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The Honda FX650 Vigor. A big single. As big as they come (almost) but dont get too excited
. Fast? No. 95mph tops. A 650 cc bike that wont do the ton??? Im afraid so but if youre looking for a plastic missile that will zip you up to three-figure speeds in no seconds flat, the FX definitely isnt it. Then again the upright riding position plus lack of (effective) fairing plus rather vague handling at speed all beg the question: would you really want to be travelling at 100+ mph on an FX? No. Powerful? You must be joking. Less than 40hp from a 650! Nowadays 100hp per litre is the benchmark and many 600cc bikes develop more than 100bhp. The engines not been developed since the 1980s. The FX has less horsepower than its predecessor the NX (Dominator). The usual story: For retuned to give more mid-range read stifled to comply with noise regulations. Torquey? Well the engine does deliver a healthy punch at lowish revs as compared to a 600cc four. Then again there are no high revs as its redlined at 7000. More Torquay than torquey. Now the good points. For a variety of reasons, some of which are listed above, all-in-all the FX is a highly unfashionable and deeply undesirable bike. Hooray. Depreciation has therefore been high and so perfectly sound bikes can be picked up quite cheaply. The bike is basically simple and, provided it has been looked after, should be reliable and cheap to maintain and run. Unattractive also means less likely to be pinched, keeping insurance premiums nice and low. (However the street-scrambler style makes it just the kind of bike to appeal to young bike-thieves wanting to ride up pavements and plough up waste ground, so dont be too casual about security.) Its light, narrow and easy to flick through traffic. Its quick enough to leave (almost) all cars behind at the lights. The upright riding position is comfy and gives a good view over the cars, although the seat is a little high for the short of stature. If youve got the inside-leg measurement it would make a perfect urban commuter, though you might struggle if you regularly need to carry a lot of stuff or a pillion rider. Out in the country you can see over hedges so lanes and back roads are a treat. Other similar bikes to consider would be the Aprilia Pegaso and the rare Suzuki XF650 Freewind. Both have fairings; both are slightly faster bikes, more high tech, and probably better as all-rounders with the additional potential for touring and A-road/motorway work. The FX is basic by comparison, but the upside of having no fairing is theres less to break in the event of a spill or drop. Both the Aprilia and the Suzuki are more expensive than the FX comparing bikes of a similar age. I honestly cant comment on the off-roading potential as I do not indulge, preferring to have tarmac under my wheels. So dont be put off by negative reviews especially in the GSXR/R1-obsessed biking press. In its natural habitat - on the streets and on country lanes and twisty B-roads, I bet you can have as much fun on an FX as on any bike. And for a lot less money. (Most if not all these remarks would apply also to the SLR as the differences are superficial, the SLR being more basic still.)
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