > CBR6 > SV650S > ZX636R > GSX1300RZ Hayabusa > 06 RSVR Mille > SV1000S > Street Triple 765 RS

[G]

[Dean-J]

It does have failings and i wouldnt try and dispell those, the suspension and brakes are not on a par with a Sports bike of the same era, however it is more than capable of delivering everything you would want of a Tourer, which after all is what it is.

For me as a newbie rider, it delivers everything i could possibly need and more.

In the real world, away from the Internetz, i have not met a single person who has owned an SV who slated it in any way. When you accept that it is not meant to be a balls out sports bike, and take it for what it is, its a great bike imho.

[G]

[Moxey]

^^
When I owned my Bandit I never really said anything too bad about it (not just the issues it had but actual limitations of the bike), now I would openly call a Bandit a piece of shit but coming from a 125 it had its place.

Anyway on topic, have ridden a CBR 600F and a Fazer 600.

Have to say both had inspiring performance but the CBR just felt more precise even with a warped disc brake disc the braking was still much better than what I was accustomed to, seemed to be just point and go, very smooth power delivery as well. The riding position was my only real criticism at 6'2 found it a little cramped on the knees (hell of a lot better than my 400 though), also with clip ons the weight seems to be directed down to your wrist can get painful when riding for some people and makes it a bit off a hassle to wheel around I found.

The Fazer wasn't a million miles behind the CBR but the throttle was a little twitchy (mate had just fitted an aftermarket end can so could be the cause of that) led to the back end unexpectedly going sometimes, the riding position was nicer for somebody of my size, had a little more weight to it than the CBR but less than the Bandit (certain some oil tankers are less than a Bandit), normal style bars made it easier to wheel around but still some placcy to watch out for.

Anyway those are just my impressions from a few goes of my cousins CBR and my mates Fazer, personally if the Hornet is anything like the CBR then thats just what I would go for nakeds ftw
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Current: 02 FZS 1000 & 91 Royal Enfield Bullet 350 Some Bike Pics...
'I was too busy paying attention to pay attention'

[grant965]

yamaha yzf600r thundercat ?
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Ex bikes: 05 Suzuki En 125, '98 Yamaha Thundercat, '08 Honda cbr125, '05 Kawasaki z750, '03 Triumph Daytona 600, '91 Kawasaki ex250, '03 Hyosung Comet 125
Current Bike: '02 Suzuki TL1000R