honda 919 - Page 3

enginerd81 · 11-21-2012, 07:11 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jnich77

Left foot peg = dirty chain. I have to keep mine spotless and well lubed for it to be smooth.

Also, running thicker oil in the forks makes a huge difference in the suspension.

I thought I was lubing mine enough and I ended up with a sticky link. Was giving this low frequency popping feel. Took a rivet breaker to it and with just a littler persuasion it loosened up.

*Before anybody tells me I should have replaced the chain - the bike had 4k miles on it and the sprockets were in great shape.

speedisgood · 11-21-2012, 09:35 PM

I have noticed, from photos, some 919 riders using Shinko tires. How have these worked? The price is certainly attractive.

gashog · 11-22-2012, 01:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by speedisgood

I have noticed, from photos, some 919 riders using Shinko tires. How have these worked? The price is certainly attractive.

I bought mine used with shinko 005's on it. They were good tires on dry and wet roads. Traction was fine and no complaints. I've had great results with michelin PR3's, and went to them at replacement time. I would have no problem with using the shinkos again, however.

jon_l · 11-22-2012, 04:22 PM

919 in red is one of my favorite bikes ever (to look at). I love round headlights.

I rode a used one (dealer) prior to buying my CBF. Seemed sportier, to be sure, but vibrations were pronounced. Didn't buy because at highway speeds, 5000 RPM it was buzzy as hell. Maybe this isn't normal, but it was the only one I rode, so I bought the CBF instead.

Perhaps this bike had an issue. I see posts about guys doing big miles. How are 919s on the highway?

Jnich77 · 11-22-2012, 07:23 PM

mine is fantastic on the highway. the "buzz" is pretty normal for a 919. i swapped to a set of renthals and that got rid of most of mine.

husqzilla · 11-22-2012, 08:20 PM

^^^
Same here. I switched to Renthal Ultralows and the buzz is gone.

speedisgood · 11-22-2012, 08:25 PM

Quote:

Perhaps this bike had an issue. I see posts about guys doing big miles. How are 919s on the highway?

I didn't have a problem with buzziness at all. I purchased the bike in the US and rode home to Canada on it (hyway). It was just as comfortable on the hyway as my DL650 was, except at cruising speed it ran at lower RPM, and had a lot more passing power generally. I do find the stock handle bars to be a bit narrow though, and will probably go with Renthal at some stage. I also have an aftermarket windscreen, and this would be important to have if one were planning to spend a lot of time on the hyway.

squish · 11-22-2012, 11:52 PM

I have a 919, the wife has an SV650 (and a Hypermotard as well that has replaced the SV)

I got the 919 from a friend who didn't like the bike because it vibrated like mad and she was moving away from riding street bikes.

I would have rather had a 599 at least for the kind of riding I do, I found the 919 to be boring, a bit bland, not unlike a what you would expect from a nighthawk 900. Not a bad bike, but just not that interesting. Where the 599 was, sure it was slower
and it even had carbs, there was a more visceral quality to the bike that I enjoyed.

But I couldn't turn down a good deal and I needed a "dad bike" one that could sit for weeks on end and still give me no hassle when I wanted to go for a ride.

The bike does vibrate like mad, worse then any other in line four Honda in good nick that I've been on.
And the 919 Stink does in fact exist. at least on my bike. The stink is no where near as bad as some have made it out to be, it's there, me and my gear smell like we've been on a bike.

I use it for commuting, sporty canyon riding and touring. (I've got the full set of hard bags and the small Honda flyscreen)
I get about 140 miles to the light coming on and put just under 5 gallons of gas in it.
Other then a dead battery I've had nothing of seriousness go wrong, but the fit and finish of the 919 is not as nice as my last newer Honda a Superhawk VTR996, Brackets and finishes are just a little cheaper.

My bike is near totally stock save for a flat steel bar and bar rise and backs. It's in candy glory red but I've got the body work to change it all to matte green.

Shadow 9er · 11-23-2012, 12:41 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jnich77

mine is fantastic on the highway. the "buzz" is pretty normal for a 919. i swapped to a set of renthals and that got rid of most of mine.

Quote:

Originally Posted by husqzilla

^^^
Same here. I switched to Renthal Ultralows and the buzz is gone.

Yep, the stock bars vibrate quite a bit. When I first got mine, my throttle had would go numb from the vibes...which was fine if I was looking to give myself "The Stranger", but otherwise I found it to be uncomfortable. Things were much nicer after I replaced the stock bars with Renthals. The thicker material and different vibrational frequency of the aluminum makes the difference, I reckon

Going +1 on the front sprocket also helped reduce the vibes, overall.

kraven · 11-23-2012, 05:17 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Shadow 9er

...which was fine if I was looking to give myself "The Stranger"

wonderings · 11-23-2012, 05:31 AM

My first "newer" bike was a 2002 CB919, picked it up used back in 2005. The bikes I had owned previously were 15+ years old. I love the power of the 919, it is there when you want it, no matter what gear your in. I did eventually hand down to my brother as I moved to a GS that better suited my riding and needs in a bike.

The bike is still in the family, its been passed down twice now, first to my brother, then to my cousin-in-law who has given it a bit of a beating, which is painful to see, but thats part of learning I guess.

It was original blue, till some lady knocked it over in a parking lot. She replaced all the scratched and dented parts, which allowed me to turn it into a black bike, which I prefer over the blue. Wish I had gone with flat black though.

Seems like all my friends bikes are my old ones. My old 919, my old '06 GS and my9 new '10 GSA.

PAULIBIKER · 11-23-2012, 06:56 AM

Neither one of my 919's had the "stink" or vibration issues.

wonderings · 11-23-2012, 07:54 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by PAULIBIKER

Neither one of my 919's had the "stink" or vibration issues.

I never had the stink, but the vibrations where there for sure. On long 800 km days, I sure felt it. I did buy bar end weights which were supposed to absorb some of the vibrations, but never got them installed.

watrboy · 11-23-2012, 08:18 AM

I had a 2004 with factory shield. I cured a lot of the vibe problem with Throttlemiester.

http://watrboyjon.smugmug.com/Motorc...3525&k=k3Gt2xW

speedisgood · 11-23-2012, 09:20 AM

How have you found the Corbin seat on the 919? I had one on my DL650, and for that bike it was a big improvement. However I did find it a bit slippery -- every time I stopped hard I would slide forward quite a bit. It was also pretty heavy, but undeniably useful on long trips.

11-22-2012, 04:22 PM	#34
jon_l Southern Ontario Joined: Feb 2008 Location: Toronto, Ontario Oddometer: 1,978	919 in red is one of my favorite bikes ever (to look at). I love round headlights. I rode a used one (dealer) prior to buying my CBF. Seemed sportier, to be sure, but vibrations were pronounced. Didn't buy because at highway speeds, 5000 RPM it was buzzy as hell. Maybe this isn't normal, but it was the only one I rode, so I bought the CBF instead. Perhaps this bike had an issue. I see posts about guys doing big miles. How are 919s on the highway? __________________ '09 Honda CBF1000; '09 Yamaha WR250R

11-22-2012, 11:52 PM	#38
squish Out of the office. Joined: Dec 2003 Location: Where the Ghetto meets the sea. Oddometer: 4,942	I have a 919, the wife has an SV650 (and a Hypermotard as well that has replaced the SV) I got the 919 from a friend who didn't like the bike because it vibrated like mad and she was moving away from riding street bikes. I would have rather had a 599 at least for the kind of riding I do, I found the 919 to be boring, a bit bland, not unlike a what you would expect from a nighthawk 900. Not a bad bike, but just not that interesting. Where the 599 was, sure it was slower and it even had carbs, there was a more visceral quality to the bike that I enjoyed. But I couldn't turn down a good deal and I needed a "dad bike" one that could sit for weeks on end and still give me no hassle when I wanted to go for a ride. The bike does vibrate like mad, worse then any other in line four Honda in good nick that I've been on. And the 919 Stink does in fact exist. at least on my bike. The stink is no where near as bad as some have made it out to be, it's there, me and my gear smell like we've been on a bike. I use it for commuting, sporty canyon riding and touring. (I've got the full set of hard bags and the small Honda flyscreen) I get about 140 miles to the light coming on and put just under 5 gallons of gas in it. Other then a dead battery I've had nothing of seriousness go wrong, but the fit and finish of the 919 is not as nice as my last newer Honda a Superhawk VTR996, Brackets and finishes are just a little cheaper. My bike is near totally stock save for a flat steel bar and bar rise and backs. It's in candy glory red but I've got the body work to change it all to matte green. __________________ *On vacation for a spell*

11-23-2012, 05:31 AM	#41
wonderings Studly Adventurer Joined: Jan 2007 Location: Kitchener, Ontario Oddometer: 817	My first "newer" bike was a 2002 CB919, picked it up used back in 2005. The bikes I had owned previously were 15+ years old. I love the power of the 919, it is there when you want it, no matter what gear your in. I did eventually hand down to my brother as I moved to a GS that better suited my riding and needs in a bike. The bike is still in the family, its been passed down twice now, first to my brother, then to my cousin-in-law who has given it a bit of a beating, which is painful to see, but thats part of learning I guess. It was original blue, till some lady knocked it over in a parking lot. She replaced all the scratched and dented parts, which allowed me to turn it into a black bike, which I prefer over the blue. Wish I had gone with flat black though. Seems like all my friends bikes are my old ones. My old 919, my old '06 GS and my9 new '10 GSA. __________________ “If you are neutral in situations of injustice, you have chosen the side of the oppressor. If an elephant has its foot on the tail of a mouse and you say that you are neutral, the mouse will not appreciate your neutrality.” Bishop Desmond Tutu 2010 GSA

11-23-2012, 08:18 AM	#44
watrboy Adventurer Joined: Dec 2011 Location: Laurel, MT Oddometer: 50	Great Bike I had a 2004 with factory shield. I cured a lot of the vibe problem with Throttlemiester. http://watrboyjon.smugmug.com/Motorc...3525&k=k3Gt2xW __________________ Observing the world, and enjoying the view. XR650L NC700X

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11-21-2012, 09:35 PM	#32
speedisgood ^OP Adventurer Joined: Sep 2006 Oddometer: 65	I have noticed, from photos, some 919 riders using Shinko tires. How have these worked? The price is certainly attractive.

11-22-2012, 07:23 PM	#35
Jnich77 Gnarly Adventurer Joined: Aug 2012 Location: Orlando Fl Oddometer: 305	mine is fantastic on the highway. the "buzz" is pretty normal for a 919. i swapped to a set of renthals and that got rid of most of mine.

11-22-2012, 08:20 PM	#36
husqzilla Gnarly Adventurer Joined: Jun 2007 Location: Columbus, Ohio Oddometer: 142	^^^ Same here. I switched to Renthal Ultralows and the buzz is gone.

11-23-2012, 06:56 AM	#42
PAULIBIKER Adventurer Joined: Mar 2010 Location: ANKENY, IOWA Oddometer: 68	Neither one of my 919's had the "stink" or vibration issues.

11-23-2012, 09:20 AM	#45
speedisgood ^OP Adventurer Joined: Sep 2006 Oddometer: 65	How have you found the Corbin seat on the 919? I had one on my DL650, and for that bike it was a big improvement. However I did find it a bit slippery -- every time I stopped hard I would slide forward quite a bit. It was also pretty heavy, but undeniably useful on long trips.