Honda CB600F / CB600FA Hornet Service Manual (2007)

Honda introduced the Hornet 600 in 1998 as a compact, lively alternative to fully faired middleweight sport motorcycles. First displayed at the 1997 Tokyo Motor Show, it paired a liquid-cooled inline-four related to the CBR600F with minimalist bodywork, a distinctive high-mounted exhaust and a relatively light, narrow chassis. The machine was engineered for accessible acceleration and responsive handling on ordinary roads, and it rapidly developed a following in Europe. A February 1998 Honda launch announcement explained the use of a retuned CBR-derived engine, the unconventional compact styling and the emphasis on usable low- and midrange performance.

As the naked middleweight category expanded, the Hornet became one of Honda's best-known European street motorcycles. Its early years combined an unusually broad rear tyre with a small-diameter front wheel, giving the first-generation motorcycle an instantly recognizable look. Honda subsequently revised the front-wheel arrangement and sharpened the chassis, while retaining the basic four-cylinder character. Updated styling, a larger fuel tank and suspension improvements carried the family forward during the early 2000s. The Hornet Cup, launched in 1999, also helped establish a sporting reputation for a machine originally intended to be versatile and manageable on public roads. This combination of everyday usability and an enthusiast community formed the basis for further reinvention.

Honda unveiled a thoroughly redesigned CB600F Hornet for the 2007 European model year at the Intermot show in Cologne in October 2006. Its new 599 cc inline-four was derived from the contemporary CBR600RR but tuned to deliver more useful torque and throttle response at typical road speeds. The carburetors of earlier Hornets gave way to Honda's PGM-FI programmed electronic fuel injection. New bodywork, a vertically arranged headlamp, a lower exhaust system and lighter cast wheels created a much sharper appearance. The gravity-die-cast aluminium backbone-style frame and mass-centralized layout also marked a major engineering break from the previous version. Honda's October 2006 European model announcement documented the redesigned engine and styling ahead of sales beginning in early 2007.

The revised model retained the easy-to-approach personality of a fuel-injected Japanese middleweight naked motorcycle while offering the technology expected of a more modern road bike. Its 599.3 cc, liquid-cooled dual-overhead-cam engine used four valves per cylinder and a six-speed gearbox. A relatively upright riding position, 17-inch wheels, twin front brake discs, a chain final drive and a telescopic fork made the motorcycle capable of everyday commuting and spirited back-road riding. Alongside the standard CB600F, Honda offered the CB600FA with an anti-lock braking arrangement incorporating additional hydraulic and electronic components. These variants were mechanically closely related, but their brake hardware and diagnostic procedures differed. The 2007 factory shop manual distinguishes the two configurations and provides separate wiring diagrams.

The 2007 redesign set the template for the Hornet's next several seasons. The model remained a central part of Honda's European naked-bike lineup as suspension settings, finishes and styling details evolved. A further visual update in 2011 introduced a distinctive new front treatment and LCD instrument styling without discarding the Hornet's original mission: an accessible but engaging four-cylinder roadster. Honda's Hornet historical timeline distinguishes the original 1998 launch, the 2003 changes, the full 2007 redesign and the 2011 revision. The January 2007 shop-manual edition documents the CB600F and CB600FA configurations of that redesign; subsequent model-year variations should not automatically be assumed identical. Related publications are available in the Honda service manual catalog.