Hi, I'm wondering about trading my 250RR in for a 600F, and was just hoping if anyone could point me towards differences between year models. E.g, what changes were introduced in [earlier] vs 1999 vs 2000 vs 2001 models? {Were there any 2002s?} It's either that or go broke for the 600RR. Any 600F experiences to speak of? Would it be worth going "halves" between the F and RR, and get the F4i? All the stuff I've read about the RR spells "handling" in big fat types, but then again it's also almost twice what I could pick up an F for --- and the F wouldn't be too much after trading in the 250. Hope I might find a bigger bored black* coloured silver / yellow decalled Honda sometimes soon! Cheers, Jørgen *) don't like the looks of the white based ones too much... just my preference I guess Red & black = okay though, although black/silver is absolutely my choice.
E.g, what changes were introduced in [earlier] vs 1999 vs 2000 vs 2001 being a learner you wouldnt feel any difference in any of them. Give it 12 -18 mths on them adn you would F would be better for transport and doing long klms on the RR would be better for weekend thrasher
Really? I've had 2.5 years on my CBR250RR now with a few track days / courses. I guess that's still being a baby, but feel the time has come to take the next step up nevertheless Ok... _Much_ less sporty than said RR? Ta! j
[..] Your post was a tad more helpful, thanks Aha, interesting. I didn't know the 600 series was considered less sporty than my babyblade. I definitely like that edge to my current bike; I do essentially want the same with more engine, and a bit better suspension. Ok, if I go for an F I'll stay clear of pre 99 models then - at the very least. I tried the 02 600F4i for about 15 minutes on a Honda day up at Tullamarine a few months ago. I did quite like the feeling of it, especially the suspension. Being the first +250 bike I tried, power was plentiful. However the prearranged trip didn't give us much chance to really test it. Interesting, whilst I haven't really considered anything but Honda, I must admit I like the looks of the GSXR600 quite a lot. At first sight, their paint schemes are much more pleasing to my eyes! And reading some epinions, I get the idea that the handling of this bike is very much suited for the twisty, rapid style. What's your own take, does it inspire confidence and feel "balanced" overall i.e. not that many nasty surprises? Once learned, a bike should be predictable. Something like this http://bikepoint.ninemsn.com.au/market/UsedBikeDetail.asp?BikeID=71629&Year=2002 could be good. Any preferences wrt high grip tyres? I am totally in love with the Dunlop GPR-70s on my own, I care absolutely FA about milage - in the wet every extra bit of grip is worth whatever it costs. I'll try to arrange a test ride with a dealer that's interested in trading in my Baby. I want to get back on the tracks for more riding like they're meant to be rode, so hopefully I'll be able to upgrade before the next 'season' kicks in come September. Thanks again for your thoughts! j
Get your arse an every bike you can. I was fairly set on getting a CBR6 after the babyblade but then I rode the ZX6R... Aaron ZX6R
That happens to be a favourite, yes right... Ok, I guess the best thing to do is just to go out and try the thing. I actually felt quite comfortable on the F4i, but if I get the same feeling and then some on the Suzuki then there's a toss between them. Will need to try the cheaper F as well. Doing as much upfront research as possible is a good thing... plus good fun! Ok, I don't mind it at all if the tyres start to move a bit ... also if they start to lose it [normally a result of rider mistake] I've always been able to correct relatively easily. It's like they've got their built in early warning systems! My own primary reason for the high grip is wet riding. Except for said rider mistakes, I rarely push them that hard in the dry. My old arrowmaxes scared the hell out of me in the wet though, they hardly had any grip at all [compared to the 70s] - that's why I changed. Yay, thanks for those bits. Mmmm, will see what eventuates. If they don't give me any 'respect', I might try the trading post - although now is probably bit off season... Yeah ok. I wouldn't mind a slightly used one, as long as it is a late model. Having a ball reading the reviews etc so I'll just have to see how it all goes Cheers, Jørgen
Jorgen, In the past year I have owned both a '98 CBR600F3 and a '99 CBR600 F4. The F3 model had a steel frame and slightly heavier. It has a 16 litre fuel tank with a fuel switch on/off/reserve. The F4 has an 18 litre tank, no fuel switch and a fuel light that comes on with 3 litres left. the F4 also has a allow frame to make it slightly lighter. Between bikes was about 3 months, so I didn't have a chance to compare side by side. But some of the more noticeable differences is that on the F4, you are leaning more forward than on the F3. The F4 also seems a lot more narrower and smaller underneath you. Made the F3 seem chunky. My wife also felt the same when she rode the bikes. Both of my bikes had an aftermarket pipes, ( I have only just added the Staintune 2 months ago, and need to tune the bike accordingly ), I have no idea what the F3 pipe was as there were no markings at all, but it was very loud. Fuel economy on the F3 was 21-22km / litre. The F4 is about 19km / litre. I still have to tune the F4 to the pipe and my riding style. These figures are riding every day to work in Sydney peak hour. The F3 had a stupid underseat storage on the bike, You had to take the whole side panel off the bike to get to it, the F4 went back to the "remove the seat with a key" system. The display system of the F3 was all analogue, tacho, speedo and trip. The F4 has analogue speedo, tacho but a digital trip meters Trip A + Trip B and total KM's travelled. The F4I model now has added features like a clock and speedo on the digital readout. From what I can tell the F4 and the F4i share a lot of the same parts that aren't engine related. In my opinion I wouldn't recommend you goto the F3 model. Maybe an F4, but I would probably choose an F4i with the fuel injection if I had the option now. With the new 600RR out the F4i model would have come down in price second hand. From what I can work out: F3 '94 - '98 F4 '99 - '00 F4i '01 - '02 RR don't know if it's still an F model. http://www.warwick.ferguson.name/cbr600f3.html http://www.warwick.ferguson.name/cbr600f4.html -- Wocka ( '99 CBR600 F4 ) Now with added Staintune.
Fucking hell, I said I'm ready for a _600_. Get that wax out of your ears please. No wax in there... Ahhhhhh Hatz's Brother, 3 yrs on a Vespa, Your not ready for R1, your ready for Rossi's Motogp Bike. My apologies...
including 4:30 am paper delivery in -20c weather you wouldn't have seen the likes of + many years of pushbike riding. Shut up, 'Gus...
With your vast experience, you'd be busting Bayliss butt -- if you could get off your pompous own, that is. j
[...snip excellent overview of CBR600 models] Thanks heaps for that summary Wocka, great stuff, have saved it for future reference! Looks like I might need to hang on to my 250 for some time more still though, till I have my full license in June 2004. [Will be 31 then]. Called Western QBE who I'm with now to hear about premiums and their policy is that for most of the 600 bikes they just won't insure you unless you have a full license. They don't care about having done courses etc, all they want is that the required period of time since you did your P test has passed. Pretty silly if you ask me; they prefer people who've just been parking their license and waiting their time!?! I'd be quite fine with just a 3rd Party Theft & Fire insurance [does that mean I'm just inkling to prang it?!?], but if they won't even give me that then I'll just have to wait. Had an unfortunate and unlucky incident 1 week after I started riding, which made Swann dislike me [declined renewal] - have now done what should be compulsory - namely, on track handling and safety courses, and coupled with experience am as such a much better rider. Western QBE were happy to insure me after my explaining & documenting courses undertaken; have been 100% accident free since that first prang. But that black mark rules out a fair bit I guess. Darned. Oops, hope it didn't hurt too much!? F4 looks very slick, love those colours. j
Insurance is all about risk. They're just minimizing the risks they take. I'm sure the people you're talking about who "park their licence and wait their time" are very much a minority. Anyone who wants to ride a "big bike" that much will just go out and buy the damn thing and not worry about licencing issues. FWIW in the past Western QBE never worried much about checking licences... Western Underwriters - as they were known a few years back - happily took my premium without checking first to see whether I was on restrictions or not. Nev.. '02 CBR1100XX #2
On Mon, 28 Jul 2003 09:09:54 +1000, "Wocka" I had a 95 F3 for 4 years / 65000kms. 97/98 are like a F3.1 some changes from the 95/96. they wwent smaller? F3s have 17L. [...] Megacycle on minem, also very loud. little better than I got on mine. Went back? All F1s, F2s, F3s have that crazy stoopid storage system. Original CBR600, sometimes called Hurricane, in the late 80s. then came the CBR600F F1 91-92 F2 93-94 F3 95-96 F3.5 [my desigantor ] 97-98 F4 99-00 etc... 2nd year was only colour / sticker changes, as per the Jap Sports Bike Standard boky
Sharkey's crack about "Fewer Rs" is not entirely without point - the 600s are "F" as opposed to "RRRR" precisely because they are less sporty - you'll also note that while the 250/900's are plastered with "FireBlade", the 600s weren't. The 600 is a very different beast. I don't push my CBR600 (97 F3) hard enough to notice the lack of edge, but I first experienced the 600 as a pillion with a rider who really did push it to the edge and still swore by it, not least because it also got her comfortably and reliably from Melbourne to Geelong and back on a regular basis. It was, in fact, so comfortable I used to doze off on the way. So no, it's not as sporty as many other bikes, but it wasn't designed to be - it was designed to be more friendly to commuters/tourers (though I'm not sure I'd like to do any serious touring on one) while still being a fun weekender. It's a compromise, fundamentally. I think it's a good one, someone looking for a sports machine or "real" tourer probably won't. Your pillion *will* appreciate the wide comfy seat, though IK's dead right, though, the F4i was a complete revamp, and has correspondingly more modern performance, And, of course, a correspondingly higher price tag. Um. You could, like, ride one before deciding that. If you're really, really going to need the extra performance, and don't mind paying the extra thousands of dollars for it, then fair enough The F3 does just fine for my modest needs, but then I haven't come anywhere close to finding its limits, and really don't intend to. It's powerful enough to kill me, and forgiving enough not to do it too eassily. Which is not a bad combination, for my money There are those who will tell you that predictable is the CBR 600s middle name. Some of them, of course, say it like it's a bad thing sol. ..
