Motorcycles

November 7th, 2009 Leave a comment Go to comments

Below is a list of motorcycles I’ve owned or ridden and a brief review on each of them…

2008 Honda CBR600RR

I purchased my Honda CBR600RR with 5,000 miles on it and in perfect condition from an adult female rider. That was actually one of the reasons I bought the bike - because the typical adult female sportbike rider takes extremely good care of the motorcycle, and my case was no exception. The bike was in mint condition, Puig double bubble (tinted), carbon fiber rear hugger, and an M4 carbon fiber exhaust. At the time of this writing, I’ve clocked an additional 7,000 miles on the bike.

When you ride a Honda CBR600RR (and same really goes for the 1000RR), there is a side effect that could be construed as good or bad. The ride/feel of the CBR double-R is one that exudes confidence. The bike is not under-responsive, not over-responsive; it’s just spot on. That being said, the bike makes you feel like a better ride. When I discuss the bike with others, I usually describe it as Plug n’ Play. You get on the bike - and almost instantly you feel comfortable pushing it hard. Of course, for the inexperienced rider - that could be a bad thing; because you’ll just think you are better than you are. For the experienced sport bike rider however, it’s been described as lacking character.

You see the other jap bikes ( Yamaha R6/R1, or a Kawasaki, or a Suzuki ) all have characteristics like a slight bit of under or over steer, the suspensions are a little softer or harder, etc… those sort of bikes take a little more effort to ride (but all of these bikes are nearly identical in power, speed, handling).

The Honda is just so perfect - it almost doesn’t have a feel. You just get on it - it goes where you want to go - however fast, slow, aggressive, or passive you want it to go…

Now some specs….

Weight - 410 pounds. That’s full of fluids, including a completely full tank of gas. That’s LIGHT, very light.

Power - the dyno shows about 105 horsepower to the rear wheel ( about 120 at the crank ), and about 47 foot-pounds of torque to the rear wheel.

Last thing I’ll comment on personally is the HESD. Honda Electronic Steering Dampener. The HESD tightens or relaxes the steering depending on your speed and the individual bumps in the road. That’s right, as you are driving down the expressway and hit a patch of bumpy road around a bend - the HESD assists the suspension in keeping the bike on course… it keeps it very stable. Electronic steering dampeners will be on every bike very soon - it’s just a no brainer. It a little like power steering in a car - it just makes it easier to drive the thing.

Ok - here’s the corporate info..

2008 Honda CBR600RR Specifications

Model:	CBR600RR
Engine Type:	599cc liquid-cooled inline four-cylinder
Bore and Stroke:	67mm x 42.5mm
Compression Ratio:	12.2:1
Valve Train:	DOHC; four valves per cylinder
Induction:	Dual Stage Fuel Injection (DSFI) with 40mm throttle bodies, Denso 12-hole injectors
Ignition:	Computer-controlled digital transistorized with three-dimensional mapping
Transmission:	Close-ratio six-speed
Final Drive:	#525 O-ring chain
Suspension	Front: 41mm inverted HMAS cartridge fork with spring preload, rebound and compression damping adjustability; 4.7 inches travel Rear: Unit Pro-Link HMAS single shock with spring preload, rebound and compression damping adjustability; 5.1 inches travel
Brakes	Front: Dual radial-mounted four-piston calipers with 310mm discs Rear: Single 220mm disc
Tires	Front: 120/70ZR-17 radial Rear: 180/55ZR-17 radial
Wheelbase:	53.9 inches
Rake (Caster Angle):	23.55°
Trail:	97.7mm (3.8 inches)
Seat Height:	32.3 inches
Fuel Capacity:	4.8 gallons, including 0.9-gallon reserve