Honda CBR 650R

Few things pull at a motorcyclist’s heartstrings quite like a sport bike: the sharp lines and full fairings hinting at the performance that’s packed within, and at the fun corner-carving that’s to come. Of course with most street riders, there’s also a balancing point where comfort and practicality come into play. And for that, Honda offers the CBR650R ABS, a fully faired sport variant of the CB650R. Designed to be enjoyed on the street, yet taking cues from an RR machine, the CBR650R offers light, responsive handling through its finely tuned chassis and enjoyable power through its high-revving inline four-cylinder engine. Sharp lines, LED lighting and an aggressive riding position complete the package, striking an ideal balance between performance and practicality—an enjoyable intersection of values for the modern sport bike rider.

Sportbikes are a special breed: explosive power, full faired styling, nimble handling. And with the Honda CBR650R, we’ve taken sportbike expectations to a whole new level. It starts with the high-revving inline four, offering near-endless power that’s at home on the track and city alike. Then there’s the chassis: light, strong, delivering excellent feedback and comfort. This year’s CBR650R features anti-lock brakes too—a real bonus for street riders. And as for the styling – this bike stands out everywhere you take it, with design cues pulled straight from our supersports. This is a sportbike designed for the modern era, with comfort, performance and style that once experienced, is never forgotten.

STYLING

While its four-cylinder power unit is still firmly on display, the CBR650R’s wrapping offers pure sporting appeal; dual LED headlights emit a penetrating, uncompromising stare, while the upper and lower fairings blend muscularity with sharp, slim lines and angles.

The seat unit is compact and truncates the rear of the machine, adding to the hard-edged sense of purpose. The aggressive riding position starts with clip-on handlebars that mount beneath the top triple clamp; they’re pushed forward and low to create a performance-focused seating position, as are the rearward-set footpegs. Seat height is 31.9 inches.

CHASSIS

The steel diamond frame uses pressed (rather than forged) swingarm pivot plates; it’s light weight and uses twin elliptical spars with a rigidity balance specifically tuned (stiffer around the headstock and more flexible in the spar sections) to deliver balanced handling characteristics with high levels of rider feedback.

Curb weight is 458 pounds (measured with all fluids), thanks not only to the lightweight frame, but also savings to both the fuel tank and the super-sport-style footpegs.

A 41mm inverted Showa Separate Function front Fork (SFF) offers good riding characteristics in any type of riding while out back a single-tube shock operates directly on the curvaceous gravity die-cast aluminum swingarm. The shock is adjustable for seven-stage spring preload.

Four-piston radial-mount front brake calipers work on 310mm floating rotors and are paired with a single-piston rear caliper and 240mm rotor. ABS is standard. The cast aluminum wheels have five Y-shaped spokes, which keeps weight to a minimum and improving handling by reducing inertia and unsprung mass.

ENGINE

Honda’s development engineers wanted to create the purest, most enjoyable midsized four-cylinder performance possible for the CB650R rider, so the 649cc, DOHC 16-valve engine has been tuned to deliver good power above 10,000 rpm. Peak power arrives at 12,000 rpm, with peak torque delivered at 8,500. The net result is a motor that spins well at high rpm, with a smooth, linear torque delivery that builds strongly as revs rise, and sounds great in the process.

Direct cam actuation makes for a compact cylinder head; compression ratio is 11.6:1. The valve train is reinforced and iridium spark plugs employed.

Asymmetric piston skirts minimize bore contact, reducing friction. Ferrous spines on the outer surface of the cylinder sleeves reduce oil consumption (and friction) with improved heat transfer, and a silent SV cam chain reduces frictional losses by using a Vanadium coating on its pins. Internal water channeling from the cylinder head to the cylinders does away with most of the exterior hoses.

Twin air ducts on either side of the fuel tank feed a large volume of air, raising atmospheric pressure in the airbox. They also produce a throaty intake roar. The exhaust features a larger bore tail pipe—from 1.4 to 1.5 inches—inside the muffler to flow more gas and, with its exit pipe angled upward, to emit an emotional howl.

The engine uses a compact internal architecture, stacked six-speed gearbox and starter layout with the cylinders canted forward 30°. An assist/slipper clutch eases upshifts while managing rear-wheel lock up under rapid downshifts, while Honda Selectable Torque Control (HSTC) manages rear-wheel traction; it can be turned off should the rider choose