Alex
10-18-2006, 05:59 PM
2007 Honda CB600F Hornet - First Look
10/13/2006 | By Bart Madson
Found at: http://www.motorcycle-usa.com/Article_Page.aspx?ArticleID=3836&Page=1
http://photos.motorcycle-usa.com/Web/hornet.jpg
The Intermot show has been the scene of many '07 debuts this week, and now Honda has joined the fray with the unveiling of its mid-sized naked streetfighter incarnation, the 2007 CB600F Hornet. Having been in the Honda lineup since 1998, the Hornet (called the 599 in America) has received a thorough redesign for 2007. The new changes include a more aggressive styling, a motor based on the 2007 RR and a new aluminum frame.
At the heart of the new Hornet's changes is the Inline-Four developed in tandem with its new supersport cousin, the 2007 CBR600RR. Benefiting from the same powerplant upgrades we detailed in our 2007 Honda CBR600RR - First Look article, the Hornet's mill remains 599cc via 67mm x 42.5 bore/stroke figures. The engine is a significant 11 pounds lighter and more compact to help create a more agile handling mount. PGM-FI electronic fuel injection should aid in a smoother throttle response. While the Hornet and CBR600's engines were developed together, the Hornet's motor has been tuned for specific streetfighting duties. The six-speed naked being tinkered for higher midrange power and torque for marauding the streets. It's sure to be a step up in power over the current 599, as Honda claims 100.6 hp at 12,000 rpm and 46.8 lb-ft of torque at 10,500 rpm. With an approximate 10% being lopped off by the time it hits the rear wheel, expect about 90 horses at the rear wheel compared to the 83.4 of our last 599 test bike.
Right off the bat the Hornet's aggressive new looks grab attention. The Honda UK PR describes the Hornet's new styling theme as "Edged Armour Form" explaining the Hornet's new lines as being "based on the elaborate suites of armour once worn by medieval knights of olde." Uhm, okay. The reasoning may sound a bit cheesy to us who live in countries without castles and a titled gentry, but the result of Honda's changes to the Hornet translate into a sleeker meaner look from tip to tail.
A dual-bulb over-under headlight configuration is placed amidst mini side cowlings. Another small cowling is located above the light, the other side of which houses the instrument cluster derived from the CBR1000RR. It's centered by a large analog tachometer with an LCD display screen for the speedo and other various info located on either side. A 5-gallon fuel tank carries the curvy lines back from the side cowlings. Grey metallic finish to the wheels and engine are offset by the four-colors available for the minimalist bodywork: Pearl Night Star Black, Pearl Amber Yellow, Candy Xenon Blue, and Pearl Siena Red.
Aside from the overall lines and bodywork, one of the most distinctive styling changes to the new Hornet is the dramatic low-slung under-engine exhaust. Shunning the underseat exhaust of its predecessor, the current Hornet collects exhaust fumes through four header pipes cascading down the front of the engine before combining into a single pipe, which enters the main muffler underneath before exiting through a secondary muffler in the right-side outlet next to the swingarm pivot. As you would expect from a 2007 model, the exhaust system is Euro 3 compliant, courtesy of the O2-sensor and catalytic converters.
The low-slung exhaust also contributes to an improved centralized mass by reducing weight at the extremities of the machine, which Honda claims should enhance the overall handling, even though the wheelbase has extended by a scant 15mm (0.6 inches). The extra length is due in part to the new dual-box aluminum swingarm, which replaces the 5mm-shorter but heavier box-section unit from 2006.
The '07 chassis design retains the same essential Mono-Backbone frame of its predecessor, but is now constructed out of aluminum through a new gravity-fed die-cast process instead of the older (and heavier) steel-tubed configuration. In addition to being lighter, the welded aluminum chassis is said to be more rigid for sharper handling at higher limits. The total weight reduction drops the claimed dry weight from 392 lbs to 381 lbs.
The suspension remains the same for 2007, with a 41mm inverted fork providing 120mm (4.7 inches) of travel. A monoshock rear is a seven-step preload adjustable unit, which delivers 128mm (5 inches) of travel. As the previous model, there are no provisions for damping adjustments. The new Hornet's 5-spoke cast aluminum wheels have grabbed two extra spokes for 2007 but are said to be lighter. They sport tires in the 120/70-17 and 180/55-17 sizes used in the Supersport class.
Braking duties are carried out up front by a pair of floating 296mm discs that are pulled to a stop by twin-piston calipers. Out back, the '06's 220mm single disc is upgraded to a lone 240mm disc and is in turn squeezed down by a new single-piston caliper similar to the configuration of its CBR cousin.
The new Hornet will offer as an option Honda's latest-generation combined brake system and ABS. The combined brake system uses a pair of three-piston calipers up front that links the center piston of the right-side three-piston caliper up front with the rear brake pedal. A delay valve is used in the line so that light application of the rear brake doesn't activate the front.
Honda Europe will offer several options for the new Hornet, including the HISS (Honda Ignition Security System) anti-theft system, which prevents the bike from starting if the original ignition key isn't used. Also available are electric grip heaters, a flyscreen, seat cowl and rear hugger fender.
So, the question remains: Will Honda bring this new Hornet to the U.S. as a replacement for the competent but pricey 599? American Honda, naturally, is neither confirming nor denying. But if we were guessing, we think we'll get our version in the next 12 to 16 months. If it does happen, expect a price tag near the $8000 mark.
And, Honda, if you don't mind, please call it the Hornet. It's eminently more likeable than the characterless 599.
10/13/2006 | By Bart Madson
Found at: http://www.motorcycle-usa.com/Article_Page.aspx?ArticleID=3836&Page=1
http://photos.motorcycle-usa.com/Web/hornet.jpg
The Intermot show has been the scene of many '07 debuts this week, and now Honda has joined the fray with the unveiling of its mid-sized naked streetfighter incarnation, the 2007 CB600F Hornet. Having been in the Honda lineup since 1998, the Hornet (called the 599 in America) has received a thorough redesign for 2007. The new changes include a more aggressive styling, a motor based on the 2007 RR and a new aluminum frame.
At the heart of the new Hornet's changes is the Inline-Four developed in tandem with its new supersport cousin, the 2007 CBR600RR. Benefiting from the same powerplant upgrades we detailed in our 2007 Honda CBR600RR - First Look article, the Hornet's mill remains 599cc via 67mm x 42.5 bore/stroke figures. The engine is a significant 11 pounds lighter and more compact to help create a more agile handling mount. PGM-FI electronic fuel injection should aid in a smoother throttle response. While the Hornet and CBR600's engines were developed together, the Hornet's motor has been tuned for specific streetfighting duties. The six-speed naked being tinkered for higher midrange power and torque for marauding the streets. It's sure to be a step up in power over the current 599, as Honda claims 100.6 hp at 12,000 rpm and 46.8 lb-ft of torque at 10,500 rpm. With an approximate 10% being lopped off by the time it hits the rear wheel, expect about 90 horses at the rear wheel compared to the 83.4 of our last 599 test bike.
Right off the bat the Hornet's aggressive new looks grab attention. The Honda UK PR describes the Hornet's new styling theme as "Edged Armour Form" explaining the Hornet's new lines as being "based on the elaborate suites of armour once worn by medieval knights of olde." Uhm, okay. The reasoning may sound a bit cheesy to us who live in countries without castles and a titled gentry, but the result of Honda's changes to the Hornet translate into a sleeker meaner look from tip to tail.
A dual-bulb over-under headlight configuration is placed amidst mini side cowlings. Another small cowling is located above the light, the other side of which houses the instrument cluster derived from the CBR1000RR. It's centered by a large analog tachometer with an LCD display screen for the speedo and other various info located on either side. A 5-gallon fuel tank carries the curvy lines back from the side cowlings. Grey metallic finish to the wheels and engine are offset by the four-colors available for the minimalist bodywork: Pearl Night Star Black, Pearl Amber Yellow, Candy Xenon Blue, and Pearl Siena Red.
Aside from the overall lines and bodywork, one of the most distinctive styling changes to the new Hornet is the dramatic low-slung under-engine exhaust. Shunning the underseat exhaust of its predecessor, the current Hornet collects exhaust fumes through four header pipes cascading down the front of the engine before combining into a single pipe, which enters the main muffler underneath before exiting through a secondary muffler in the right-side outlet next to the swingarm pivot. As you would expect from a 2007 model, the exhaust system is Euro 3 compliant, courtesy of the O2-sensor and catalytic converters.
The low-slung exhaust also contributes to an improved centralized mass by reducing weight at the extremities of the machine, which Honda claims should enhance the overall handling, even though the wheelbase has extended by a scant 15mm (0.6 inches). The extra length is due in part to the new dual-box aluminum swingarm, which replaces the 5mm-shorter but heavier box-section unit from 2006.
The '07 chassis design retains the same essential Mono-Backbone frame of its predecessor, but is now constructed out of aluminum through a new gravity-fed die-cast process instead of the older (and heavier) steel-tubed configuration. In addition to being lighter, the welded aluminum chassis is said to be more rigid for sharper handling at higher limits. The total weight reduction drops the claimed dry weight from 392 lbs to 381 lbs.
The suspension remains the same for 2007, with a 41mm inverted fork providing 120mm (4.7 inches) of travel. A monoshock rear is a seven-step preload adjustable unit, which delivers 128mm (5 inches) of travel. As the previous model, there are no provisions for damping adjustments. The new Hornet's 5-spoke cast aluminum wheels have grabbed two extra spokes for 2007 but are said to be lighter. They sport tires in the 120/70-17 and 180/55-17 sizes used in the Supersport class.
Braking duties are carried out up front by a pair of floating 296mm discs that are pulled to a stop by twin-piston calipers. Out back, the '06's 220mm single disc is upgraded to a lone 240mm disc and is in turn squeezed down by a new single-piston caliper similar to the configuration of its CBR cousin.
The new Hornet will offer as an option Honda's latest-generation combined brake system and ABS. The combined brake system uses a pair of three-piston calipers up front that links the center piston of the right-side three-piston caliper up front with the rear brake pedal. A delay valve is used in the line so that light application of the rear brake doesn't activate the front.
Honda Europe will offer several options for the new Hornet, including the HISS (Honda Ignition Security System) anti-theft system, which prevents the bike from starting if the original ignition key isn't used. Also available are electric grip heaters, a flyscreen, seat cowl and rear hugger fender.
So, the question remains: Will Honda bring this new Hornet to the U.S. as a replacement for the competent but pricey 599? American Honda, naturally, is neither confirming nor denying. But if we were guessing, we think we'll get our version in the next 12 to 16 months. If it does happen, expect a price tag near the $8000 mark.
And, Honda, if you don't mind, please call it the Hornet. It's eminently more likeable than the characterless 599.