HONDA CBF600 (2004 - 2007) Review

Version: SA

Year: 2004

I bought this as a first bike because it was cheap. It had 35kW for my A2 license, full aftermarket exhaust, ABS, top case, heated grips, the lot. It needed quite the service and im glad my dad has a friend who fixes everything motorized on 2 wheels. Honestly on paper it was a bike i wanted but it wasnt THE bike i wanted. I was looking at xt660x (no abs), 701sm (way too expensive), fz6 (over 72kW so cant put it under A2)... After the service i finally got it and didnt think of it that much than just "an bike" like Clarkson would say. But as i gradually put miles on it i started to realize what a machine this is and how underrated it is. Its amazing for beginners who are learning how to shift. I rode a speedfight 2 50cc for almost 7000km or more as a kid. I did everything with that bike so i kinda knew how to ride but never had a chance to shift. The CBF has almost no power until 6k and above so beginners will have no problem learning how to shift and ride a motorcycle. People describe it as dull but give it to Rossi and it will anything but dull. Put an exhaust on it and hit the twisties. Ride it like a sportsbike at 6k all the way to 10500 RPM and im sure it will be maybe even too much for most average riders. Sure at high gear full throttle nothings happens. You have to find and play with the RPMs to get the full potential out of it. Thats how you learn how to properly ride a motorcycle. It is the perfect bike to have as a single motorcycle. The only complaint i'd have is the seat height. I have it on its highest at 815mm and for someone who is a bit over 190cm the knees will feel uncomfortable after a whole day of riding. Touring capabilities are amazing, if you're shorter than me you can go on until you fall asleep, the bike will not make you stop. My favourite part is gravel roads. The bike is not meant for any off roading but me being the hooligan i am it does 90kmh through the forest on gravel roads in the night without a problem thanks to the tires (Dunlop Mutant, they can do everything, my absolute favourites). Show me a GS or any flagship adv model rider who can ride like that on his expensive heavy machine. Too expensive to risk dropping. The ones that can are less than 1%. As long as the exhaust manifolds dont hit the ground it will off road pretty well. The ABS is sadly in the way here but again, it isnt even meant for this type of riding. That is how you learn to ride a motorcycle, pushing yourself on it until it feels like it part of your body. It is an amazing beginner bike. You dont need anything new or expensive to learn how to ride and then upgrade to more powerful and more and more. If you're thinking of sometjing cheap, reliable its the bike for you. If you think you NEED something more powerful especially as a beginner, trust me you dont. The bike doesnt ride you, you ride the bike. If you ride it fast it will go fast. Schaaf rides a 1994 CB500 and rides like most people wouldnt dare on the latest and greatest models... i'll leave it at that.

Buying experience: Asking price 2000€, bought it for 1800€ private seller. If you can pay a bit more for a crisp one. If you have someone who can fix it for you, you can get one cheaper. Mine needed new tires, new chain and sprockets, new oil and fork seals, changed the spark plugs just in case (64.000km with stock ones), engine and transmission clean from rust. All in all it cost me almost 1000€ for service, normal dealership would triple that.

Year: 2004

So far no bad features apart from headlights need brighter bulbs. People reviews on here are strange. Had no problems with the bike always had 500 or 600 bikes and this is the best yet. Been riding for 25 yrs. Had no vibration issues or mirrors vibrating at high speeds not even doing a 100 plus. Excellent seating position giving a great all round view and very comfy. Its deffo not hard work overtaking i have found it very easy. Handles great have had fun on the twisties it is very responsive. Fuel economy is fantastic i fill up every 180 miles and the light has never come on even when ridden hard. Would recommend this bike to a beginner or even a experienced rider as a all rounder 10/10 for this bike

Year: 2004

Annual servicing cost: £100

Great bike

Version: CBF 2004 S

Year: 2004

Annual servicing cost: £150

Best used 600 for your money, comparing it to other 15 year old competition. And only one to travel with passenger. Fazer might be sportier, but that means used ones are beaten up. V-strom might have softer suspension but cant be sporty, ER-6F might be cheaper, but it looks smaller and can't handle passenger. MT-07 2 cilinder is shaky and agricultural with same fuel economy (laugh). I do 340 km average and put in 16 litres.

Version: SA

Year: 2004

Great bike. Just the normal maintenance and petrol. Nothing else. Love to ride it.

Year: 2007

Annual servicing cost: £150

Good all round bike.

Buying experience: Good had it for 2 years 10k on the clock for £2000.00 and it's now done 21k and still worth good money.

Year: 2006

very practical but dull, a reliable workhorse

Version: 600 s

Year: 2004

5 stars from 5 for a 600cc bike of that era. An ultimate all rounder. Great around town,great for touring even with a passenger. 77 hp is enough for commuting and for of the town touring. Its comfortable enough without being too heavy.There are other 600cc similar bikes,but cbf doesn't feel like a small bike,me and my lady combined probably 170kg,and this bike is perfect for riding for us together.

Version: Naked

Year: 2006

Annual servicing cost: £200

Bike sounds very smooth and very easy to ride. It's predictable and feels safe. I have owned for 2 years and I still like it. It can go if you want to push it too easy over 100.

Buying experience: Private

Year: 2007

Totally agree... Perfect first bike! Would recommend for newbie.

Buying experience: Bought from dealer. £2795, 22K miles. I had a usb socket fitted behind screen and heated grips which added another £100.

Version: SA4 ABS

Year: 2004

I hate to re-tread what has already been said, but the MCN review hits it pretty well. This is my first big bike since I've got my A2 license (its restricted I swear) but even with my lack of experience on bigger bikes I found it very easy to attune to. I did manage to drop it on my second ride as the weight is held high, which I wasn't used to, but 3000 miles later in all weather I've never had a wobble on it.

Buying experience: 25k miles with 2 lady owners. The guy was advertising at £2190 with 3 months MOT, I talked him down to £2100 with an MOT (its my first big bike my patter isn't great. I still think I got a pretty good deal, the shop was largely full of adventure bikes, the CBF looked a little lost next to BMW GS' and V stroms. I guess they just wanted rid of the sensible bike.

Version: Cbf 600 n

Year: 2007

I dont like choke, no fuel indicator. Bike is simple and very good for people who dont wont have any problems normaly if bike is buy from sombody who take good care of bike. Sory for my bad english

Version: Honda cbf600s

Year: 2005

Annual servicing cost: £100

Great first bike but after 1 year I'm really fed up with it. It's a great touring/commuter bike but if your looking for fun in the twisty corners then this bike isn't for you, it's to bulky and heavy and really needs to loose 50kgs.

Version: CBF600 SA

Year: 2006

Great bike. I have owned for 11 months and ridden approx. 8000 miles, including commuting, a long Scotland trip and weekend rides. As a first bike it has been great. Only real downside is for comfort on long day rides. I find after a day on it, I really need a break!

Version: 2008 cbf600 sa-8

Year: 2007

Annual servicing cost: £100

No real faults for me, does exactly what I want it to and more

Buying experience: Brilliant service from Devon Wheels 2work/Devon Moto, £3295 advertised and had a great deal on private (non finance company) weekly payments

Version: SA-6

Year: 2007

Annual servicing cost: £80

Hard to find fault with the bike. Have owned mine for 1year/9000 miles and it has not missed a beat. It will eat motorway miles, A roads, B roads, city and town work. A really good motorcycle that will do all you need and still put a smile on your face at the weekend.

You're right (MCN), the CBF600SA is boring. But, it's only boring once you've done your first year or two on it after earning your licence. During your first 12 months or so on real roads riding on your own in four seasons of weather it can still scare the cr*p out of you. A familiar story for me, I passed my DAS after never riding a bike before and bought the CBF600SA-4 as my first bike. I learned on a naked 500 and was told by my instructor it was a safe bet but I'd get bored with it quickly. I was 38 at the time. I owned it for almost three years riding 60 miles a day commuting from one side of the M25 to the other through the middle of London; during that journey I had some miles of country road twistys, some miles of quiet straights, and lots of miles of A-road and centre-of-London filtering and stop/start. The CBF wasn't great for any of them, but it was good for all of them and was 100% reliable whatever the weather. Even so, each day I would get a little more bored with it - not because it's a bad bike, just because I was growing out of it. I think that it's easy to forget to review certain bikes with the right head on, particularly a bike that's going to be ridden mostly by beginners; if a newb was reviewing, f'ristance, a Ducati Diavel they wouldn't write a review that was relevant to anyone who is actually going to ride one. Remember, most new riders are (if they are honest) more interested in not getting both knees down at the same time than they are in getting one down. So here's my review based on doing about 20,000 miles on one: REVIEW - It's 90minute comfortable, will go if you wellie it (it will do 130mph), it always starts, it eventually stops, is alright on petrol (45mpg for me) and can do UP TO 200 miles on a full tank, the lights work at night (even though it always looks like one of the bulbs has blown), the screen keeps most of the rain off you. The exhaust is pants at warning pedestrians you're coming, and the half fairing is half good at keeping the weather off. There's a small amount of storage under the pillion seat; it will take a full size pillion. The seat is quite low so if you're 5'10" like me you can firmly plant both of your feet on the ground at traffic lights. it's reliable. They're not expensive to buy and hold value quite well if you look after it; they're cheap to ensure, partly because no one wants to steal one. Servicing can be expensive so shop around. They're better than a scooter in terms of 'street cred' and learning how to ride, and they're big enough so that car drivers won't assume you're going to get out of their way automatically. In car terms and build quality they're like an entry level c-class merc. AFTER MARKET GOODIES There are quite a lot of bolt-on goodies for them - I put a scorpion can on mine and full TCP fairing, belly pan, hugger, scottoiler, clear indicators, seat cowl (this made the boredom recede - which might mean it wasn't boredom, maybe I was getting embarrassed by it the more I got to know about the bigger bikes that would commute with me). IN SUMMARY Finally, and I think this is a really good thing about them, they give you a taste of many sorts of biking so after you've learned on a CBF600 you have a taster of what a specialist bike could do if you were to buy a discipline dedicated bike (e.g. a proper sports bike, or a proper tourer). I'm looking at what bike to get next and am using the CBF600 as the benchmark, it hasn't steered me down any particular path. The CBF600 is an excellent first bike and if you keep it forever it will be fine as long as you're happy riding the diet coke version of the bike you really want, or if you don't know what to buy.

Owned a CBF600s for a year as my first 'big' bike after passing my test. I put nearly 6000 miles on it, riding nearly every day in a mixture of town, countryside and longer distance riding. I have now sold it and therefore feel ready to add my thoughts. I have ridden and owned a large number of other bikes in addition to this one. Overall, I think the above review and rating is fair, MCN make a number of excellent points, however there are a couple which I shall correct. Ride and handling isn't bad by any means, but not worthy of four stars. The weight is carried fairly high, and low speed manoeuvrability is average. When cornering, the bike holds it's line reasonably well, but the slightly 'top-heavy' nature makes it feel like a challenge to lean far, and promotes a slightly twitchy feel in particularly tight turns. It occasionally feels a touch unstable. Cross-winds are also a factor, the bike not liking sudden gusts. Motorway and dual carriageway performance isn't bad, although at higher speeds the budget suspension can make the bike seem a bit untidy. The gearbox is excellent; smooth, controlled and super-slick, each gear punctuated by a beautifully reassuring click that leaves no doubt as to the quality of Honda's gearbox engineering. Most manufacturers would do well to follow Honda's example. Even on an entry-level bike such as this it is outstanding. Gear ratios on the other hand require a bit of practise, holding in higher revs severely impacted on MPG. Short-shifting, 200+ miles to a tank is doable. Equipment is good, although the bike could do with a fuel gauge. The digital clock is however, very welcome. The three-position seat is excellent, although does require 10 to 20 minutes of work to adjust. Mirrors are great, highly adjustable, and with a wide field of vision (more than the rider's elbows!) but do suffer terribly from vibration at higher speeds. Centre stand and Honda top box come with very high recommendations. The manual choke however, is a serious downside. it really does need fuel injection. Quality and reliability is outstanding, the bike 'weathering' winter riding with barely a shrug. Obviously maintenance and cleaning are key, but this bike didn't let me down once in a year. To have a bike start every time is a quality often overlooked by testers, but in the real world it is key. This bike does not disappoint on that score. Honda's reputation for reliability and quality is fair, the paintwork and plastics are light years ahead of the (Japanese) competition. On quality and reliability it has been faultless. Value is good, especially compared to the competition. They hold value reasonably well, but a word of warning, many dealers overprice them. The engine is good, if a little characterless. Power delivery is very smooth and perfectly adequate. Low-end grunt is reasonably poor, although the mid-to-top is excellent. For novice riders the power delivery is cosseting and encouraging, without any awkward spikes or troughs to surprise. As with most I4s, the emphasis is on revs, rather than torque and occasionally the torque curve is disappointing. MPG isn't quite the 47 quoted, but it is pretty good. Overall, it is an excellent bike. It does everything well, if without excitement. Commuting, Sunday blasts, (light) touring and pillion (pillion ability is fantastic) are all taken in its stride. Perhaps most importantly of all, you feel utterly and completely safe on this bike. However, MCN is (to a certain extent) right when they say it lacks passion. There is no soul, no character and no life to this bike. It just does what it does extremely competently, with not a hint of complaint or dissolution, cheerfully chugging through the miles. It's even (despite what is said above) reasonably good looking. Certainly in comparison to the competition. You therefore must decide are efficiency, reliability and competency enough draw you in?

I bought an 06 plate cbf600sa from someone selling at the front of his house while passing in the car not long after losing my wife and this bike has been better than any therapy or councelling. I have done nearly 6000 miles in 8 months without any problem whatsoever... It is the first modern bike i,ve had after having a big break and it is FAB with all the mod cons (injection and ABS)etc and has been a complete pleasure to ride...ok yes its not a fireblade but its a great all rounder and is bulletproof and cheap insurance (£158 fully comp with no No Claims at 44 years old ). This bike has been my saviour and will take anything you throw at it as its a HONDA !!!

This MCN review stinks!!! I would ignore it people. This machine had been my life for the past 6 years! I ride everyday as a despatch rider and my CBF has done 120,000 miles and still going strong. The MCN review states 47mpg and puts the 2003 fazer at 55mpg!!!! That's a load of rubbish!!! The CBF is much better on fuel than a fazer is. I suggest re writing this review MCN. You are puting a downer on a great motorcycle. Shame on you.

Despite reading the MCN review, I recently bought a CBF600SA6 and I think it is a great bike. It handles well, is very responsive and is one of the few bikes I've ridden that you feel part of, almost like putting on a glove. I've never had any issues with the powerband, pulling away, cruising, mid range acceleration or anything else to do with the bike when it's moving. The only problems I have experienced was in putting it on the main stand when I first got it, but now have that sorted. I don't think the MCN review is a very accurate one at all, this is a great bike.

LOL @ MCN. Who wrote this review? Couriers use these bikes for there livelyhood so try telling one of them they are boring,lardy,heavy and bulky. These bikes are 76bhp. Not a 50cc Honda C90. So I can't understand why overtakes would be hardwork? I find them a breeze. The bike is very well made very torquey and makes nice liner power. Its a bullet proof machine and IMO an excellent buy. I don't find it boring and I ride an R1 also. This bike is what I use for work and have had loads of fun on it! There are also plenty of tie down point despite what this revoew says. BAD BAD REVIEW MCN....COME ON SORT IT OUT!!

I have owned this bike for a few weeks now, im getting approx 170 miles from a tank but that was before a service of K/N air and oil filter, iridium spark plugs and oil change so i expect a few more miles. I have just been on an advanced riding weekend in Redmire, Yorkshire and all i can say is Boring? i think not MCN are so off the mark this is truly an amazing bike. I own the 2004 and HISS is not included but FUN is!! Ridden properly this opens up around 6rpm and it moves! i kept up with a Triumph rocket and left another for dust in the corners. The handling is amazing twice i took a corner a little hot and it forgave me...only just. You can lean the bike more than you think you can given the upright position. The half faired version of mine offers excellent weather protection. Yes id like more grunt from a 1000 version but my 600 has 0-60 in 4 seconds faster than almost all cars

The MCN review frustrates me. Sure this isn't a Sports bike, but that doesn't mean it's bad. I started riding this year - aged 33. I wanted something really reliable, predictable and smart. I bought the Honda because of what I read - a good sensible bike. That does not mean boring though. I LOVE this bike - in-line 4 engine with a Scorpion can sounds awesome. So much better than a V twin Kawasaki ER6. I regularly ride a friends ER6. Nowt wrong with it but feels like a much smaller, much less refined, less well built bike. I wouldn't want one. The CBF is the Merc E Class whilst the Kawasaki is the Astra GSi! You get the idea. I'm 6ft 2 and the CBF fits me well. Do yourself a favour and try one - you might just be surprised. The only comment I would make is that the 600S looks so much better than the naked version. Review based on a 2005 CBF600SA

What can I add that the review hasn't already said? It's a great bike to begin on, I personally don't notice the weight at slow speed but that might just be me, I learned on a CBF500 and bought this after passing so i'm not used to anything else (lighter). I bought it because I liked the riding postion after trying a shop full of various makes, Maybe i'm biased because of what I learned on, but I feel it's important to feel comfortable when you are starting out on your own. I can't deny it is a little gutless in 2nd gear, but once you get up to 3rd, you can get a decent poke out of it when needed, you won't be able to keep up with the big boys, but if thet's your thing, you wouldn't be buying one of these. As for it's ridability, I live in the central belt of Scotland and have no bother jumping on this for hours at a time, heading north and riding through all of the challenges the north of Scotland's roads have to offer. Short hops or long hauls are comfortable and it corners as well as you would expect it to, just turn/lean in and round you go. The great thing about this is it's forgiving, miss a gear, no problem.. just keep chugging away until you build up your road legs. Need to take a pillion? easy, plenty room on the back and the grab rails do the job. Want to store a decent heavy chain and padlock with you at all times? fine, it'll fit under the lockable pillion seat with room to spare. Want to tie down something huge using the bungee? err, maybe give that a miss. As for the fuel economy, I think they are being a bit cautious with 49/50 Mpg. I'm sure I am getting another 5/10 Mpg out of it because the numbers just don't add up when i'm at the pumps, which is a good thing. Basic maintainence is a doddle as well, Haynes do a manual for this which pretty much tells you everything you must do, how to do it and when you should do it to keep it running smoothly. I have no doubt i'll trade this up next year for something a little more sporty but for my first year of riding, I am finding this to be a fantastic bike that takes me where I want to go, maybe without frills, but certainly without grumbles.

Until a year ago I was very content being a fair weather Scooter rider till some chav in Larkhall swiped it and burned it out, then I decided it was about time I put my license to good use so took a refresher and pciked on of these up 3 mths old. Yes it is a bit heavy and not as powerful as most but with some coaxing I've been having lots of fun in and around Bath. If I had the choice I would have bought the faired machine as the difference a screen makes is impressive, starts every time even if I haven't rode for a few weeks, will probably trade up to a 1300 muscle next but there is still plenty of fun to be had on it.

I stuck with Honda for my 2nd bike. Not quite as good (economy,turning ease) for the sub 30mph stuff as the 125 but otherwise is a good commuter. Nice and stable at speed but still fun working on those corners. Engine is presumably designed to be drippy at low revs for beginners but it does pull well higher up the range and overtakes are easy enough. Excellent engine braking from the inline 4. Managing 50 - 55mpg. Nicely finished and good dials. Quite a low bike which is just as well because its heavy and I can only just lift it up- My wife has no chance! Yes,its a good 'un just dont expect too much attention at the biker's cafe!

I bought my CBF in Oct 05. I had'nt owned a Bike for over 15 years. Mine was an ex demo, with 1800 miles on it and its the Black naked version. It does look a little 'ordinary' from the front and rear but I think it looks great from the side. I'm 5'4'' so it was an easy choice, as stated previously, the seat is adjustable. We're now on 9,200 miles of mainly pleasure riding and I love this "DULL" ? little bike. I've done a number of rallies loaded with camping gear and occassionally a pillion, and in the regular company of a 1200 Bandit, BMW800r and Kawa FZ750. This bike will do most anything you ask of it, its taken me for a weekend blast down to Cornwall and back, no probs. It is very user friendly, comfortable, capable and is anything but 'dull'. I will admit it is no sportsbike and it does wallow a little on some bends but it is mainly very stable and competent. With over 9000 mls now on the clock, mine is loosening up nicely and has lost the snatchy response to the throttle it had when newer. I had the Honda fly screen fitted to mine and the Honda heated grips, (yes I go out all year round). I got caught in a snowfall earlier this year and had no choice but to 'crawl' home. Thanks to this Bike being so manageable, I had few scary moments, but I dont want to repeat the situation. All in all I'd recommend this bike to anyone, ideal for Born Agains and newer riders and shorties. On the minus points, I have noticed the paint coming off the swingarm in a couple of places, in spite of it being cleaned every time it comes home from a ride. The dealer I got it from agreed to have the swingarm changed under warranty in May of this year. At time of writing Nov, and a few calls and visits, it has not materialised. I did notice the same problem on an 07 plate CBF in the showroom, so this may be something for fellow owners to keep an eye out for. The other Bugbear is the lack of a centrestand to make cleaning and maintainence easier. I've just managed to find a used stand on E bay so hopefully 'sorted' there. I'm planning to keep my bike for another year, then hopefully I'll be trading up to the CBF1000. If I had enough money I would keep my bike indefinately. By the way I'm still on the original tyres, just about ! even after many rides over the 'local' Cat & Fiddle

I bought a second hand example a few years ago to use as an everyday bike, and it's been all that I thought that it would be. I also ride a sportsbike, but whilst this does n't produce the same kind of power or handling, it's superb for most things. For those of us who have to pay for our own bikes, it's a good real world choice as an all rounder.

I got my CBF600 from a reputable Honda dealer in Surrey. Main reason I chose it is because of its adjustablity. I am 5'4" so it suited me well in all the low settings it has for the handle bars and the seat. Very stable on motorways and a very useful fairing. Tank rage is very good, 170 mile to a tank on smooth riding. Very good build quality. ABS give you that extra security in times of trouble. Highly recommended for newbie bikers..

Definitely a returning to biking kind of bike but not as boring or as lardy as you might believe from the mcn review above. The main thing is to get a decent exhaust and pay a little attention to where the bike makes it's power. A micron road-legal (or favorite equivalent) will wake things right up without the need to mess about with jetting. Gives the required take off from lights and some headroom above 7.5k (particularly in lower gears). Stock can strangles the bike most noticeably in 1st when for eg pulling away from rest, requires almost immediate change up to 2nd to keep things moving. But a micron will sort all that out and takes ten minutes to fit. For general riding the sweetspot/powerband is round about 6.5k. With a decent can, and the revs around that point, the engine is quite responsive enough to let you know it's there and provides amply for overtakes and corner exits. Miss the power and like any bike it'll take time to catch up with you're clumsy inputs. Main weak point is the suspension. Would perhaps help if there was some tweakability but there isn't and asis the bike is a little wallowy which can be unsettling in tight bumpy corners. I suspect that if you found a way to sort that you'd have a very respectable ride. What the bike does well is: get up in the morning, get you through any kind of traffic as quick as anything (except maybe a scooter), eat mile after mile of open road or twisty and then get you back again. It's a top notch bullet proof road bike. Also hard enough to start (without a key) to be safe from kids (without the need for HISS/alarms etc) and "boring" enough to be safe from professional bike thieves. All in all this is a pretty decent ride, weekend runaround and any distance tourer. If you need a bike that'll scare you at idle this ain't it but if you can tease out what it has to offer there's plenty of fun to be had.

This bike was recommended to me by a die hard biker as easy to handle, reliable bike - ideal for someone coming back to biking. He is right. He took it for a ride today and loved it. So good for returners like me but can bring a smile to the face of more hardened bikers too - that is what I call a good bike! Strengths: Easy to handle, light(ish), reliable, comfortable. Weaknesses:  Can be a bit snatchy (or is just me being rusty), handling is just OK.

Apprehensive at first as you can well image. Covered just over 2500 miles in the last three months. More than pleased with the performance and handling. Unable to compare with other machines other than the BMW F800 ST which I tested last week, superior bike, did consider it, but not worth an extra £2500.00 plus. Strengths: Lively, excellent braking. Certainly an ideal starter bike. Will probably change next year. Weaknesses: Probably does not rate highly with experenced bikers.

As many people do I got the CBF as a 'first big bike' and am pretty pleased with it. Ok it's no sportsbike, but for commuting it's perfect, decent riding position, good fuel economy and it will still beat pretty much anything on 4 wheels away from the lights. It is a matter of time until I trade it for something more exotic, I do find myself describing it as 'just a CBF600' to anyone asks what I ride, but the longer I can keep my ego in check the better because the CBF does precisely what I need a bike to do. Strengths: Practical, reliable, good fuel economy. Weaknesses: It's just a CBF600!!