Comparison Test: Sport Class 600+

Actually nothing, only this "economy class" goes well with the name. We compared four Japanese motorcycles. Good buy, great bike at a relatively affordable price.

On the test, we put together a Hondo CBF 600 S, familiar from last year's Kawasaki Z 750 S (an upgrade from last year's super successful Z 750), which this year received an aerodynamic semi-finished product (that is, the S at the end of the label), a refurbished Suzuki Bandit 650 S that received more a youthful look and an extra 50cc, and last year's sales winner, the Yamaha FZ3 Fazer.

As you may have noticed, they have different displacement, but don't let that bother you too much. These four are the most direct competitors as they are all powered by an inline-four with comparable performance.

There is nothing to philosophize about their appearance. They are all designed to serve their purpose as efficiently as possible with good enough wind protection to comfortably and moderately quickly deliver one or two passengers to their destination, preferably with at least a little luggage.

Kawasaki does not hide its sportiness, it has the most powerful engine (110 hp) and wants to emphasize this with its Z-design. Here he earned the most points. The bandit and Yamaha follow them. The former continues the line of quiet touring bikes, while Yamaha stands out with an under-seat exhaust system and aggressive lines like the R6 supersport. In short, it follows the fashion trends of sports motorcycles. Honda is even more relaxed here. No aggressive lines, just soft and pleasant consistent lines.

On the other hand, Honda is the only one that offers the most options for adjusting the driver's position behind the wheel. It has a height-adjustable windshield, a height-adjustable seat, and a handlebar. We noticed that sitting on the Honda was always the most relaxed and comfortable, whether the bike was ridden by a big or small rider, male or female. When it comes to rear seat comfort, this bike gets top marks. The CBF 600 S also proved to be the most precise and refined craftsman.

They took a big step forward in the Suzuki, sitting on it was quite relaxed, but true, it is a little closer to people of medium and tall stature. The workmanship, including finish paint, plastic connections and built-in components (good calibers), is very close to Honda. The passenger position and comfort in the back seat make the Suzuki suitable for travel (also) for two. Kawasaki also offers a good stance, just a little more sporty (more forward stance). We lacked better numeric legibility and more comfort in the back seat, where the Z 750 S performed the worst out of four. Despite its size, the Yamaha did not operate as comfortably as one would expect.

The handlebars are fairly well accessible and the footrest is a bit cramped. We also missed a little more wind protection, as a gust of wind weakens the rider a bit. But it's a small difference compared to Kawasaki and Suzuki (Honda is better because of the already mentioned flexibility in wind protection).

In terms of ride, drivetrain, clutch and drivetrain performance, we primarily evaluated how these bikes handled in urban, rural roads and, to a lesser extent, motorways. On paper they are better

In practice, with the 750 S (110 hp @ 11.000 rpm, 75 Nm @ 8.200 rpm) and the FZ6 Fazer (98 hp @ 12.000 rpm, 63 Nm) the Bandit 650 S (78 hp) pp. at 10.100 rpm, 59 Nm at 7.800 rpm) almost catches up with Kawasaki and Honda. Yes, despite the most modest power and torque figures (78 hp at 10.500 rpm and 58 Nm at 8.000 rpm), Honda is the leader in road usability.

The fact is that on all four motorcycles, up to 90 percent of all rides are made between 3.000 and 5.000 rpm. Honda pulls the most consistently on a smooth power curve, similarly but more aggressively spinning Kawasaki and Suzuki, but still with a very useful power curve. Yamaha somehow missed the point here, as they fitted the engine to the FZ6 Fazer, which pulls in much the same way as the R6. Great for sporty riding, but difficult to handle and not really effective for the average seasoned rider or even beginners (often returning to motorcycling as well).

We also found some vibration while driving, which got in the way on the Kawasaki (above 5.000 rpm, which intensified and exceeded our tolerance limit at 7.000 rpm). The bike, which is excellent both in the city and on country roads, performed the worst, despite the huge (compared to competitors) power on the highway and speeds above 120 km / h. There is simply too much vibration. Vibrations were also observed on the Honda (around 5.000 rpm), but they weren't that much of a concern. Something tickled a little in the Yamaha too, while the Suzuki pampered us with comfort and softness no matter what revs we drove it.

When it comes to handling, Honda has established itself as the best everywhere: it's lightweight, agile and stable. It is followed by the Kawasaki, which is slightly heavier on the ground, the Suzuki also delivers a soft and smooth ride (a little more weight is felt on the steering wheel when driving slowly), while the Yamaha required the most effort from the driver. All braked well. The brake lever is felt best at Honda, followed by Yamaha, Suzuki and Kawasaki.

So if we look at the results, Honda is in first place, Kawasaki and Suzuki are tied for second, and Yamaha is slightly behind. What else is so important about these bikes? Price, anyway! If price is the main criterion, Suzuki is without a doubt the first.

Much can be done for 1 million tolars. Honda costs only 59 thousand more, which is competitive and also led to the final victory (Suzuki in second place). Yamaha is 60 thousand tolars more expensive than Suzuki. It's hard to say that it offers more, which also lifted the fourth place. The Kawasaki is the most expensive, with $133.000 more to deduct than the Suzuki. He took third place. But he could also win. Like the other two rivals chasing Honda, it lacks only refinement of detail, more flexibility and a more uniform price (not the case with Suzuki) to succeed.

1st place Honda CBF 600 S

dinner: 1.649.000 seats

engine: 4-stroke, four-cylinder, liquid-cooled, 600cc, 3hp at 78 rpm, 10.500 Nm at 58 rpm, carburetor

Energy transfer: 6-speed gearbox, chain

Suspension: classic telescopic fork at the front, single shock at the rear

Tires: front 120/70 R 17, rear 160/60 R 17

brakes: front 2x disc diameter 296 mm, rear disc diameter 240 mm

Wheelbase: 1.480 mm

Seat height from ground: 795 mm (+/- 15 mm)

Fuel tank (consumption per 100 km): 19 L (5 L)

Weight with full fuel tank: 229 kg

Represents and sells: Motocentr AS Domžale, Blatnica 3a, Trzin, phone: [phone]

THANKS AND CONGRATULATIONS

+ price

+ undemanding to driving

+ usability

– consumption (slight deviation from others)

– small fluctuations at 5.000 rpm

Score: 4, points: 386

2nd place: Suzuki Bandit 650 S

dinner: 1.590.000 seats

engine: 4-stroke, four-cylinder, air / oil cooled, 645cc, 3hp at 72 rpm, 9.000 Nm at 64 rpm, electronic fuel injection

Energy transfer: 6-speed gearbox, chain

Suspension: classic telescopic fork at the front, single shock at the rear

Tires: front 120/70 R 17, rear 160/60 R 17

brakes: front 2x disc diameter 290 mm, rear disc diameter 220 mm

Wheelbase: 1.430 mm

Seat height from ground: 770 / 790 mm

Fuel tank (consumption per 100 km): 20 L (4 L)

Weight with full fuel tank: 228 kg

Represents and sells: Suzuki Odar, doo, Stegne 33, Ljubljana, tel .: [phone]

THANKS AND CONGRATULATIONS

+ price

+ pleasant appearance, comfortable ride

– old frame design is known (heavy front end when driving slowly)

Score: 4, points: 352

3rd place: Kawasaki Z 750 S

dinner: 1.840.951 seats

engine: 4-stroke, four-cylinder, liquid-cooled, 748cc, 3hp at 110 rpm, 11.000 Nm at 75 rpm, electronic fuel injection

Energy transfer: 6-speed gearbox, chain

Suspension: classic telescopic fork at the front, single shock at the rear

Tires: front 120/70 R 17, rear 180/55 R 17

brakes: 2 drums with a diameter of 300 mm at the front and 220 mm at the rear

Wheelbase: 1.425 mm

Seat height from ground: 800 mm

Fuel tank (consumption per 100 km): 18 L (5 L)

Weight with full fuel tank: 224 kg

Represents and sells: DKS, doo, Jožice Flander 2, Maribor, tel .: [phone]

THANKS AND CONGRATULATIONS

+ sporty look

+ engine power and torque

– price

– vibration above 5.000 rpm

Score: 3, points: 328

4. Place: Yamaha FZ6-S Make

dinner: 1.723.100 seats

engine: 4-stroke, four-cylinder, liquid-cooled, 600cc, 3hp at 98 rpm, 12.000 Nm at 63 rpm, electronic fuel injection

Energy transfer: 6-speed gearbox, chain

Suspension: classic telescopic fork at the front, single shock at the rear

Tires: front 120/70 R 17, rear 180/55 R 17

brakes: front 2x disc diameter 298 mm, rear disc diameter 245 mm

Wheelbase: 1.440 mm

Seat height from ground: 810 mm

Fuel tank (consumption per 100 km): 19 L (4 L)

Weight with full fuel tank: 209 kg

Represents and sells: Delta Command, doo, CKŽ 135a, Krško, phone: [phone]

THANKS AND CONGRATULATIONS

+ sporty look

+ final capacity

– Lack of power in the lower speed range

– seat ergonomics

Score: 3, points: 298

Petr Kavčič, photo: Aleš Pavletič