Classic test: 1989 HONDA CBR600F-K
The CBR600F-H was instantly popular, becoming the best-selling bike of 1987 in Britain and many other countries.
If you’ve ever wondered why Honda has remained the world’s largest motorcycle manufacturer for decades, my experience with this CBR600F gives a clue. I was keen to renew acquaintance with the middleweight four that was the best-selling bike of the late Eighties, and had seen one advertised at specialist Oxford Classic Honda. “Well, it hasn’t been run for a while but it looks in good nick,” boss Charlie Garratt had said when I rang. “I’ll put the battery on charge, and you can come over and try your luck.”
The following day I was looking over the very clean looking 1989-model CBR600F-K while Charlie put some air in the tyres; then I was pressing the starter button to fire up the liquid-cooled motor, which came instantly to life with a muted mechanical whirring and a purr from its exhaust. Ten minutes after that, I was lapping a local roundabout with my knee on the ground, enjoying myself immensely and recalling the near-identical bike that I raced in the CBR Challenge in the late Eighties.
Okay, so this particular 600F was in better than average condition for its age, having covered under 20,000 miles and led a pampered life.
