BIKE IS GREAT AROUND TOWN OR AT THE TRACK
New lighter model offers traction control, upgraded front forks and slipper clutch
The differences between the outgoing 2018 Honda CBR650F and the new 2019 Honda CBR650R are fairly minuscule.
The front forks are changed. Inverted, 41-millimetre adjustable forks with compression in the left and rebound damping in the right replace the conventional Showa Dual Bending Valve units. The compression ratio is up slightly to 11.6:1 from 11.4:1, and the 650R is three kilograms lighter.
That lightness is less impressive when you realize it’s all because of the two-litre smaller fuel tank, which, at only 15.4 L, brings the overall wet weight down to 208 kg.
Traction control is new, and so is the slipper clutch. Both seem like performance features but really help make this Honda easier to ride.
Honda’s pricing is certainly interesting. At $10,199 it’s a decent value, but there are still a few 2018s around that Honda is blowing out at $9,699 and claims “$1,500 of savings” on its website. Considering the small differences, there’s a gap there I don’t really understand. It’s the same bike, with a slightly more advanced front end and a newer, sexier name.
The CBR650R is still a very solid middleweight bike. The truth is, the market’s hunger for hyper-aggressive, razor-sharp 600-cc sport bikes has waned. Yet middleweight bikes still make sense for a raft of reasons. Insurance, fuel economy, overall cost, comfort and ease of riding are among them. Done right, a 650 is a bike a you can ride around town, while still enjoying a decent level of street cred. You can keep up with larger bikes on most public roads and if you take one to the track, you’ll have a lot of fun.
Road manners on the Honda are good. It’s compliant and responsive but never jarring or harsh. Road conditions don’t ever upset it. I rode the CBR650F on its press launch back in 2014. During that launch we accidentally ended up on a gravel road, and the sport-focused bike handled the ruts, grooves and slippery surface with aplomb. The new CBR650R has lost none of that rideability.
The engine is smooth and it has good tip-in. The linear, unfussy throttle response is paired with a light clutch and clean-shifting transmission. Given how gently this engine spools up, the traction control is probably overkill. Unlike the ABS, you can turn it off.
The CBR650’s ergonomics are good and the riding profile is moderately sporty but also appropriate for city commuting. At 810 mm, the seat is fairly high and the pegs are low, which helps hide the relatively compact wheelbase of 1,450 mm and improves the amount of room for the rider. It has an upright position, and visibly less ground clearance than a “proper” sport bike. Again, that’s appropriate for this bike’s mission, and anyone who does decide to hit a few track days can always buy a set of aftermarket rear-set foot pegs.
I will never stop complaining about Honda’s placement of the horn, between the indicator switch and the high-beam switch. And the screen is hard to read in direct light. The gear-position indicator is welcome, but it dominates the circular digital tach, which is squeezed tightly into one corner of the screen, leaving a very large open space in the middle. The speedo is then comically large. I do, however, like the amount of information shown, which includes average fuel consumption. My two weeks on the bike ended with an average of 6.6 L/100 km.
The CBR650R is a good example of what Honda does well. A pretty bike with a solid base of performance chops in a package that is almost foolproof. It’s easy to ride, enjoyable to ride, and just interesting enough to keep you entertained. But it’s also a good example of what Honda sometimes does poorly — even on the four-wheeled front — with an awkward instrument cluster that puts emphasis on showing off technical wizardry above function.