Janet Rides the New 1000 cc Roadsters

I don't suppose I'm all that different from the average biker in that, even when I'm content with the bike(s) I have, I'm always looking at what else is out there, and wondering if one of the latest new models might transform my biking experience.

My Hornet 900 is now about four and a half years old. I still love it, and can honestly say that I've never had a bike that has suited me better. It is perfect for occasional commuting (40 mile round trip) and the sort of touring we like to do. While I wouldn't claim that it is the perfect bike, it is pretty close to the perfect bike for me. Its only shortcoming is that it isn't at its best for occasional more focused sporting riding (though it isn't half bad). This led me to buy a race replica to run alongside it, just for those days when I want a more intense riding experience. My R1 is perfectly suited to that purpose, and is just over two years old. Both my bikes are in perfect running order, and I would expect them to carry on reliably for the foreseeable future, so there's really no need to make any changes.

However, what I would really like, in an ideal world, is to find one bike that would replace both my existing bikes. With our climate it's sometimes hard to find enough good biking days to make owning two bikes a pleasure rather than a chore, particularly during the winter months. Owning just one bike would also free up room in our small garage and save money on insurance and servicing costs. Plus I'd only have one bike to try to con Andy into cleaning!! But to do that the bike would need to be user-friendly for commuting and touring, but have a slightly harder edge than the Hornet when ridden aggressively.

This year both Honda and Yamaha have new 1000 cc roadsters, though that's about where the similarity ends. The Honda CBF1000 actually has slightly less horsepower than my Hornet and is heavier. My first impressions when I saw the press release were that it was going to be extremely bland and have very little going for it for an experienced rider. I thought it might maybe replace the Hornet if I needed to replace it in the near future, but even then strongly suspected that I'd be better served by buying another new Hornet! The FZ1, on the other hand, looked like a possible contender to replace both my bikes, which would be the ideal scenario. It has a claimed horsepower similar to my R1, has multi-adjustable suspension and looks like it could be a viable commuter/tourer, but with more of a “fun factor” than the Hornet. It does also come in a half faired version, but I'm actually more a fan of completely naked bikes, so that one doesn't interest me as much.

Of course, when road tests for these two bikes started to appear in the press, they rather stood things on their head, with claims of the Honda being an exceptionally good (and fun) bike to ride, and the FZ1 being somewhat flawed by an inappropriate power band for its intended use and poor fuelling. It doesn't do to believe road tests too much, and certainly it's no use basing buying decisions on them. Most aspects of what makes a bike work for an individual are subjective, and riding the roads in your own locality might give a very different impression from the environment (sometimes even a race track) where the road test was done. So I asked Fowlers nicely and was given the opportunity to take out the CBF1000 and FZ1 together, to make my own mind up. Andy came along for the ride, since I can only ride one bike at a time, and we could then swap bikes at the half-way point. Oh, and he always enjoys trying out new bikes too—who doesn't!!

The CBF1000 I decided that I'd like to ride the CBF1000 first, as I was worried that it might feel uninspiring if I came to it from the considerably more powerful FZ1. As I set off from Fowlers' car park it struck me that it had possibly taken me all of five yards to feel completely at home and familiar with the CBF. I was concerned before I rode it about the size and weight of the CBF, but it has a three-position height adjustable seat, and Fowlers had adjusted it to the lowest setting for me. This meant that I could flat-foot the bike (I'm 5'6" tall) and, much like my Hornet, it carries its weight exceptionally well. The riding position is very  relaxed, sitting very much into the bike, and gave a good feeling of control, though it did feel a bit “tame” as a riding position—not like it would tempt you into any acts of hooliganism at all. My first impressions were that the injection was completely flawless, and that it had a monstrous mid-range. Everything felt compliant, and the suspension had a good plush feel, floating over bad road surfaces that would have had my Hornet (or my R1) bouncing about.

As we headed out of Bristol, with me following Andy, I was amazed at how easily I was staying with the more powerful FZ1, even though it's usually hard work to keep up as “tail-end Charlie”. I very quickly realised that this was a seriously good, and user-friendly, bike. Throughout the trip I didn't detect the slightest imperfection from the injection, which is surely the best I've ever encountered, and the bike was very smooth, with no perceptible vibes anywhere in the rev range. I also didn't make a single badly matched gearchange, partly because of the broad spread of power. I was a little concerned about how the handling would be, as it has a narrower back tyre than is customary these days (160 mm) and I thought that the plush suspension might make it feel vague when pushed. Actually, it was near-perfect, and totally predictable and unflappable. It coped well with tight junctions, long sweepers, and everything in between. It quite simply went where I pointed it, and hardly noticed bad road surfaces mid-bend. It was also very easy to change line mid-bend. I didn't notice the brakes, as they just got on with doing the job they're supposed to do. The one I rode had linked brakes and ABS. The brakes had a “soft” feel that matched the rest of the bike, but certainly hauled it up quickly enough, with little drama.

So far, everything I've said about the CBF has been positive. So what didn't I like about it? I have to say that I don't like its looks or “image”. It looks very functional, and mild mannered, and the fairing isn't particularly attractive in my view. If I did get one it would have to be in Bombay Orange, which does make it look a bit brighter. I found that the screen caused a great deal of noise in my helmet at higher speeds, though it is a two-position screen, and the other position might have worked better for me. It needs a toolkit to adjust the position, so I couldn't experiment with it. Andy, being a different height from me, didn't have the same problem, so a change of screen height would probably fix it. I also found the speedo a bit tricky to read. I prefer digital speedos anyway, but this one seemed to have too many numbers and lines crammed in, making it hard to pick out your speed quickly. It was also even more difficult to read if the sunlight fell on it awkwardly. Overall though, it was just a little too “nice” for my liking, without the harder edge that makes a bike fun when you're riding more aggressively. If it wasn't for the monstrous mid-range torque I think it would feel, albeit totally competent, just too bland.

The FZ1 After stopping outside Thornbury Church to take some photos, it was my turn to ride the FZ1. After having spent over 20 miles on the CBF, the FZ1 felt like a BMX bike, with hardly anything in front of you at all. It felt extremely minimalist, with just the almost-flat handlebars and a digital speedo/analogue tacho combination. Given its significantly lighter weight than the CBF, I was surprised at how heavy it felt when I picked it up off the sidestand. The whole stance of the bike was much more aggressive, like it would encourage the sort of bad behaviour the CBF wouldn't tolerate. I liked the feel, but wondered how practical it would feel at the end of a long day, somewhere in rural France.

After the CBF the fuelling was a bit of a rude awakening. I found it was somewhat harsh and took some time to adjust after the soft but precise feel of the Honda. It was better once I got used to it, and I don't think it's as bad as some road tests have suggested, but it was significant enough to mean that gear changes going into bends took more forward planning than I would have liked. This was also coupled with a fairly narrow powerband for a 1000 cc roadster, which meant that plenty of gearchanges were required to keep it on the boil. It had considerably less midrange than my 2003-spec R1, which seems disappointing in a roadster. Because of the less than perfect fuelling and the narrow powerband I found it much harder to make well timed smooth upshifts on the FZ1 than I had on the CBF. It also had a faint buzzy vibration almost throughout the rev range, though it never got too pronounced.

The suspension was much firmer than on the CBF, but it didn't feel anything like as planted in long sweepers. It bounced me around a lot more than the CBF had, and I found the seat somewhat slippery—a combination which made staying put in one position rather tricky. The front end could also get a bit flappy over broken up road surfaces, but it never showed any tendency to get out of control. Actually, on the right day, when you're in the right mood, that flightiness can be fun, provided that it doesn't feel like developing into a serious weave, so it's not altogether a bad thing, and does add a bit of character and spirit to the ride. Much like the Honda, the brakes did what they were supposed to without any drama, and I barely noticed them.

What I definitely found though was that it was harder to stay with Andy now that I was on the FZ1 and he was on the CBF than it had been when our positions were reversed. The FZ1 definitely didn't feel like it had one-and-a-half times the horsepower of the CBF. Overall I felt vaguely ridiculous having to work the FZ1 so much harder than the CBF to apparently go no faster in real road situations.

My conclusions So, a little over two hours after we set out, we found ourselves back at Fowlers, handing the keys back to the salesman. It was time to compare notes and impressions of the two bikes.

The CBF is a magnificently competent bike, and was an enjoyable riding experience. However, it wasn't actually as exciting a ride as either of my existing bikes. Andy found this to be more of an issue than me, and rather preferred the ride he had on the FZ1, but couldn't ignore the CBF's overall competence and quality. I could never expect it to replace the riding experiences I currently enjoy on the R1 and, while it is almost certainly better than the Hornet from a purely objective viewpoint, biking to me is mostly about fun. At this point I don't feel inclined to trade my Hornet for a CBF, but if I was forced to replace my Hornet by some unforeseen event, I'd probably now replace it with a CBF. I find myself earnestly hoping that Honda will release a new 1000 cc Hornet based on the CBF powerplant, with a bit of retuning. That could very possibly be the perfect bike for me.

The FZ1 is an odd bike in many ways. I couldn't help but wonder exactly who would find that this bike suited their needs/wants in a bike. The nature of the motor seemed at odds with the whole roadster concept. While the fuelling is currently a bit of an issue, I'm sure it will get sorted out, but it would still have that narrow powerband, which means that you have to ride in a committed way all the time. To me the perfect roadster does have some payback for committed riding, but is competent and in its element when ridden more conservatively too. I don't think the FZ1 could ever fulfil that role. Although Andy enjoyed riding it more than me (that's not to say that I didn't enjoy riding it), neither of us felt that it was as good a bike as either of my existing bikes. There's certainly no way that I would consider replacing my bikes with it.

At the end of the day there are very few “bad” bikes out there these days, and neither of these bikes comes even close to falling into that category. However, bike choice is an individual thing, and neither made me feel inclined to trade in either or both of my bikes. It is notable that both Andy and I preferred the bike we rode first, which could be coincidence, but very possibly not. I missed the refinement and easy going nature of the CBF when I got on the FZ1, Andy missed the hooligan edge of the FZ1 when he got on the CBF. But both of us valued the opportunity to ride both.

 

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