Well I was gun hoe' about buying a newer 600RR this spring to replace my old 1990 CBR600F. Well thank goodness I decided to sit on this week @ a dealer because I now know that I could never ride a newer sport bike!! The seating difference between my Hurricane and the 600RR is night and day. On my Hurricane I am able to keep my back straighter but on a new 600, no way!! TO much pressure on my wrists, and way to hunched over!!

I've been eyeing out these CB919s for some time now, they have really caught my eye now. I had the chance to sit on, and to my suprise it was very comfortable. From what I understand, the engine is a de-tuned 900RR engine that puts about 100 HP @ the rear wheel and about 65 lbs of torque. The salesman said, don't let the HP ratings fool you, it still has the ability to pull up with ease and plenty of power to keep up with the sport bikes. SO basically I want to know from other riders who own one, or have ridden one, How did you like them? I think it would be fun to have a sportier bike with a nice amount of torque to keep you gripping harder on bursts of acceleration. I also like the way it looks. Plus, there are aftermarket pipes, and PCIIIs availible for them as well.

 

My father has an 04 919 and I love to ride it, although it's much heavier then my F4i its got about the same speed overall as it so it's pretty quick. although the lack of any wind screen ... sucks at freeway speed my neck hurts after riding it long distances. however they sell aftermarket screens for it that look cool enough.

Its a great bike tho and comfortable too

 

if your more into the sport touring type of bike, they are great. I never rode one, but rode a friends 599, which is the small version of the 919 and it was ok. Not what Im looking for in a bike, but definately a good enough bike to fill the need of when you want to kick it up a bit. Basically, they are a great blend of sportbike, and cruising bike and a good all around bike. They don't anything great, but do many things well.

Also, don't forget many other companies make similar models. The FZ-1 comes to mind if your looking for a larger cc bike. Also, suzuki's SV series are decent.

If you must ride Honda, check out the VFR series. Probably the bike I would go to if I wanted to start cruising or touring.

Some other bikes Honda makes that are less aggressive would be the F4i, VTR, and possibly the cbr 1100XX. A friend of mine had one and it had a pretty neutral seating postion and he regulary did 200+ mile rides with it. The only thing I didnt like about it was the size of it. Dont let the large size be a deterant. It was pretty well mannered for a big bike. They have such a long wheelbase, the front stays planted pretty well.

 

CBR 929/954 good comfortable sports bikes.. not real expensive.

 

I always wanted a CB 919 Hornet ... until I rode my friends. I find the motor to be pretty boring, and the sitting position too upright.

It is by no means a bad bike - and it looks so sexy... but it just didn't have the thrill a 900cc motor should have.

To put this in context - I also do long distance touring, and I'd far far far prefer to take my 2000 CBR F4 than this bike.

Go sit on one - that'll let you feel what they're like.

 

Basically what the dealer told me was that, as sportbikes got newer they became more for the track and less for the street, hence less comfort. I have sat on a 919 and it reminds me of my F1 because I do perfer ther up right seating position. The salesman also did tell me that the 929/954 was a more comfortable bike but remember guys, I'm only used to 93BHP on my F1. Going to a liter bike is practically suicide. He also mentioned that the 919s were similar to a detuned 900 engine so it is more street friendly but still provides a massive amount of torque. A 919 will still do a low 11 sec quarter mile.

I do appreciate the feedback, keep it comming.

 

The 919 is no where near as explosive a power as the F4... it has tonnes more torque, and maybe a bit more top end hp - but it revs out far earlier. It feels like it runs out of steam at the top. The 919 is a fast bike - but it won't surprise you either.

 

i find myself conflicted on this part in your line of thinking. on one hand i should praise you for being aware of the difference in performance potential between your f1 and a 929/954.
too many new riders believe every bike is the same and that taking their friends f2 around the block a few times means that they can handle a new cbr 1krr.... that is sucidial

on the other hand i find that a mature rider who is comfortable in their skill set and the handling in their machine can transfer from a smaller to larger CC bike with little problem.

respect yourself the bike and the enviroment around you and you'll find what you can accomplish will far exceed what you thought possible... act like a jackass on a bike of any size and you'll be feelin the pain.

 

I dont know about that my dad's 919 is almost the same speed as my f4i other then top end the 919 is a tad slower because it's lack of a windscreen slows the bike down kinda like driving a brick :P

 

Havoc, thank you for kind words of wisdom. I imagine that I could easily jump on a liter bike and put-put around the block with little problem. BUT temptation bites, and when it does, it hurts like a SOB. My biggest concern is comfort. I know that sport-bikes were not designed for comfort in the first place but my opinion of comfort is very different between the F1 and RR. On my F1, I can almost sit up straight due to me being 6'3'' and having long arms. When I sat on the RR, my wrists felt like they were ready to explode because it seemed all my weight was resting on the handlebars. The 919 felt much more comfortable. It felt as if it was a machine I could do 200 mile trips on if I wanted to.

From what I have been reading too, the 919 has about 100RWHP. Compared to my tired old F1 which supposedly had 93BHP from the factory, that is a nice little HP jump. I'm not the type of rider who enjoys constant high speed, high RPM riding. I simply enjoy mashing on the throttle for those 3-4 seconds, to feel the wicked accelleration then backing off back to highway speed limits. Don't get me wrong, I still love going fast, but I want to be comfortable at the same time.