Honda's Sewing Machine.... (Other Honda...)

Member Name: FiscusFish

Product:	Other Honda...
Date:	01/10/00 (502 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Fun factor, practical, economical

Disadvantages: Not great for pillions

"I didn't know Honda made sewing machines". Well they do and they put wheels on them! Get it really revving and Honda's CB-1 will make you think you're astride that sewing machine and it'll bring a grin to your face like few bigger bikes can.

Its not really quick, only pulling through to about 115, but its the way the engine gets you there that'll make you smile...The geardriven cams, the legacy of its CBR400 heritage, spin and make a noise that other lesser equipped bikes can only dream of. Not much happens below 5-6000 on the rev counter, it'll beat the cages away from the lights but a hard ridden 125 could well embarrass you! Get the rev counter needle past vertical though and it feels like you lit a fire work. The potential is there to shame unexpecting big bikes...Ideal if you actually like working for your performance.

Going round corners is a revelation if you're used to a bike on the porkier side. The -1 feels agile and turns in exactly where you want it to. It goes where its pointed and does what its told. You are in charge which can come as a refreshing change in these days of power is all. You can throw it around and drag various bits of its undercarriage at will making it immense fun.

It has its practical side too. It turns in 50 mpg no matter what you do to it, although the range is appalling due to the ridiculously small tank Honda chose to fit. It's a brave person who travels more than 120 miles before heading for a fuel station. The usual consumables, tyres, chain etc, seem to hold up well due to the lowish power output and the engine is practically bullet-proof. The only thing that seems to ever go wrong is the regulator/rectifier, in common with a number of other Hondas. They all tend to use the same part though so second hand replacements are plentiful. Although the CB-1 was only available as a grey import over here, getting parts for it tends to be no problem.
Many Honda dealers have parts microfiches for it and no part tends to take more than a few days to order. All the usual service bits can be bought from M and P or MPS.

You can pick one up from a £1000 upwards and no one should pay more than £2000 for their dose of CB-1 fun. It's a bike you can thrash at the weekend and commute on during the week, they even race them in the States....Its a "Back to basics" sort of bike. No plastic body work to damage, the sort of bike your grandad could understand.....and its none the worse for that.

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