New pics of my bike (599)

Enjoy! (I hope anyway)

Delicious . . . Congrats!!

lookout...theres some weirdo leaning against your bike!!!

lol just kidding.

4cf=jealous

It looks like it was designed to wheelie.

Just remember when you are cutting lanes that those side mirrors are a little delicate, don't ask how I know.

Looks nice, just get those frame slider thingys and you are set to start dropping it oh I mean customizing it.

Thanks!

It actually takes a lot of work to get it to wheelie, really have to beat up the clutch, so I don't do it often. Once I change the sprockets (I'm thinking 1 down up front, maybe 3 up in the rear) it should get a little easier.

I already tested the side mirrors, I clipped a few construction barrels. They held up (thankfully, I had just put them on about an hour before), but it was probably more luck than anything. It also has frame sliders, they double as highway pegs, but I'd prefer not to test their primary purpose. I'll try to get some pictures of where they are, they're black so they hide pretty well.

I would love to trade up my CB750 for the 919. I love those bikes.

sweet 599. naked bikes rock

Bobzilla wrote: I would love to trade up my CB750 for the 919. I love those bikes.

I love my 9er

The guys at one of the dealerships down here (Jax, fl) were trying to get me to trade the 599 in for a 919. I really like the dual exhaust, and adjustable suspension, but I really like my USD forks. Other than that it feels like a very similar bike, and the carburetors give me no problems (some magazines say the 599's carbs are smoother than the 919's FI, but I've never ridden a 919).

IIRC they had two used 919's in stock (same color as yours) and one new one in black. I'd have to have black to make the trade...sad thing is, that's really all that held me back, besides my commitment to upgrade to nothing but a vfr-800.

The FI is definitely twitchy off the bottom, but the low redline and torque make it a great highway bike. The amount of riding I do over the mountains ruled out carbs for me. I would love to feel the weight difference between the two bikes though.

If you're near Jax, we could meat up and trade rides for a bit :D

I just moved here and haven't found the 'good roads' yet though :(

I had an early 919 (without adjustable suspension). Mine needed stickier tires and the suspension wasn't the greatest; I always wondered how a 599 would compare, or even the later 919 with improved suspension for that matter. The Buell (Ulysses) I got after the 919 was MUCH easier to ride fast, partly from being a newer bike design but I think the suspension, belt drive, and engine tuning had a lot to do with it.

I loved the way the 919 looked, just not how it rode. That backbone frame helped it look really nice, but I don't think it did the handling any favors.

Bryce

^ I heard something very similar from a local ex-buell rider. But trust me, it will be a large step up from my 93 750.

Just being nostalgic, I pulled up some pictures of my 919:

Sorry for the threadjack, I thought you guys might appreciate the pics.

Bryce

Bobzilla wrote: ^ I heard something very similar from a local ex-buell rider. But trust me, it will be a large step up from my 93 750.

Of course it will be an upgrade, just food for thought for those who are interested in the 919. A comparable Buell is about the same money (for today?), and IMO a better bike to ride.

Bryce

Just don't expect it to be 'good' at anything, and it will suit just about any need you have (unless you have the need to do anything over 100)

FWIW, I really wanted a City-X, but the ratio of broken down Harleys to Hondas I saw in three months totally scared me away from that idea.

how are the 919's for commuting? reliable? comfortable?

i've only got 3000 miles on mine so far, but its been solid honda since I brought it home. The riding position is fairly natural, and if you really need to sit up for a second just get up against the tank.

Nice, too bad Honda has no good choices for entry level street bikes lately.

Grtechguy wrote: how are the 919's for commuting? reliable? comfortable?

IMO, it's too much bike for commuting. I definitely preferred my F3 CBR to my 919 for a Honda commuter. The 919 would really rip when you wanted to get on it, but with that kind of power the bike could rarely stretch its legs out and it made it pretty hairy to ride in any kind of wet/bumpy/gravelly road because the rear end was always wanting to step out when you went onto the throttle. That's why my 919 definitely needed stickier tires and not having enough suspension adjustment sucked (later 919s got fully adjustable). That's also why I think the 599 would be worth checking out, as I liked the styling of the 919 but it just didn't ride that great. I think the backbone design is part of it, but perhaps it's not such an issue with the smaller, less powerful 599.

They're definitely reliable bikes, they are true to the Honda mantra in that they're so reliable it is boring. I didn't have mine for a ton of miles, but it hadn't had any repairs done and my CBR was just the same...take care of the chain, replace tires, fluids, and filters as necessary, ride. Also, the 919 didn't get very good fuel economy. I got high 40ish mpg on my bone-stock 919 (solo riding). For comparison, my F3 CBR got high 40s (solo riding), my Buell Ulysses got mid 40s when it was fully loaded (two up with bags) and mid 50s riding solo without the bags.

I really liked my Buell, only reason I got rid of it is because I haven't had any time to ride and it was just sitting dormant. I've been thinking that next year I might pick up another Buell, probably something smaller than the Uly. I'm thinking XB9R, maybe a City-X. I think I'd be plenty pleased with the slightly less powerful but slightly more fuel efficient 900 engine, and the lower bike with smaller seat would suit my mostly-solo riding more appropriately than the Uly did. If you like the naked bikes like the 919, give the Buells a gander, IMO they're a better bike. Just the belt drive alone makes a night and day difference for regular commuting, I hate chains. They're also just as reliable as the Hondas, there's something to be said about the simplicity of that powertrain...and don't let anybody tell you they're not reliable because they're a Harley. There's very little on a Buell that has anything to do with the parts on a Harley anyway. Oh yeah, and those who say a Buell won't do 100+ mph obviously haven't ridden one. The Buells handle awesome and the ergonomics are pretty good; you definitely have more shaking with the V-twin lump than something like the 4 banger Honda though, so it's something you have to test ride to see if you mind the vibrations or not. Some like it, some hate it, just a personal preference thing like having a V8 or an I4 in your car.

Bryce

neon4891 wrote: Nice, too bad Honda has no good choices for entry level street bikes lately.

I don't know about that...depends on your idea of a "street" bike but I think that the motards seem pretty friendly to entry level riders. Oh yeah, and there's also the Rebel 250 for entry level...kind of a lame bike but it's entry level.

Bryce

I rode motocross for years, but my crf230l was definitely a good choice for learning the ins and outs of the street. its only real downfall was that my commute is about 10 miles of rural 55mph highway, which left the little thing pinned everywhere.

The CRF230 sm is about the weakest possible move into a moto they could come up with. Kawi's KLX250 and Yamaha's WR250 are similarly lame. Only Suzuki got it right with the DRZ400. I know a moto needs to be lightweight and flickable, but you need to be able to ride it around too.

new tire time /