Test Ride: Honda CBR 600 F4I
It has been quite some time since I wrote about my “Suzuki SV 650 sale”. Well now, I am going to tell you how it feels to ride for a few minutes on a Honda CBR 600 F4I, but first lets take a quick look at the technical data of the bike itself.
Model aspects:
- Manufacturer: Honda
- Year: 2004
- Model: Standard deltabox sport touring motorcycle – CBR 600 F4I – US MODEL
- Engine: 599 cm³ / 36.55 inch³ – Inline four – Fuel Injected
- Transmision: O-Ring chain
- Capacity:
- FUEL: 18 l / 4.80 Gal – Unleaded Gasoline
- Weight: 180 Kg dry
First impressions are quite positive. The seat hight is pretty good for me (I am 1.89 m / 6.2 ft) tall so it’s pretty confortable and I don’t have to stay on my toes when I have to move it around with the engine off. Once you get on it, you get a really nice impression of lightness, since the bike has quite a low center of gravity, even if it weights 20 kg more than my SV. Engine start is a simple as 1,2,3 – Key on “ON” position, Fuel pump on, Start button! That’s it, since the bike is fuel injected, no choke is required, no more fiddling around with it on cold mornings so thats a very, very nice feature. 
The only downside about FI (fuel injection) is that around 1000-3000 RPM you have a throttle lag, it’s not noticeable when you’re riding, however it does occur when you’re riding off from a stop sign or traffic light. This problem is easily solvable by using one PowerCommander(TM) kit.
The stance: Since the bike still categorizes as SPORT, you’ll still have to take the sport riding stance, with the chest close to the gas tank and take most of the body weight on your hands instead of your butt. For first-time riders I’d say: take breaks often, your hands (specially your right hand) might get numb. So try and avoid that from happening. Since there’s a “plastic shell” around the engine, heat dissipation is not very efficient, even if it’s watercooled, it’ll still heat up when you’re riding around the city on a hot summer day. So if you’re one of them, riding in shorts jokey, you might fry your legs on the frame! Always wear the right gear on your bike!
Speed and Acceleration: According to the Romanian Automotive Registration Agency (RAR) the top constructive speed on the Honda CBR 600 FI is 260 Km/h, which is an UNREACHABLE speed (of course, on our Romanian roads). People claim that the unofficial top speed of the stock version is 289 km/h. However, including a K&N filter, carbon exhaust, power commander, ignition commander and quickshifter might just make this bike go, as all ECU limited bikes to: 299 Km/h and, maybe, beyond that speed, but, seriously, how fast do you need to go? Acceleration is great aroudn 5000-7000 rpms, great torque at these rpms, two reasons to blame: RESONATOR and FI. Resonator adjusts the AIR / Fuel mixture based on the speed of the air going through the air intake. The feeling: Like you’re having a turbocharged car.
Handling: Due to the fact that the center of gravity is very, very, very low, I’d say: You’ll love this bike on the bends, you can lean it till your foot pegs hit the tarmac and still recover with very little ease (of couse, speed is also a factor here). The downside is, you’ve guessed it, in the parking lot when you have to manuver it into place. The front end has a smaller angle then your usual naked / street bikes, which makes moving in garage or parking lot quite a workout!
RR vs F4: Both bikes are great, rr is a little bit more optimed for track performance and it’s designed for strict functionality. F4I is a weekend bike, it still gives you that racing feel but doesn’t cut the confort of a classic naked bike. My pic for the design of the bike would be the RR but overall F4 is the best choice if your using the bike for everyday usage 
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