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Riding the 599 highlights Honda's work on the bottom end. The bike snaps off the line and delivers immediate throttle response throughout the rev range. Around town the engine feels lively and tractable. The only fly in the carburetion ointment—a big, Maine-sized black fly—is the transition from off-throttle to on-throttle.
The snappiness that feels so good in many urban situations becomes abruptness that can get annoying in canyon rides where rounding blind turns calls for careful modulation of the throttle. The top-end power is good, but doesn't deliver the punch of Honda's other 600s. Nor was the 599 designed to. The slick shifting transmission works seamlessly and transfers the 599's power to the rear wheel via a 525 series O-ring chain.
The chassis, which remains largely hidden under the tank and bodywork, consists of a rectangular steel backbone frame that utilizes the engine as a stressed member. Die-cast aluminum plates link the swingarm to the engine/frame assembly. While the steel frame may not be techno-sexy, it gets the job done. Although I didn't get to ride the 599 on the high-speed sweeping road I use to see how a chassis handles undulating tarmac, the triple digit runs I did make in my afternoon on the 599 didn't turn up any frame flex.
The suspension is completely non-adjustable, save for seven positions of rear preload. That said, the settings were street reasonable. The 41mm conventional fork didn't dive excessively under hard braking, and the shock didn't misbehave on a variety of roads. While being firm enough to handle mountain bombing runs without getting out of sorts, the suspenders kept me quite comfortable on both city streets and the super slab. Honda has chosen the right compromise for real world sportiness |
