Honda CBR650R

Compared to the model it replaced, the Honda CBR 650F, this new current generation Honda CBR 650R is quite a looker. The new replacement of the suffix (from ‘F’ to ‘R’) brings in a sea of changes, which brings it in line with the rest of the CBR lineup of sportbikes, including the mighty CBR 1000RR.

At the front, the Honda CBR 650R welcomes one with its sloped and aerodynamic front fairing, which looks very beautiful with its angularly placed sleek all-LED headlamps, which have kinked upper edges. This front fairing comes integrated with a small transparent windscreen, which unfortunately is non-adjustable, and features ergonomically placed rearview mirrors on them. 

The side fairing of the Honda CBR 650R too is well sculpted, and it partially hides the golden finished engine and quad pipe emerging out from it. This side part of the fairing gets sleek and small winglets accommodated within the fairing and small LED turn indicators. Just where the fairing ends up at the bottom, the single 4-into-1 exhaust pipe pops out, which with its stubby design goes well with the beefy bodywork of the motorcycle.

The Honda CBR 650R gets minimalist side body panels which partially exposes the frame of the motorcycle. The rear side body panels of the motorcycle too are quite sleeker in comparison to the muscular fuel tank with rounded knee recesses. With a split seat design on them, the rear side body panels end up in a small rounded rectangular LED tail lamp at the back. The long rear fender emerging out from the bottom of the tail lamp has LED turn indicators mounted on them.

The rider’s cockpit of the Honda CBR 650R has also been given a minimalist approach, with a small rectangular LCD instrument console sitting proudly in the middle. This fully digital panel displays a host of data, including speedometer, tachometer, odometer, trip meters, fuel gauge, clock, gear indicator, distance to empty and average and instantaneous fuel efficiency. The Honda CBR 650R gets high-quality switchgear, with the rest of the bike getting appreciable fit and finish levels as well.

The overall bodywork and ergonomics of the Honda CBR 650R are designed in such a way to give it an image of a comfortable sport tourer image. The motorcycle has a comfortable seating posture by the standards of a faired sportbike, with it getting 41mm Showa separate function upside-down front forks and 10-stage preload-adjustable rear mono-shock with aluminium swingarm. In terms of brakes, the Honda CBR 650R gets a pair of disc brakes at the front and a single disc brake at the rear.

Instead of a high revving mill from the bygone CBR 600RR, the Honda CBR 650R gets a more practical and usable four-stroke, inline-four, liquid-cooled, fuel-injected, 649cc engine, which is mated to a slick 6-speed gearbox. This engine is good enough to pump out a maximum power output of 95 PS and a peak torque output of 64 Nm, with the engine being high on refinement and low-end torque.

The Honda CBR 650R has been blessed with a proper dual-channel ABS as well as traction control with multiple ride modes to choose from. However, given how fast the competition is arising with more and more electronic riding aids, the Honda CBR 650R could have been equipped with more safety features.

The Honda CBR 650R comes across as a very usable and practical big bike equally suitable for both urban rides and long highway rides, without compromising much on the performance levels, riding dynamics and visual appeal of a proper supersport.