What's up with the 919?

Hello all, my brother is thinking very seriously about buying a 2002 919 with very low miles. I was wondering if anybody with any knowledge on this bike could list some reasons to buy or not to buy this bike. Thanks

 

Well I had an 06 Honda 599, the 919's little brother. The bike is neat looking, and a blast to ride. Good power and handling. Has a very light feel to it. I put about 11K miles on it before selling it. I do a lot of freeway driving and commuting now, the bike has no wind protection. Did a couple 200+ mile days on it, not too bad, seat could have been a little more comfortable. I originally bought it because I wanted something different, a bike you didn't see very often on the road. I have never rode the 919, but a guy at my college has one, and loves it's handling and power.

 

My best buddy has one and I've ridden it around the neighborhood as well as the highways. (It's always fun to switch bikes for the hell of it!)

The Good:
* Excellent handling, easier than my VFR. It takes just a slight nudge before the bike turns.
* Good power all through the RPM range. Despite having an I4 engine it's been tuned for lower-end power and you don't really have to
wind it up all the way to the redline to get moving quickly.
* Lack of fairings makes it pretty easy to do maintenance
* Upright seating position doesn't put pressure on your wrists

The Bad:
* Nonadjustable suspension. This may not be an issue if the rider is of average height/weight but if you're either really light or heavy the bike won't be able to handle very well in the twisties and you'll be SOL (Sh*t Out of Luck) if you want to tweak it.
* Buzzy engine. It gets a little annoying and old when cruising on highways
* Lack of fairings means that when you get above 60 mph you have to constantly fight with the wind
* Upright seating (yes I have it both good/bad) means that when taking off quickly you have to make sure you're leaning forward otherwise you'll feel like you're going to fall off the bike.
* Brakes are kind of mushy and I really think they need to be upgraded to steel-braided lines by default.

For more information I recommend googling "cb919 review". You'll find a lot of online articles on the 919 and what they have to say about it.

Overall, I like the bike but it's designed more as a fun bike than a more practical bike. For the pure fun factor I would rather get the VTR1000 or a Suzuki Sv1000. Those V-Twins can be a hell lot of fun and easy to ride. Another buddy of mine has a Suzuki Sv1000 and I grin almost every time I ride it.

 

Thanks for the info, I have googled 919 review but the mayority of what comes up is magazine reviews and I'm looking for more real life riders opinions. Thanks again, I will pass along your advice to my bro.

 

I worked with a lady recently who had a CBR600RR track bike and a 919 for street riding. She was about 5' 3", 120 lbs or so, and really liked the bike. Most of her street riding was Saturday, 200 - 300 mile loops and some occasional highway use. As far as I know, she never had anything break on it.

 

I had an 04 for the day when mine was in the shop....not much for wind protection and I did feel some buzz at the bars but.....it was alot of fun to ride and had good low end torque altho top end seemed a little low even compared to the VFR. I cant remember exactly but I believe the engine (from the CBR) has different cams which contribute to that.

I found the steering neutral and the brakes to be decent but not awe-inspiring.
Considering the cost of the bike, I thought it had pretty good value.