Honda CB/CBR650F

Honda’s middleweight fours are ideal first big bikes

SUCCESSIVE GENERATIONS OF Honda’s CBR600F and the derivative naked Hornet had been good news for Honda dealers and everyday riders alike for many years, so when it was time for a complete makeover, the big H had to get it right. Happily, with 2014’s faired CBR650F and naked CB650F, they did just that. They aimed the new bikes squarely at just-licensed and returning riders, even employing young engineers and designers — mostly in their 20s — who would have more of a handle on what younger and newer riders might want from their first big bike.

The brief was for a confidence-boosting , stable ride that would still be fun enough to keep you interested as you gained experience. It worked. On paper the new CBR looked like a step backwards from the old 600 — built in Thailand rather than Japan, the new bikes had steel frames instead of aluminium ones, budget suspension in place of good-quality units with adjusters, and despite the extra capacity, showed a reduction in power and torque from the older bike. However, on the road, it proved much better than the sum of its parts.

The biggest criticism of the Honda at the time was that at £6399 new, the CB-F was a grand more than Yamaha’s equally new and far more in your face MT-07. But not everyone wanted the Yam’s flighty lunacy and, on the used market, prices quickly found their natural levels. These days you can still pick up an MT a little bit cheaper than a CB-F, but the gap’s a lot narrower.