2000 Honda Hornet 600

Hi,

I've just bought my first bike, the 2000 Hornet 600 (its a Honda CB600FY).
When I rode it home from the bike shop it seemed to be flat out at 70mph
(great fun getting there though). Later, when it was warmed a little, there
seemed a bit more poke and I suspect that I wasn't using the revvy engine as
I should.

Are there any other owners of this bike that get far more? Should I be
thinking there is something wrong with the bike? And if so, what?

Tim
(probably sounding like a complete newbie, but I am!)

 

I don't have a Hornet 600, but I suspect that you're suffering from
car driver syndrome. This is easily correctable and not at all
uncommon, so don't worry about it.

Have a look at your rev counter - that's the big dial on the right.
Take note of the numbers on it and the position of the segment
coloured red. Peak power occurs not far below that red line, which
means that you have to rev it (or let it rev) like a bastard to get it
to perform as Sochiro intended.

Look here:
http://www.hondahornet.co.uk/600spec.html
Note that the maximum power which is c. 95 bhp occurs at 12,000 rpm,
and that max torque a long way up the scale too at 9,500rpm. As this
is your first bike, you won't be used to having to rev a bike engine -
but all the 600 sporty bikes are like this. It isn't long since a
chap with a Bandit 600 posted here in thanks for his discovery of "the
other half" of his engine, which he had previously been spinning to
~5000rpm and wondering why it wasn't going very fast.

Go steady with it and don't crack the throttle too hard straight away,
especially on wet roads - or it will have you off. Your 70mph is very
likely to be achievable in first gear - and then you have another five
to go ...

In that case you might like to read the uk.r.m. CBT:
http://www.ukrm.net/faq/ukrmscbt.html and the bit on how to post here:
http://www.ukrm.net/faq/The_Newsgroup/Posting_Style.html
which will ease your assimilation into the newsgroup.

Welcome to the dark side, Tim.

 

Thanks Pip,

I thought as much, I just needed someone to say it because my pocket is
still hurting from forking out for the thing and didn't want to start
thinking I'd bought a pup.

Cheers.

Tim

 

Should be good for 130mph, more if you strip naked and climb under the seat.

 

It's not been restricted to 33bhp for a previous owner has it?

A hornet 600 should still have plenty of go at 70mph.
--
Alex

"I laugh in the face of danger"
"Then I hide until it goes away"

www.drzoidberg.co.uk
www.sffh.co.uk
www.upce.org.uk

 

If you're used to driving/riding a vehicle that tops out at 7,000 rpm,
it can feel a little scary going past that on a bike. The thing is, the
higher up the revs you go, the poke you will get.

Have fun

 

I think Pip was right and it's just the way I'm trying to keep the revs down
for some reason (as I would in my car). But just in case, what should I be
looking for?

Tim

 

Find a dry straight road and give it a fair amount of beans in second gear.
You should find yourself heading towards the horizon at a greatly increased
rate with a huge grin on your face.

--
Alex

"I laugh in the face of danger"
"Then I hide until it goes away"

www.drzoidberg.co.uk
www.sffh.co.uk
www.upce.org.uk

 

The ways of restriction are many and varied - washers or webbed
rubbers in carb inlets, washers restricting exhaust, electronic
restrictors operating on rev counter or black box, crude mechanical
pins in throttle twistgrips etc....

I'd check for restriction by finding a nice straight bit of road,
engaging second gear at about 30 mph and giving it a progressively
larger handful until the needle enters the red zone. If it does that
and you've shit yourself, or at the very least are short of breath,
then it ain't restricted.

 

Thanks,

I'll give that a go. If I'm still around I'll post back here with the
result!

Tim

 

Swot I was going to tell the bloke to do. My Bandit, as I found out,
will do an indicated 80 before hitting the rev limiter in 2nd gear.

 

I'd just picked up the bike so I was taking it easy but I'd chnaged up the
gears to top (the revs were low probably) and the throttle was wide open and
speed topping out at around 70. I could have changed down to build up the
revs but I thought I should be able to power away from 70 without doing
that.

I'll take the advice here and get a bit used to revving it a bit more before
I start to think somethings amiss.

Tim

 

Sounds like a restriction to me, but 70mph??? My Thundercat (similar
spec engine) would easily accelerate from 70mph in top, up to something
in triple figures, though obviously this was on *ahem* a private road.

Just nail the fucking thing.

 

Tim Gordon emerged from their own little world to say

I've ridden Hornets quite a bit. If you were doing 70 in top gear then
you would think they are gutless.

To accelerate at a reasonable rate from 70, to overtake for example, 3rd
gear would be more appropriate. Snick it up to 4th as you approach 90.

You'll have most fun on the Hornet if you try to keep the engine revs
over 8000. This may mean spending most of your riding in gears 2, 3 & 4.

6th gear is probably best used for long distance cruising at speeds over
80mph. Even on wide A roads I rarely used 6th gear on the Hornet or
CBR600. Treat it as an overdrive. On both bikes, at 70ish in top gear
you will find yourself in an engineered flat spot designed to meet noise
regulations. I can't remember what the exact rpm is but it is comically
low for a 4 cylinder bike engine.

 

Well I did say a fair amount of beans in 2nd and not WOT in 1st for just
that reason.

--
Alex

"I laugh in the face of danger"
"Then I hide until it goes away"

www.drzoidberg.co.uk
www.sffh.co.uk
www.upce.org.uk

 

Doesnotcompute wrote

I hope it is Essex. I haven't drop^Wridden a Hornet yet.

 

They're really quite nippy. I only got a blast on one down London Wall
and back but was quietly impressed. You do need to rev it, mind.

 

Whinging Courier wrote

Yebbut you are easily impressed.

It goes without saying.

 

Well, that really depends on the subject and context, old boy.

Easily led is more like it.

yerp.

 

Ditto.

A 900 Hornet, now ...