I was talking to some guy friends last night. A couple of them ride bikes and they said a 600 might be too much for a first bike for me. That I’d be better off with a 400-500cc bike. I previously rode a Honda CB500 when doing my test. I was OK with that.
The trouble is I like the CBRs very much and set my heart on one. I’m told the earlier CBRs are not as quick as the modern ones anyway. I saw this F1 advertised and it looks great.

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Honda-CBR-600-...item43a175e73b

Sorry I don’t know how to post pictures but if you scroll down that page to the bottom and look at the bigger images. Click on the thumbnails below it and they’ll display in the window above. I think it looks very good. What’s your opinions, is an original CBR worth going for in this kind of condition?

 

I don't know what changes they made from f1-f2. I have an F2 and it is an amazing bike. Typically a new model is always better with honda. So if you can get an F2, get it.

As for 600s being too much power. I never touched any motorized bike in my life prior to my 600. Its about respect... for your bike, your life, and other people's lives. If you have that respect, and can be patient, you will be fine. The old 600s may not be as fast as the new ones, but trust me, they aren't far behind. Professionals used to race F1s and F2s. Hell, I take mine to the track and I was giving a new GSXR 750 a run for his money. Trust me, shes fast enough. Be careful and have fun.

 

F2....... nuff said

 

It looks like a good buy to me. Check out this review: https://cbrforum.com/forum/cbr-600f-15/cbr600f1-super-review-bike-started-all-96749/

The difference between the F1 and F2 will be minor. They were both revolutionary sport bikes of their time.

I also don't agree with 600cc being too big. The CBR600 has a smooth throttle and really only feels like it's taking off on you above 8,000 rpm. It's otherwise easy to control. You'll outgrow a smaller bike quickly.

I also have a Honda VTX1300 cruiser that weighs about 7-800 lbs. That's a bike you need to think twice about because of the weight. I love my CBR because it is the opposite - light, nimble and comparably quick. I've never felt like it was out of control.

 

I'd only ever played with dirt bikes a few times and never a motorcycle when I bought my 600 F3 and I've not had any problems with it. Its a wonderful handling bike at slow speed and is light enough to get used to the fact that motorcycles are heavy without a lot of danger.

I'd go for an F1 or F2 for a first bike in a heartbeat, or even go for a F3 if you can find one in your price range.

 

If you want a proper 600cc bike, start out with the F2 hands down. And whoever says it can't keep up with the newer bikes probably has never made left and right turns. I promise you I could take an F2 on the track and be competitive with it. I've raced the F2's in CCS, and loved them!

 

I'm convinced to stay with an F2 again. I prefer their style. I don't want to buy a smaller bike and have to change it again when I'm ready for something bigger. I'll have to be more patient. We're going to see a couple locally this weekend but I'll be walking away if they're not right. I thought I'd get a couple of rides in before winter but it doesn't look that way. That gives me more time over the cold season to find something good for spring.
Thanks for the input.

 

Definitely a smart move to NOT settle on something you don't want. The winter will bring cheaper prices on bikes, plus if you find one that needs a little love...you'll have 3 months to prep it. Good Luck with the search and NEVER SETTLE! -_-

 

I've definitely decided not to settle. Especially since winter is coming and I won't be riding anyway. I'll just use the time to search for the best I can find. The weekend saw two more bikes that were dogs. The first one looked ugly with what appeared to be a spray can paint job. It was all matt and peeling paint. It looked pants. The second one looked much better but it was billowing clouds of white smoke? You expect some off choke when cold but this was pushing out great plumes of white smoke. It didn't stop so we made our excuses and left.

 

With your mindset, that white smoke bike may be worth a second look.

Blue smoke: burning oil
Gray (smelly) smoke: rich fuel
White smoke: burning antifreeze

If antifreeze is getting into your combustion chamber, you almost definitely have a bad head gasket. And that is exactly the kind of project you may want to have for the winter. You'll learn how to tear the bike down and reassemble, and you'll get valuable engine insight for later in case something else goes wrong.

I would go back and ensure that it's burning antifreeze and nothing else. I purchased my bike all taken apart last October. I rebuilt it, reusing the old head gasket (a known no-no). In addition, I accidentally tightened my cylinder head bolts to something like 35 ft-lb instead of 45 ft-lb. Oops. But the bike ran -- it just blew white smoke. I was running it in a garage and it clouded the whole 2-car garage up. The smoke just hung thick in the air. Didn't really smell like anything. (I'm saying this so you can try to judge for yourself if it's burning coolant).

Point out to the seller that it needs a new head gasket and easily knock off $300. (150 pounds?) It'd be a good deal for a good-looking bike. The head gasket costs about $80, plus you may end up investing in a few new hand tools. And you've got all winter to ask us questions on how to perform the repair and rebuild your bike!

Edit: Additionally, even if you determine the smoke to be from fuel, it still might not be too big of a problem. What would be some ways to get unburned fuel: mis-adjusted pilot screws (evident at low engine speeds), old spark plugs (very minor), perhaps fouled carbs (? but easily cleaned). Maybe weak coils (I'm thinking unlikely) but even they're easy to find and replace. Maybe when it's running you could test all four headers to make sure they're all hot -- don't touch them though.

Although, incomplete combustion could also result from low compression in one (or more) worn out cylinders. Heads up for that.