A first ride of the CBR650F, Honda"s sub-10K supersport.
2014 Honda CBR650F / CBR650F ABS First Ride
Building a saddle for nearly every tail-end on the planet, Honda finally let the American media ride their latest addition to their lineup. Bridging the rider-skills gap as well as price spans, the CBR650F (which starts at $8,499) fits neatly into the lineup between the CBR500R and the CBR600RR, bookended with the 300R and 1000RR and now priced with $2,000 to $3,000 leaps in MRSP. Delivering the supersport styling of their race replicas at a price more down to earth, the 650F can be ridden well beyond the entry-lever rider's ability, yet be as friendly and impressive as their sharper scalpels.
A wolf in sheep's clothing, the F-model is more than one would expect. Jeff Tigert, Honda ATV/SxS Media Coordinator and AMA road race champion, wasn't impressed when we first read about the newest middleweight, until he rode it for himself at which point he remarked, "it overwhelmed me." While expecting sluggish performance on the street, he added, "it shines in canyons." He held it back a little for us today, and lead us around Malibu for a spirited ride to lunch and back.
While no one will ever mistake me for a race rider, I'm no beginner either. I am however returning to the sporty stuff after a distracting (and entertaining) year of adventure bikes, scooters and ATVs. With that said --and healing from a severely sprained throttle wrist-- I thought twice about mounting up for a sporting ride around the hills of Malibu and came home with nary a complaint or ache. With surprisingly comfortable ergonomics and a friendly throttle, not only did I enjoy the ride, I enjoyed the bike!
Related: 2012 Kawasaki Ninja 650 Review
Light and lithe, the 650F is a comfortable mix between a commuter mount and canyon carver, weighing a claimed 461 pounds wet (468 with ABS), and hauling an over-stroked 600 with 50 more CCs with a narrow-bodied oval-tubed steel and aluminum twinspar mainframe and aluminum swingarm.
This unit-specific and all-new 649cc inline 4-cylider DOHC powerplant boasts peak torque numbers just shy of those seen on the $3,000 more 600RR and redlining at 11,000 rpm.
With a claimed 85-90 horsepower at the crank in development (86 HP claims on the street) and an 8,000-rpm wide useable powerband, the 650F can easily be ridden with only two gears in the canyon. The 650F also has the distinct feature of being the first inline 4-cylinder coming from Honda's Thailand facilities. A bore and stroke of 67mm x 46mm, is similar to that of the 600RR (67mm x 42.5mm), with just a longer stroke.
Exit gases are routed through a 1974 CB400 Four-inspired set of header pipes, into 2, into 1 final exhaust pipe. Because the American market doesn't buy naked bikes, all that beautiful harmony is hidden beneath the bodywork; but it's still fun to ride!
Jeff Tigert quipped in the technical briefing that it "pulls just as strong in 5th gear as it does in 2nd..." a point we confirmed later that day. And while the newest middleweight won't pull your arms off, it's plenty enough to get you in trouble.
Sprung from a 41mm non-adjustable cartridge-type fork with 4.25-inches of travel in the front and a single 7-position cam-style preload-only adjustable rear shock with 5-inches of travel.
For this 210-pound rider, and set in the #2 position, the ride was soft but not squishy, balanced and comfortable across the board, with plenty of room to grow (preload only) for more sporting riders or riding two-up.
Built on a wheelbase of 57-inches and a design focused on centering the mass in every possible way, the engine has been canted a few degrees forward allowing a repositioning of the rider's body and weight towards the center. With a more centered and flickable bike directly beneath your helmet, the body position is forward but upright, with clip-ons positioned to keep the weight off the wrists (thank you!) and onto the rider's thighs.
On the gas, the 6-speed transmission delivers its power to a pair of 17-inch wheels with proper-sized 120-front and 180-rear Dunlop Sportmax tires; ready for a balanced ride or an easy swap for a stickier set of shoes for higher performance riding on the street or track. Halting power is provided by a triple-disc Nissin brake package; dual 320mm wave rotors up front, a single 240mm in the rear.
Honda claims this daily-rider commuter-friendly CBR will deliver 51 mpg and an estimated 230 miles on the 4.5-gal tank. On our 120-mile scream through the canyons (with very few of those miles under 6,000 rpm), onboard trip computers calculated and average 38.9 mpg, poised for an approximate 175-mile range.
Where the rider triangle and bodywork meet with the carbon-fiber style inner fairing is a cockpit-like dual-LCD dashboard with digital sweeping tach, large speed indicator and typical odometer and trip meters with the addition of fuel consumption (good for calculating your own use on heavier throttle application).
One lacking feature, popular for now with both new and old riders, is a gear position indicator... not that you couldn't simply apply more throttle and go!
Close, but miles ahead, the CBR600RR is $3,000 more but comes with the race kit necessary and worthy of the price: a variable-rate steering dampener (HESD), Combined ABS brakes (C-ABS), a race-proven engine (standard of the Moto2 GP class), cartridge-piston forks (HMAS), Unit Pro-Link suspension and more. Honda sees the 650F as their gateway to their more powerful supersports, offering more accessible power in a more accessible package for the everyday rider. Middle of the road in more ways than one, the 650F fits between the 300R and the 600RR in engine size, saddle height (31.9-inch), and price, making for an excellent stepping stone if not perfect option.
Honda Genuine accessories include a taller windscreen, solo seat cowling, CF-style rear wheel hugger, rear rack , lockable rear trunk, heated grips, wheel stripes and a CF tank pad.
While it''s not available in the tri-colored paint scheme (my favorite!) we saw in early 2014 reports, it does come in 3 individual colors (Blue, Red and Black) with an MSRP of $8,499, but only 1 color (black) if you choose for the optional $500 ABS package. Available in dealerships now.
Related: 2015 Yamaha FZ-07 Review
Building a saddle for nearly every tail-end on the planet, Honda finally let the American media ride their latest addition to their lineup. Bridging the rider-skills gap as well as price spans, the CBR650F (which starts at $8,499) fits neatly into the lineup between the CBR500R and the CBR600RR, bookended with the 300R and 1000RR and now priced with $2,000 to $3,000 leaps in MRSP. Delivering the supersport styling of their race replicas at a price more down to earth, the 650F can be ridden well beyond the entry-lever rider's ability, yet be as friendly and impressive as their sharper scalpels.
A wolf in sheep's clothing, the F-model is more than one would expect. Jeff Tigert, Honda ATV/SxS Media Coordinator and AMA road race champion, wasn't impressed when we first read about the newest middleweight, until he rode it for himself at which point he remarked, "it overwhelmed me." While expecting sluggish performance on the street, he added, "it shines in canyons." He held it back a little for us today, and lead us around Malibu for a spirited ride to lunch and back.
While no one will ever mistake me for a race rider, I'm no beginner either. I am however returning to the sporty stuff after a distracting (and entertaining) year of adventure bikes, scooters and ATVs. With that said --and healing from a severely sprained throttle wrist-- I thought twice about mounting up for a sporting ride around the hills of Malibu and came home with nary a complaint or ache. With surprisingly comfortable ergonomics and a friendly throttle, not only did I enjoy the ride, I enjoyed the bike!
Related: 2012 Kawasaki Ninja 650 Review
Light and lithe, the 650F is a comfortable mix between a commuter mount and canyon carver, weighing a claimed 461 pounds wet (468 with ABS), and hauling an over-stroked 600 with 50 more CCs with a narrow-bodied oval-tubed steel and aluminum twinspar mainframe and aluminum swingarm.
This unit-specific and all-new 649cc inline 4-cylider DOHC powerplant boasts peak torque numbers just shy of those seen on the $3,000 more 600RR and redlining at 11,000 rpm.
With a claimed 85-90 horsepower at the crank in development (86 HP claims on the street) and an 8,000-rpm wide useable powerband, the 650F can easily be ridden with only two gears in the canyon. The 650F also has the distinct feature of being the first inline 4-cylinder coming from Honda's Thailand facilities. A bore and stroke of 67mm x 46mm, is similar to that of the 600RR (67mm x 42.5mm), with just a longer stroke.
Exit gases are routed through a 1974 CB400 Four-inspired set of header pipes, into 2, into 1 final exhaust pipe. Because the American market doesn't buy naked bikes, all that beautiful harmony is hidden beneath the bodywork; but it's still fun to ride!
Jeff Tigert quipped in the technical briefing that it "pulls just as strong in 5th gear as it does in 2nd..." a point we confirmed later that day. And while the newest middleweight won't pull your arms off, it's plenty enough to get you in trouble.
Sprung from a 41mm non-adjustable cartridge-type fork with 4.25-inches of travel in the front and a single 7-position cam-style preload-only adjustable rear shock with 5-inches of travel.
For this 210-pound rider, and set in the #2 position, the ride was soft but not squishy, balanced and comfortable across the board, with plenty of room to grow (preload only) for more sporting riders or riding two-up.
Built on a wheelbase of 57-inches and a design focused on centering the mass in every possible way, the engine has been canted a few degrees forward allowing a repositioning of the rider's body and weight towards the center. With a more centered and flickable bike directly beneath your helmet, the body position is forward but upright, with clip-ons positioned to keep the weight off the wrists (thank you!) and onto the rider's thighs.
On the gas, the 6-speed transmission delivers its power to a pair of 17-inch wheels with proper-sized 120-front and 180-rear Dunlop Sportmax tires; ready for a balanced ride or an easy swap for a stickier set of shoes for higher performance riding on the street or track. Halting power is provided by a triple-disc Nissin brake package; dual 320mm wave rotors up front, a single 240mm in the rear.
Honda claims this daily-rider commuter-friendly CBR will deliver 51 mpg and an estimated 230 miles on the 4.5-gal tank. On our 120-mile scream through the canyons (with very few of those miles under 6,000 rpm), onboard trip computers calculated and average 38.9 mpg, poised for an approximate 175-mile range.
Where the rider triangle and bodywork meet with the carbon-fiber style inner fairing is a cockpit-like dual-LCD dashboard with digital sweeping tach, large speed indicator and typical odometer and trip meters with the addition of fuel consumption (good for calculating your own use on heavier throttle application).
One lacking feature, popular for now with both new and old riders, is a gear position indicator... not that you couldn't simply apply more throttle and go!
Close, but miles ahead, the CBR600RR is $3,000 more but comes with the race kit necessary and worthy of the price: a variable-rate steering dampener (HESD), Combined ABS brakes (C-ABS), a race-proven engine (standard of the Moto2 GP class), cartridge-piston forks (HMAS), Unit Pro-Link suspension and more. Honda sees the 650F as their gateway to their more powerful supersports, offering more accessible power in a more accessible package for the everyday rider. Middle of the road in more ways than one, the 650F fits between the 300R and the 600RR in engine size, saddle height (31.9-inch), and price, making for an excellent stepping stone if not perfect option.
Honda Genuine accessories include a taller windscreen, solo seat cowling, CF-style rear wheel hugger, rear rack , lockable rear trunk, heated grips, wheel stripes and a CF tank pad.
While it''s not available in the tri-colored paint scheme (my favorite!) we saw in early 2014 reports, it does come in 3 individual colors (Blue, Red and Black) with an MSRP of $8,499, but only 1 color (black) if you choose for the optional $500 ABS package. Available in dealerships now.
Related: 2015 Yamaha FZ-07 Review
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