Honda 919 (CB900F) reviews

I have had the 919 for about a week after having traded my VTX 1300 for it. The bike has been a blessing for my commute. It is nimble in traffic and has no problems with torque or power anywhere from 2000 to 7000 RPMS (haven't gotten over 7000 yet). It provides "better than average" of all worlds. Although this is not a sportbike or a cruiser, it is nicely fitted somewhere between. I have a VFR800, which I love, but it proved a little difficult in stop and go traffic as it likes to stay in the 4500 - 7500 RPM range. Anything below about 3500 and it chatters. The 919 doesn't much care and happily moves along regardless of the RPM. Wind and vibration are a concern above 80 MPH, but I have experienced worse. All in all, this isn't going to be the fastest, most refined, or most comfortable bike. What it is, though, is a nicely packaged bike that offers better than average performance, comfort, styling, and manners in daily driving situations. I haven't had an opportunity to get this out on some back roads but, given my experience so far, I anticipate having a blast on the twisties. Show less

I have a 2005 919 with 7500 miles. I have ridden it to SD and all thru the Black Hills, then into Wyo. and Montana. Ran like a swiss watch all the way. Woreout the OEM rear tire, had it changed in SD. Only mods are a set of Two Brothers mufflers. Am leaving next week to do it again too. Great Bike for the $$$$. Show less

The acceleration on this thing in the sub-80mph range is phenominal and compares with most supersports. That makes it fun for commutes because you can really work through traffic. It also handles like a much smaller bike, making a very nimble and forgiving machine. The upright seating position in sub-70mph range is great for longer rides. After a few hours of riding, if you're going over 70 or 80, you'll have a neck ache for sure if you don't pay for an add-on windscreen. Also, while the seating position is more upright, the seat itself isn't quite comfortable for a ride over a couple hours. My biggest disappointment with this bike is that while it's a rocket at the low end, it's a dog at the top. You can gradually get up to 120-130 or so, if you have enough patience. Overall, with a windscreen, it's a great all-around bike, and is a blast to ride at sub-jail speeds. Newbies will be ok if they baby the throttle for a while; I've popped more than a few wheelies on accident. Show less

Sure it's not the newest technology. But it does everything well and is a blast to ride. Great low end torque. Wind is an issue but you need to know that going into it. All naked bikes are like that. Pretty cheap to insure. This bike is built to be an easy rider in town and do some weekend blasting. If you want a howling top end and riding at high rpm, go with a CBR. The 919 redlines at 10,500 rpm. Very smooth engine. No problem cruising at 2000 rpms Brakes are good. Riding position is good. Show less

Sold my 883 Sportster on Thursday and bought the 919 on Friday. I love the get-up-and-go of this bike! It is surprisingly light with lots of hp. Great maneuverability--it has the advantages of the sport bikes without the discomfort of an aggressive lean. Never a regret with this bike. Show less

The bike just keeps on getting better. I just finished my last mods for a while. A number of people recommended the Dynojet Power Commander for the bike, but I didn't think I would make much difference with stock exhaust, which I was planning to keep. Well I was proven wrong, the Power Commander USB rocks. The bike sounds and pulls much harder everywhere. Most of the improvement came from pulling back fuel a few percent. The software and maps are free at the Dyno Jet web site. Show less

I recently purchased an almost new 2005 Honda 919 that was two months old with 1200 miles on it. I was looking for a used naked bike and this one was selling for a price that I couldn't turn down. My most recent previous bikes were a 2002 Suzuki Bandit and a 2003 Kawasaki ZZR1200. The 919 has the torque of the Bandit but is fuel injected and 50 lbs lighter. It handles well and turns very predictably. I will be using it to commute and for a few weekend rides to local spots in Southern California. Not into long rides and my commute is a relatively short 20 minutes. It came with the Honda fly screen which works better than I would expect for its size. I personally like the look of the Givi A755 and have one on order. The bike is pretty smooth, but if you keep it at 5k eventually you will get a slight tingle in your hands. I switched the stock grips for a set of Pro Grip gel grips and they seem to help the hands feel better. Otherwise I plan on leaving the bike stock except for the windscreen and possible a power commander down the road. It seems to fit my needs; I don't ride hard any more and prefer the comfort of a standard bike. Because I am of modest size the suspension works petty good for me. I haven't spent much time in the canyons yet, but I expect it will handle better than either of my last two bikes. On the freeway, it rides well and expansion joints are hardly noticed. Show less

Bought this bike (my 4th in 10 years) for commuting / stress relief. Gets 44 MPG, EASY to maintain (adjusted chain only 3 times in 6800 miles). Wore the original tires out pretty quickly, changed to Metzeler Z6 Road Tec tires, and I am MUCH happier with wear rate and much improved handling. Absolute great all around bike. Made a 1300 mile round trip ride 1 weekend in May with only the addition of the items listed below. Absolutely Love this bike. Show less

The bad - The seat is not very comfortable. After an hour my rear end is quite sore. The good - Everything else. I love Honda. The bike is very reliable; I've had no problems with it. I'm 33 years old and I don't need to show off, but with this bike I can if I want to. I'm getting about 45 mpg and that is commuting in Northern Virginia traffic. I got the Matte Uranium (green) which really stands out. Comfortable sitting position (fairly upright). Digital clock, odometer and 2 trip odometers are nice. 100 hp - it moves. Show less

I have been riding Harley's almost all my life. Got tired of spending lots of $$ in mods and watching the rice burners tear me off the road, so I looked around at those naked street bikes because I like the attitude. Test drove Ducati 900 Monster, Buell, and Suzuki Bandit. Then I test drove the 919. Well all I can tell you is this. The rear will dance on you a bit so be careful around the twisties if the roads where you ride are bumpy and full of potholes like it is here in NY. Otherwise the bike is totally hooligan. I am 43 and ride wheelies just like a kid!! Oh man it's so much fun to pass the hogs on one wheel now. Oink Oink. All the money I wasted on Harley performance mods and this 919 does realistically about 104 HP out the box with no mods. I am used to a big heavy bike so to me the only way I can describe the ride of the 919 is it's like riding a motocross bike with a 4 cylinder motor. The bike is sick. I rip my arms out on this bike. I hang with the bad boys up to around 130 to 140 then they pass me up but that's okay. 140mph is fast enough for me. This bike is awesome and reliable. Never had to use the choke once to start it even when cold. I recommend this bike to someone who wants to retire from a sports bike and mellow out without sacrificing too much power. Or to someone who wants to step up from the cruisers and have more performance. It's also a good commuter bike. Highly recommend this bike. Show less