Ha! I've been riding my '07 919 for ten years. It was my second bike and more or less formed my understanding of what a bike should be. That "twitchy" thing that people don't like, lol...I always just called that acceleration(don't mean to be a smart-ass). And many a gear head or high end Euro-sedan have I left surprised and in the dust off the green light here in LA, I suppose because my 919 doesn't have a monster aggressive look. I love that punch off the line. And I have been coast to coast on it. Guess its a love affair. Because I've loved every second, although you are correct. Longs days are exhausting.
I bought a 2007 919 in 08 bike now has 83,000 miles. Less than 200 dollars in non wear parts ( not counting tires ,brakes,etc. I love this bike I have a large number of 1000 mile days. I find it extremely comfortable once you get used to the wind
Yeah so I'm looking to buy one of this. Is the wind really a concern? I'd like to make a 1500 mile trip in 4 days. I already did that on a 09 KLR and left me wanting something with more speed.
My 06' CB900F 919 was my 6th bike (and concurrent with my 5th), after a 93' XR250L, 84' CB700SC Nighthawk, 86' VF700C Magna, 93' CB750 Nighthawk, and 17' CB1100EX. I had wanted one of these forever ago, after cutting my teeth on my old 80's Nighthawk, precisely because it was a newer, bigger, standard bike. It's minimalist, looks dead sexy, and has everything you need and nothing you don't. Its practically the ideal xennial bike, with the right balance of digital (PGM-FI) and analogue (gauges, classic single headlight, no rider assists). It is a zero bullshit bike, and I love it.
Same here Guy's I have a 07 919 daily it for everything have had many different sport bikes but I love this one most. I've found the twitchyness usually is from chain adjustment on mine
Can definitely verify the twitchiness at low speeds/rpms. Makes it somewhat frustrating to ride in crawl/stop and go traffic. Agree completely about the lack of storage. I mean I can barely even fit a pair of gloves under the seat. Surely they could have worked something better out that would allow for a little more space under the seat. Most other bikes have more space under there. I am not a fan of the big old retro round headlight nor the dashboard. The headlight is pretty good though, so I'm OK with it being ugly, but the analog instrument cluster is absolutely awful in every way. Tiny tiny numbers and a dull and weak yellowish light makes for very poor readability. It takes like a full second of looking down at the dash to see exactly how fast I'm going, and this is a safety issue. Ideally you want to only look down for a tenth of a second and immediately know your exact speed. The longer your eyes are off the road the more dangerous. The gearbox is a bit too notchy and hard for my liking. I prefer smoother gearboxes over the hard-notch ones that makes your feet hurt (even when wearing proper motorcycle boots) after a full day of riding. So, I find a lot of flaws with this bike, right. Surely I'm a hater and I must hate it, right? Nothing could be further from the truth. I absolutely adore this bike. I've had mine for about three years now, a 2007, and it's easily the best bike I have ever owned. It's an all-rounder. It's fast, it's torque'y, it sounds amazing with a slip-on exhaust, it's ridiculously comfortable compared to most non-touring or sport touring bikes, it handles great (even though it's heavy) and it gets an impressive mileage (50 MPG easily if ridden sensibly). Oh and because it's such a simple, retro, old-school bike it's soooo easy to work on.
It's the Hornet 900 here in the UK. Definitely agree with the snatchy throttle at very low revs.... try to filter past slow moving traffic at every opportunity ;) Other than that, it's a lovely bike
Hmmmm, not noticed twitchy. I have 2 CB900F-5s - each kitted with Akras and Nitrons & PC IIIs. I think the world of these and would recommend to any competent rider. Definitely a worthwhile choice.
@@paddow101 +Panchdara I've noticed also that bikes that have twitchy throttles need power commanders and steering dampers for steering issues. Upgrade exhausts, add a windscreen, touch suspension, quickshifter, get cruise control then yu have a perfect bike.
To the point, appreciated. My questions since I am considering the purchase of a 2007 with 8000 miles, in mint condition what is the fair value of said example? Have you had a ride on the newer Honda naked bikes for a comparison?
Great Review! I am thinking of getting a used 2003 Cb900/919 with about 6500 miles on it. It has been dropped once and has a small dent on the right side of the tank and the rear turn signal isn't straight but other than that it's in excellent shape. They are asking 2500 for it. Do you think it's a good deal? Or should I get a newer model?
Great review! Thinking of getting a 2007 with only 670 miles on it. Original owner that has more bikes than he can ride. It's all original without any accessories and he wanted $4750 for it. I got him down to 4k even. Do you think it is worth that or should I keep looking? BTW, I would love a Yamaha XSR but even a 2016 closeout model out the door is right at 8k which would be double the price of this used 919. The 919 fits me perfectly and saving money is a good thing. I bet that I would still need to put tires on the bike even with only 670 miles on it those tires are over 10 years old.
The roads in the US .. allmost bigger if not the same size then our interstates haha .. the bike heavy at 200 kg ? .. well i find that to be a light bike haha
it is more silent then with, i have no problem with wind till about 130kph.... i reached about 220kph but just for some seconds... my neck doesn't have the muscles to deal with it for longer :D
I disagree that this isn't a starter bike. Don't get me wrong, I wouldn't throw just anyone on it, but someone who's an experienced standard transmission driver who I trust I would definitely recommend the 919 to
A bike that has 900cc over 100HP, weighs 500 lbs, and will wheelie in 3rd gear without using the clutch is not my definition of a good starter bike. The people that I see start on bikes like this don’t develop the basic skills necessary to a good rider because they’re too busy managing weight and power when they should be learning the basics of riding. Just my opinion after 23 years of riding and teaching. I’m sure anyone could start on anything but I think there are way better alternatives. Especially since there’s a 600cc version of this exact bike
Both great bikes, but I love the 919! Plus it's newer. I will say that year unfortunately didn't have the adjustable suspension. One of the only downsides in my opinion.
I recently bought a 2003 919 and it does everything I could ever want it to do. Just put new Pirelli tires on it and the rear shock preload adjusted. The bike handled SO much better. Great all-around bike.
I had the green, she had the red, had to hit the brakes pretty hard to avoid hitting her…hopefully that’s not common practice in jolly good old England
@@paddow101 I guess it just didn't look as bad through the gopro. But yeah London has become crazy. I only visit now, i live down south where it's much more sedate.
The performance difference is so little between the 600 and 900 hornet it feels like the 900 is a little redundant, I think it 96 versus 110 hp, top speeds and 0-60/100 is marginal again in difference. I have tried both and 4000-9000 Rev's you feel the 600 work a bit harder that's about it. There aren't to many 900's about and I think this is the reason. Still nice bike though.
I completely disagree. I currently own both. The 919 dogs the 599. I'm currently stripping the 599 for a cafe racer build. I love the 919 so much, I won't change it. :)Also, after weighing both, the 919 was a few pounds lighter!
NOT A BEGINNER BIKE ! Any bike that does warp speed 70 plus mph on half throttle in 3rd gear after 3 seconds will get a newbie. In 1st and 2nd this bike will step out and high side you at 5k rpms. One of the new 300cc will scare a newbie but will be better to learn on
Yes EXACTLY! Thank you. Someone disagreed with me down further in the comments and I said almost exactly what you have. The people that I see start on bikes like these if they don’t hurt themselves they don’t develop the skills they’d develop on a bike that’s suited for someone starting. I’m glad other people agree with that statement!
If you could ride a moto, you would know what that "twitchy" start is for. The moto journalists have the same problem. They are journalist that know how to work the controls on a motorcycle. They are not riders in the sense that riding is number one and everything else is a poor second place. Motorcycles are NOT automobiles. If you ride a moto like you are driving a car, you will die from it. In an Automobile, to launch you rev the motor and drop the clutch. On a moto, you drop the clutch, then go WOT. That little lurch in the fuel injection is to prevent stalling out. You are WRONG about been seen too. 2% of the human race are Psycho Killers. They get their fix by slaughtering other humans. You do not want them seeing you. The MSF is bogus. I had a 919 back in '09. I sold it to buy a FZ-6s. I've finished that project and am now looking at 919's. Get the weight down to about 420 wet, good pipes a PC and a 520 SuperSproc and This 65 year old man will out run all the kiddies on their superbikes.
Ha! I've been riding my '07 919 for ten years. It was my second bike and more or less formed my understanding of what a bike should be. That "twitchy" thing that people don't like, lol...I always just called that acceleration(don't mean to be a smart-ass). And many a gear head or high end Euro-sedan have I left surprised and in the dust off the green light here in LA, I suppose because my 919 doesn't have a monster aggressive look. I love that punch off the line. And I have been coast to coast on it. Guess its a love affair. Because I've loved every second, although you are correct. Longs days are exhausting.
The best review on 919 I’ve ever seen on CZcams
I bought a 2007 919 in 08 bike now has 83,000 miles. Less than 200 dollars in non wear parts ( not counting tires ,brakes,etc. I love this bike I have a large number of 1000 mile days. I find it extremely comfortable once you get used to the wind
Yeah so I'm looking to buy one of this. Is the wind really a concern? I'd like to make a 1500 mile trip in 4 days. I already did that on a 09 KLR and left me wanting something with more speed.
Just bought like this bike and i love everything about it , it puts a big smile on my face every time i ride it.
One of the best reviews of this bike. Thanks. Lack of a gas gauge is a definite negative in my opinion.
it does have a low fuel warning that comes on at 1.2 gals.remaining. prob 45 or so mi.
My 06' CB900F 919 was my 6th bike (and concurrent with my 5th), after a 93' XR250L, 84' CB700SC Nighthawk, 86' VF700C Magna, 93' CB750 Nighthawk, and 17' CB1100EX. I had wanted one of these forever ago, after cutting my teeth on my old 80's Nighthawk, precisely because it was a newer, bigger, standard bike. It's minimalist, looks dead sexy, and has everything you need and nothing you don't. Its practically the ideal xennial bike, with the right balance of digital (PGM-FI) and analogue (gauges, classic single headlight, no rider assists). It is a zero bullshit bike, and I love it.
Same here Guy's I have a 07 919 daily it for everything have had many different sport bikes but I love this one most. I've found the twitchyness usually is from chain adjustment on mine
Wow man, what a great review.
Can definitely verify the twitchiness at low speeds/rpms. Makes it somewhat frustrating to ride in crawl/stop and go traffic.
Agree completely about the lack of storage. I mean I can barely even fit a pair of gloves under the seat. Surely they could have worked something better out that would allow for a little more space under the seat. Most other bikes have more space under there.
I am not a fan of the big old retro round headlight nor the dashboard. The headlight is pretty good though, so I'm OK with it being ugly, but the analog instrument cluster is absolutely awful in every way. Tiny tiny numbers and a dull and weak yellowish light makes for very poor readability. It takes like a full second of looking down at the dash to see exactly how fast I'm going, and this is a safety issue. Ideally you want to only look down for a tenth of a second and immediately know your exact speed. The longer your eyes are off the road the more dangerous.
The gearbox is a bit too notchy and hard for my liking. I prefer smoother gearboxes over the hard-notch ones that makes your feet hurt (even when wearing proper motorcycle boots) after a full day of riding.
So, I find a lot of flaws with this bike, right. Surely I'm a hater and I must hate it, right? Nothing could be further from the truth. I absolutely adore this bike. I've had mine for about three years now, a 2007, and it's easily the best bike I have ever owned. It's an all-rounder. It's fast, it's torque'y, it sounds amazing with a slip-on exhaust, it's ridiculously comfortable compared to most non-touring or sport touring bikes, it handles great (even though it's heavy) and it gets an impressive mileage (50 MPG easily if ridden sensibly). Oh and because it's such a simple, retro, old-school bike it's soooo easy to work on.
It's the Hornet 900 here in the UK. Definitely agree with the snatchy throttle at very low revs.... try to filter past slow moving traffic at every opportunity ;) Other than that, it's a lovely bike
touché
Hmmmm, not noticed twitchy. I have 2 CB900F-5s - each kitted with Akras and Nitrons & PC IIIs. I think the world of these and would recommend to any competent rider. Definitely a worthwhile choice.
Interesting, do you think it’s because they’re kitted? I also read about an exhaust stink on them and mine is stock and I’ve never noticed that.
@@paddow101 +Panchdara I've noticed also that bikes that have twitchy throttles need power commanders and steering dampers for steering issues. Upgrade exhausts, add a windscreen, touch suspension, quickshifter, get cruise control then yu have a perfect bike.
Great review
Great Bike
Great video! Have you changed your gearing? I have 17/44 on my 03.
Getting this as my first lol
To the point, appreciated. My questions since I am considering the purchase of a 2007 with 8000 miles, in mint condition what is the fair value of said example? Have you had a ride on the newer Honda naked bikes for a comparison?
I like the exhaust smell lol and I find that it’s quite a light bike,
How is the windscreen performance over all ?
Just bought a 919 today !! Excited to ride it ! can you share where you bought the sticky pad ?
How has it been - how many miles did you buy at?
What brand of windscreen did you get?
i got the 04 599 i like it
Great Review! I am thinking of getting a used 2003 Cb900/919 with about 6500 miles on it. It has been dropped once and has a small dent on the right side of the tank and the rear turn signal isn't straight but other than that it's in excellent shape. They are asking 2500 for it. Do you think it's a good deal? Or should I get a newer model?
2003 and newer all have the adjustable suspension and in my opinion you can't go wrong with the 919!
Oh and $2500 is a smoking deal for that low miles!
Great review! Thinking of getting a 2007 with only 670 miles on it. Original owner that has more bikes than he can ride. It's all original without any accessories and he wanted $4750 for it. I got him down to 4k even. Do you think it is worth that or should I keep looking? BTW, I would love a Yamaha XSR but even a 2016 closeout model out the door is right at 8k which would be double the price of this used 919. The 919 fits me perfectly and saving money is a good thing. I bet that I would still need to put tires on the bike even with only 670 miles on it those tires are over 10 years old.
I love the 919 and I think $4000 is fair for one in great shape. That's probably what I'd ask if I sold mine...which I don't plan on anytime soon!
A little high worth more like 3500
I ride a 919 it’s a great bike just that ow speed twitch is a loose chain issue and a touch to hard on the throttle makes it snap…
Is there a fuel processor map for it or do you need to get it pro tuned to smooth it out?
I just kind of deal with it. minor annoyance
@@paddow101 ok thanks
just a quick question,did the Suzuki bandit ever impress people in America?? thanx S .......UK 919 OWNER
I had a bandit from 2005-2014 and I loved it, but no the standards aren’t as popular here unfortunately
Power commander V recommended takes care of the stock crappy fueling
Just bought it
Where did I get your throttle lock at ?
The roads in the US .. allmost bigger if not the same size then our interstates haha .. the bike heavy at 200 kg ? .. well i find that to be a light bike haha
How do you guys find riding the 900 with out a fairing
it is more silent then with, i have no problem with wind till about 130kph.... i reached about 220kph but just for some seconds... my neck doesn't have the muscles to deal with it for longer :D
I disagree that this isn't a starter bike. Don't get me wrong, I wouldn't throw just anyone on it, but someone who's an experienced standard transmission driver who I trust I would definitely recommend the 919 to
A bike that has 900cc over 100HP, weighs 500 lbs, and will wheelie in 3rd gear without using the clutch is not my definition of a good starter bike.
The people that I see start on bikes like this don’t develop the basic skills necessary to a good rider because they’re too busy managing weight and power when they should be learning the basics of riding. Just my opinion after 23 years of riding and teaching. I’m sure anyone could start on anything but I think there are way better alternatives. Especially since there’s a 600cc version of this exact bike
Terrible idea to start out on a 900!
@@paddow101 it is easier to ride then my nc ... when you go slow. However yes, when you demand its power - sure it can be pandoras box...
A 2002 919 with 11k miles or a 1996 VFR 750 with 12k miles, both in excellent condition. Which should i choose?
Both great bikes, but I love the 919! Plus it's newer. I will say that year unfortunately didn't have the adjustable suspension. One of the only downsides in my opinion.
hornet 900 with 110hp the 11 sec flat is an achivement from honda as it its the fastest time on a stock bike under 1000cc bike
i live in the US and the reviews i read put the hp lower. like around 102. maybe it can be increased with tuned exhausts
I recently bought a 2003 919 and it does everything I could ever want it to do. Just put new Pirelli tires on it and the rear shock preload adjusted. The bike handled SO much better. Great all-around bike.
@@richardcasey7521 oddly enough, I bought a 60th anniversary XSR900. Love it.
Don't see that she cut you off, that's just normal driving in London
I had the green, she had the red, had to hit the brakes pretty hard to avoid hitting her…hopefully that’s not common practice in jolly good old England
@@paddow101 I guess it just didn't look as bad through the gopro. But yeah London has become crazy. I only visit now, i live down south where it's much more sedate.
Twitchy throttle behavior? Mine doesn’t do that. I’m lucky I guess.
No reason to run premium on this bike, throwing money away.
PapaP86 well i do run my hornet on tracks...worth it to put good shoes on ! czcams.com/video/YkbM7HRliZM/video.html
The performance difference is so little between the 600 and 900 hornet it feels like the 900 is a little redundant, I think it 96 versus 110 hp, top speeds and 0-60/100 is marginal again in difference. I have tried both and 4000-9000 Rev's you feel the 600 work a bit harder that's about it. There aren't to many 900's about and I think this is the reason. Still nice bike though.
i don't think it has 110 hp. closer to 105
I completely disagree. I currently own both. The 919 dogs the 599. I'm currently stripping the 599 for a cafe racer build. I love the 919 so much, I won't change it. :)Also, after weighing both, the 919 was a few pounds lighter!
glad you said that. I’ve never ridden the 599
you have to rev the 600 quite high, while the 900 starts already going at 4000 rpm - power is one thing, torque makes here the difference
You've fitted the sliders to the engine and not the frame, not a good idea.
I agree. couldn’t get my dealer to attach them how I wanted. You’re welcome to come by and fix it
@@paddow101 I'd gladly help you out but it's a bit far as I'm in the UK.
Review no soapbox ta.
Take it easy Karen
Oh no!! No fuel gauge. Lmao!!
Top speed 142??????? I have an 04 and it will do every bit of 155 stock and if I wanna push it its got more!
Those Speedo’s are very generous, recorded top speed is 148
@@olegkulyak 142 is correct
@@olegkulyak 142 is about right
NOT A BEGINNER BIKE ! Any bike that does warp speed 70 plus mph on half throttle in 3rd gear after 3 seconds will get a newbie. In 1st and 2nd this bike will step out and high side you at 5k rpms. One of the new 300cc will scare a newbie but will be better to learn on
Yes EXACTLY! Thank you. Someone disagreed with me down further in the comments and I said almost exactly what you have. The people that I see start on bikes like these if they don’t hurt themselves they don’t develop the skills they’d develop on a bike that’s suited for someone starting. I’m glad other people agree with that statement!
If you could ride a moto, you would know what that "twitchy" start is for.
The moto journalists have the same problem. They are journalist that know how to work the controls on a motorcycle. They are not riders in the sense that riding is number one and everything else is a poor second place.
Motorcycles are NOT automobiles. If you ride a moto like you are driving a car, you will die from it. In an Automobile, to launch you rev the motor and drop the clutch. On a moto, you drop the clutch, then go WOT. That little lurch in the fuel injection is to prevent stalling out.
You are WRONG about been seen too. 2% of the human race are Psycho Killers. They get their fix by slaughtering other humans. You do not want them seeing you. The MSF is bogus.
I had a 919 back in '09. I sold it to buy a FZ-6s. I've finished that project and am now looking at 919's. Get the weight down to about 420 wet, good pipes a PC and a 520 SuperSproc and This 65 year old man will out run all the kiddies on their superbikes.
Ignore the crazy person rant
Haha! Yes there’s a lot of that in that reply
Gosh what a dumb psycho comment
Congratulations for writing the dumbest thing I’ve ever read