Honda 919

[Saki]

Any 919 owners on here? Anyone with riding impressions of the bike?

tia

[sachiwilson]

I have a 599, and the 919 is just a bit bigger and with more torque. What do you want to know about it?

[Saki]

Originally Posted by sachiwilson

I have a 599, and the 919 is just a bit bigger and with more torque. What do you want to know about it?

How does riding it compare with other nakeds or standards you've ridden, and perhaps sportbikes you've ridden?

I want something thats fun for cruising but sporty, etc, and I am looking at the 919 because they are going for cheap these days, but I've read the suspension is so so, mainly from sportbike enthusiasts, so its hard to get good read on the bike.

[sachiwilson]

The suspension is fine. It's not as adjustable as a bespoke sportbike, but it will keep you on the road at a good clip, especially with sticky tires like Michelin Pilot Powers.

The 599 is a more rev-happy bike, with almost as much overall power as the 919. The 919 is turned, as I mentioned, for more torque. Whether you prefer the 19 or the 99 depends on what you like in a bike.

I can't really compare the 919 to any other naked bikes, but if you're looking for a relatively lightweight standard it will be a good choice.

[seruzawa]

Originally Posted by Saki

How does riding it compare with other nakeds or standards you've ridden, and perhaps sportbikes you've ridden?

I want something thats fun for cruising but sporty, etc, and I am looking at the 919 because they are going for cheap these days, but I've read the suspension is so so, mainly from sportbike enthusiasts, so its hard to get good read on the bike.

Sportbike enthusiasts would complain if they were hung with new ropes.

I understand that suspension upgrades are reasonably priced for that bike. Often only putting in new springs ($100) and heavier oil in the forks will improve things more than enough. So if you got a good price then go for it. Understand that even though sportbikes have top notch components a lot of sportbike owners replace them with even better ones anyhow.

I'm a huge fan of naked standards. The vast majority of bikes I've owned over my 40 years of riding are standards. They'll do just about anything very well.

[Saki]

Thanks. I'm looking at an 04 with almost 15k miles on it for $4,000. Is there anything I should look out for besides the general inspections?

[longride]

Originally Posted by Saki

Thanks. I'm looking at an 04 with almost 15k miles on it for $4,000. Is there anything I should look out for besides the general inspections?

Burnt rubber stuck to the underside of the rear fender?

[sarnali2]

Originally Posted by Saki

Thanks. I'm looking at an 04 with almost 15k miles on it for $4,000. Is there anything I should look out for besides the general inspections?

I don't know where you are but that's on the high end of the scale. I think they're excellent bikes but they were not as big a seller as the 599 and don't appear to have the cult following of the FZ1-Bandit-ZRX-Monster-S3 crowd.
It's a bike that does everything well but with a smaller engine and the above mentioned non-adjustable suspension and flat black paint it just doesn't sell that well. I wouldn't go higher than $3500 for it and try for around $3300.

[sachiwilson]

The 599 is the one with the flat black. I don't think the 919 ever had it (could be wrong here though.) I've only seen 19s with glass black (plus some other colors.)

[Saki]

Originally Posted by sarnali2

I don't know where you are but that's on the high end of the scale. I think they're excellent bikes but they were not as big a seller as the 599 and don't appear to have the cult following of the FZ1-Bandit-ZRX-Monster-S3 crowd.
It's a bike that does everything well but with a smaller engine and the above mentioned non-adjustable suspension and flat black paint it just doesn't sell that well. I wouldn't go higher than $3500 for it and try for around $3300.

Thanks. As far as the 04 goes, I'd have a hard time going over $3,500 anyway as the owner states the bike fell over and there's some scratches on the frame and muffler, with the engine cover and gas tank being repainted already.

Compared to buying new for around $6k, already discounted from $8,500 new, I'm trying to decide if buying used is even worth it when I could get a new bike discounted so heavily already. The only down side is the new 06s and 07s in dealer shops are all red - not my favorite color.