1987 Honda CBR600F
The Honda CBR600F is a part of Honda’s 600cc in-line four CBR series. Did you know, the first model, CBR600F sold from 1987 to 1990 was Honda’s first 600cc inline four-cylinder, fully-faired sportbike? This model was also known as the Hurricane in the US.
This CBR model is instrumental to all the other CBR models that came out just before and after 1987. The CBR600F also highly influenced the development of “Crotch-rocket” market worldwide.
The CBR600F, introduced with the bigger brother, the CBR1000F in 1987 changed the way sports bike are designed and built. Honda’s first fully-faired 600cc sportbike, the CBR600F blew away other middleweight sportbikes and changed middleweight sportbike game. Also, the CBR600F later replaced Honda’s VF500F after it rolled out to the market.
Engineers at Honda wrapped the bike in plastic skin, covering everything from the engine to chassis. The chassis and engine enclosed inside the bodywork gave the bike an industrial look within. Aside from improving aerodynamics, by using slick plastic skin Honda cut down cost on hardware beautifying as they were hidden undeath the bodywork. This allowed them to spend on performance components that actually mattered. Also, using fairings instead of unwanted heavy metal to beautify the bodywork cut down weight too.
As a result, Honda Hurricane ended up with a double-downtube box-section steel-tube frame. Although the chassis looked simple, the CBR600F was extremely agile and stable. Also, the bike weighed only 450.0 pounds/ 190.5 Kg wet! This was almost 20 pounds/ 9Kg lighter than the rival! Did you know the first-generation CBR600F is also known as the “Jelly Mould” because the bike is fully-faired?
The engine of the bike also played a major role in playing the game right. The bike featured a liquid-cooled 600cc, twin-cam in-line four-cylinder engine. With just half the head and cylinder casting compared to the V-4 Honda VF500F, the CBR600 mill was cheaper to manufacture.
The 600cc oversquare engine on the CBR600F could rev so high that it redlined at 12,000 rpm. An oversquare engine has a cylinder bore which is larger than its stroke ( bore/stroke ratio greater than 1:1) which leads to a higher possible rpm. The engine put out 85 hp at 11,000 rpm which made the CBR600F the very first 600cc bike to cover quarter-mile in under 11 seconds!
The resulting ergonomics and compliant of the CBR600F actually proved the riders that track sharp handling doesn’t have to hurt everybody. The balanced frame and powerful engine provided outstanding handling and reliability which all came at an affordable price. Although there have been numerous models and variants of the CBR series, the overall nature of the bike and the legacy behind it is what makes the CBR600 one of the best-selling sportbike worldwide.