CHARLIE HONDA CBR650R
THIS MONTH I HAVE MOSTLY BEEN… Standardising and returning to Honda.
The introduction of the winter months are a bitter-sweet time on Fast Bikes. Yes, there is the excitement of an influx of new metal that will enhance these pages for the coming 12 months, but on the flip-side it is also time to say goodbye to old friends that have seen us all through the summer months as the long-term fleet is recalled.
There is a big gap in my garage now, well, two actually, as my own personal Honda showroom is now empty with my CB500 race bike having a new home and the CBR650R back with its rightful owners.
As I drove away from Honda with ratchet straps rattling in the rear of the van bereft of the strain of securing the 650, I was far more aggrieved than I thought I would be. I mentioned last month that I had not done the mileage that I normally would for a number of reasons. With just over 2,000 miles on the clock, I had not really unlocked this bike’s true potential. The year seems to have been short and unlike most summers, the long trips and happy mileagemunching occasions have not materialised. Had they done, the CBR650R would have lapped them up, of that I have no doubt whatsoever.
This may not be the elbow down screaming BMW that has been at Bruce’s side, or indeed the ZX missile that has looked after Carl for the past 5,500 miles, but that’s because it isn’t built to be. This Sports-Tourer was a quandary from the start, and how do you improve something that is complete straight out of the box, doing everything that Honda have said it will do from the very start? Besides, of course, crash protection from R&G which is a given, and the double-bubble MRA Screen from HPS, which did aid the longer journeys, creating a more manageable slipstream for motorway miles. The introduction of a far better tyre than the OE was again a very necessary move. with the Dunlop RS3’s providing the opportunity to push that bit harder with confidence – not only on wet roads, but also on track.
The only potentially controversial spend on the Honda was the race exhaust; the full titanium set up from Akrapovic. A £950 outlay on an £8K bike from new could be viewed as an extravagance, but lets put this into context. This is a long-term purchase. This bike will look after you for years, especially if you are buying as an A2 purchase, which is easily modified as your licence matures to the full-blown package. Given the smoother delivery, the enhanced performance gurgle and significant weight saving achieved by changing the OE fitment with the Akrapovic – matched with the potential lengthy service of the bike, it actually moves from the nice to have column, to the must be seriously considered one.
Is this the most exciting bike I have ridden? No, but it is certainly up there as one of the best looking, feeling and versatile. I have commuted, tracked and toured this year, each to a lesser extent than in previous years, but that has been the only disappointment connected with this bike. It has at no point let me down or left me wanting, given the context of what this bike is designed for and the market it serves.
The year 2019 has been a real Honda education for me. I have noted the phrase ‘typically Honda’ used on a regular basis by more seasoned bike journalists than myself and never really experienced it. Now though, having completed a racing series on a 20+ CB500 and had the CBR650R to play with (that followed the CB1000R I had last year well), I think I have. My latest termer was typically Honda, doing everything it says it would do and doing it well.