Maybe the wrong forum. Anyway, has anyone owned or ridden a lot on both the 954 and a CBR F4i? Anyone want to take a crack at comparing the two, as ridden both during track days and fast sport riding in the twisties?
Right now I have an '03 F4i that I really like riding, but I also have been looking at the specs and the weight of the 954....which really compares quite well to my 600...I wouldn't mind having some extra HP, though my 600 seems quite quick. What is the difference between riding the two, especially on a track? It might be nice to have a bit of extra push to pass the liter bike 'hammer the straights' guys we all encounter at times during track sessions...the ones who are a bit slow in corners but will nail it in the straight sections and keep you back with brute straightline speed. It might also be sort of fun to be able to have a bit wider power band to make gear selection less of a game changer on corners, too...
I'm considering adding a 954 to my list of owned Hondas, maybe as a replacement for my 600, or maybe to change one or the other of them into a full track bike.
Anybody out there with experience with both of these bikes that wants to compare them for me? Any major faults with the 954 that I should be aware of that might make me sorry I bought one...or things I should specifically check for when looking at them?

Thanks in advance, Don Hanson

 

i'm surprised no one has bit this off yet!!
you know there are many people on here you have owned both and some that still do..
I have a few older model 900's that I enjoy riding and have owned many 600's so I cant attest anything about the 954 model specific so i'll keep it short and say when I used ride the smaller bikes I never hesitated going into turns quick. I would even venture to say I used to throw my six hundred around like it was a toy compared to larger bikes in general.
anyway i'm sure this thread question will peak some intrest and someone with exact experience will share their thoughts gnarly..

jay

 

Maybe I just chose the wrong forum to ask this on...?

What caught my interest in the 954 in particular, is the test weights I see quoted for the 954 in various older magazines are the same as the weight of my own "03 600 F4i. The HP figures (109hp for the 600 f4i vs 154hp for the 954) show a big power to weight ratio difference. Many of the other components look identical, so if that 954 doesn't have any glaring handling problems, it seems to me that it might be a "better" bike at the track and overall.

I have owned bigger more powerful bikes than my current '03 600. I recently sold a 5th Gen VFR ( stodgy, pretty comfortable, BIG... not so great in the handling department). Before that, I had a long happy relationship with a fully tricked-out Honda Hawk GT. I also had a couple of 900 Triumphs in there, too.
I was very glad to get back onto a nimble bike again after that short sting on the VFR.... I agree that going fast on the 600 feels quite easy...but the 954s are out there, at the same weight, with 45 more hp and a wider power band, so I am looking at those now, too.

That Hawk twin that I was riding had a very wide torque band and about 70hp at probably 330lbs of weight...an excellent combo that let me keep up (or pass) easily at speeds to ~ 100mph. Unpleasant on longer rides, that little Hawk... The VFR made up for it's power to weight shortfall with a wide power band, too. But that was a big fat bike with sport touring suspension stuff...A nice bike but not my style, I discovered.
I'm very pleased now with the F4i...Love the way it handles and goes. I wouldn't mind having a wider power band, or more power at lower RPMs sometimes, however. If the 954 has this, which the 'numbers' indicate it should have, I want me some of that!

anybody? Don Hanson

 

Very few 954's out there compared to f4i's so the chances of somebody having owned both AND tracked them both is very small. The 954 should be a better track bike if you can handle the power.

 

I have owned both and it all depends on the rider.Yes the weight is very similar on both bikes.The 600 is better on tighter tracks as you can be on the power sooner out of corners.Both bikes are similar in handling but the power of the 954 can scare you.When I had my f4i,I was able to pass my friend who had a 954 in some slower,tighter corners with ease until we hit the straights then it was over.I now have 2 954 and both are set up for track.People always tell me to buy a newer more powerful bike for the track.But when I pass them up,then they say"I see why you don't need a newer bike".
I have a SV 650 as well just for the tighter tracks.

 

Thanks. Sounds about how I guessed the two might compare....I'm going for it with a 954 when the right one comes along, I hope. Call me 'old school' but I don't feel any thrill from owning the latest and greatest....I enjoy bikes that are mechanical rather than ones with built-in ride control gizmos to make them 'easier' or 'better'. It is fun sometime to go around riders on very exotic and expensive bikes on a light simple bike...like the 954 seems to be...I liked the old '88 Hawk for tight tracks, but once the SV 650s came along, it's age began to show...I don't see that as the case with that 954 yet...Seems they should still stack up nicely with any current street bike..and at about 1/5 the out of pocket money.
anybody else had/have both?

Don Hanson

 

My first F4i was in 2001. Two years later I purchased a new 954RR and absolutely loved it for the time. One thing that stands out is the overall power. Don't have to wait for RPMs to build before getting that power rush and at WOT, it flat screams! I went back to a new 2006 F4i, because I missed the friendly riding position, compact size for maneuvering in tight spaces and good fuel mileage. I was getting 34 mpg in town with the 954, compared to my 40 mpg with the F4i. On long trips it's a toss-up, because the F4i is more comfortable, but it buzzes from the higher rpms due to lower gearing. The 954 is happy in any gear. I sometimes miss the power, but for my needs, the F4i truly makes more sense.

 

Thanks for the input.

My '03 F4i doesn't get great mileage either...about 100mi on a tank and I have to look to fill back up. This is irritating in my normal riding because I live rural in the western US and towns and gas stations aren't always available or open. Depending on my routes it's often manditory to stop for gas with over 1/2 tank to be able to make the next town with gas or to keep going if perhaps a station might be closed.

That good range on a tank was one thing I liked about the VFR 5-gen bike I just sold... and the V-4 sound/torque...Not the handling or weight, however.

I don't find my F4i to be too buzzy at highway speeds..Seems pretty smooth to me. I have to say my split saddle is a butt-buster after a couple of hours...I might do some work on that...but yes, the position is good for a sportbike and the size of it is right-feeling....

 

You should easily be getting 150 mi to a tank w/ the F4i. I can get 160-170 on my F4 (carbs) w/ commuting, city, & wknd twisties mixed into the equation.

 

I agree with GOTCBR, you should be getting better mileage on the open road. My last long trip got me 46 mpg, and that was going over varied terrain at 60 mph.