Honda 919

I've had a number of different motorcycles over the years, everything from minibikes to cruisers. But the street bike that I've most wanted, the Honda 919, has never been in our garage. I've studied this bike for years, test driven it, but have never been in the place to actually own one. Some years back I was blessed to have big cruiser but realized that having grown up on dirt bikes I wasn't suited to the ergonomics of the big cushy cruiser. So I tried the sport bike or crotch rocket and found the same thing, it just doesn't feel right. Then I discovered this thing of beauty, the Honda 919. They call this type of motorcycle a naked sport bike. For me it fits right in between, not too hot, not too cold, it's just right. The positioning of the rider is optimum for the way I am used to riding and has the feel of the dirt bikes I am most comfortable with.

I hope this lens is informative and stirs you to take a test run on this wonderful machine. Thanks for stopping by.

The Honda 919 or CB900F (also called the Hornet in Europe) is a standard or naked motorcycle based on a sport bike engine but with a more upright seating position and revised engine and gearing, providing performance and comfort between a typical sport bike and a cruiser. In some ways the concept dates to a 1994 design study created by American Honda's R&D chief product evaluator Dirk Vandenberg in cooperation with Cycle World magazine, a street fighter-like one-off custom based on the Honda CBR900RR, with the fairings removed, high, tubular handlebar, and tuning and gearing modified to boost low-end torque. Vandenberg saw a market in the "older sport bike crowd" who are seeking high performance without an awkward riding position or racetrack style bodywork.

It was introduced in 2002 and its last model year was 2007, after which it was replaced by the CB1000R. After compliance with tightening emissions regulations became untenable, it was replaced by the more performance-specialized CB1000R. In 2006, Motorcyclist recommended used 919s as a good buy, saying of the new bike, "at $7999, it wasn't exactly cheap, and saddled with a coat of flat-black paint called Asphalt, it was less than visually electrifying," however, in the used market it became a great value. In the US market, the 919, like the 599, was expensive, because, being intended for the European market, they were made in Italy, and so had to be imported to the US against unfavorable Euro exchange rates.

The Daily Telegraph welcomed the new bike, saying, "the new CB900F Hornet leaves your knees in the breeze and your smile full of bugs as it reintroduces you to a feeling of undemanding, rewarding two-wheeled fun that has been missing from the market for a long time. " Comparing it to the Hornet 600, the bike was reminiscent of the standards of the 1970s, sometimes called universal Japanese motorcycles.

Quarter-mile performance was 11.18 seconds at 120.7 mph (194.2 km/h) tested by Motorcyclist, while Cycle World measured 10.92 seconds at 123 mph (198 km/h). Having the lowest weight in its class and a good power-to-weight ratio, it stands well in comparison to bikes with greater output like the Yamaha FZ1, and the wide, high handlebars ease quick turning and make cornering enjoyable. Cycle World saw the 919 as a practical solution to the real-world problem of imperfect roads and traffic, rather than a mere compromise between a sport bike and a commuter or touring ride.