[loki]

Folks – I took delivery of my Honda CBR650F a year ago and have done around 10,500 kms so far. My humble apologies for not posting this earlier (got Lazy :P).

Initiation:
As a kid who went to school in the 90s, there wasn’t much happening in the Indian two wheeled scenario to be excited about back then. My father had an old Bajaj Chetak – which I wasn’t too impressed with  I used to tell him every now and then that he should chuck the damn thing and buy a Hero Honda or something. In 1999, I had my first spin on a geared motorcycle – a cousin’s HH Splendor. I vividly remember the time when Hero Honda launched the CBZ and boyyy did that bike look good back then. 156 CC? Disc Brakes at the front? Wow. I started buying monthly issues of Business Standard Motoring (BSM) around that point – a practice I continued till I had an internet connection at home  Of particular interest was performance machinery – both two and four wheels (will only stick to 2 wheels here ). One of BSM’s issues had a poster of a yellow Ducati 916 which I had on my bedroom wall for a while! There was a review of a MV Agusta F4 750 which I came across in a copy of Overdrive and remember drooling over the pics for weeks! PS: I feel the MV Agusta F4 is the best looking motorcycle ever created (am willing to take arguments). Bajaj had by then launched the Pulsar and the Indian motorcycle scene was beginning to heat up. I still had 5 odd years to go before I owned my own bike…

Freedom on 2 wheels:
Since I had opted to pursue engineering out of town, my parents didn’t see a business case for me having a bike of my own. When I finally was done with engineering and was about to join my first job, I decided enough is enough and convinced my parents that it was indeed time! At the same time, the Karizma R ie; the slightly updated model with different graphics was launched. A short spin on my friend’s Karizma convinced me that this was the ONE. Booking done, the one month long wait was unbearable. I remember having experienced a new found sense of freedom. The ability to fill the tank and getaway from it all (even though I never did) put a getaway). Show everyone the finger and ride off into the sunset… That’s one of the charms of motorcycles. Add an empty, curvy road & wind in your hair (Ok, we should always wear a helmet).
Aside from the vibrating plastics, the thing I loved most about the Zma was that it was absolutely bullet proof. Lazy engine, butter smooth gearbox, comfortable saddle, I still feel the old Zma (not the current Buell-ified versions) holds its own in the sub-1 lakh segment. But after a point, I began craving for more power. Not good for the bank balance!

Should I upgrade?
I had a brief work stint in the US and I regularly used to check out bikes and cars on Craigslist. A sparingly used 1000cc supersport for $5000? Wow. $5000 is the kind of money an average IT related job fetches per month there. Being auto enthusiasts in India is a super expensive hobby! (I would find out how much later ) Anyways, the urge to upgrade was getting stronger in my head. But my bike tastes were also evolving. I happened to ride a friend’s R1 around the block and remember making a mental note on how painful a supersport would be on my office commute 
Back in India, Bajaj had launched the Ninja 250, but by then I already knew that I wanted something bigger. Things really started getting interesting when they launched the Ninja 650 in 2011. 72 odd bhp for around 5.5L INR was brilliant pricing and seemed a perfect upgrade. Unfortunately, we had just bought a car then (Linea petrol) and EMIs on that meant that I had to wait for a while before making bike upgrade plans. Around Jan 2014, when the finances started looking a little better, I knew it was time to start dreaming again.

Which bike?
Heck, if I had a lot of spare change lying around, my dream garage will have the following:
• MV Agusta F4 1000 – Just to look at, admire and drool over. And the occasional trackday.
• MV Agusta Brutale – For the office commute, and generally looning around in the city
• A Jap naked – when the MVs break-down 
• BMW R1200 GS – if I suddenly felt the urge to go on a ride to Ladakh or something. Or the ginormous pothole filled ORR in Bangalore
• A maxiscooter (Yamaha T Max ?) - for getting the groceries?

But I didn’t have a lot of spare change lying around. Just a decent credit score. While buying bikes, it is always tough to make all decisions with the head. There are a lot of guys who have BMW GSs and Yamaha R1s and the only thing they do is ride to the CCD on the outskirts of the city. But to be fair, to each his/ her own. None of my business to judge anyone. But I kind of knew what kind of bike I wanted in my long awaited upgrade - a bike which would serve me well for 99% of my riding requirements.

Must-Have features:
• Triple or Four – For the sound!
• Not a cruiser – Don’t ask me why. Never thought I’m a cruiser guy.
• Usable powerband – On the highway, and in messed up Bangalore traffic
• Comfortable for Rider and pillion – On the highway, and in messed up Bangalore traffic
• Priced around 7 – 7.5 L OTR Bangalore
• Reliable – long term ownership shouldn’t be a PITA
• ABS – can be a lifesaver!
• Very good stock settings. I don’t prefer to mess around.

With the above list of requisites, I knew that most of the options we have in the sub-Rs 8 Lakh price segment were out of the consideration set. Now, every bike has its own share of pros and cons. To each – his/ her own. Its up to us to pick our poisons.
The CBR650F automatically moved to the top of my consideration list ever since Honda showed it at the 2014 Auto Expo. And even more so when they started making heroic claims that the bike will be manufactured in India etc at around 7 lakhs. Inline 4, making around 87 Bhp with the H badge? Bring it on!
What about the Triumph Street Triple? During my long wait for the CBR650F, I seriously considered the Striple as well. Easily the best reviewed bike in the middleweight segment. I liked the looks and even considered stretching the budget at times. But the whole detuning fiasco put me off. Suddenly the Striple was making only 79 BHP while costing 9.6 OTR. Now, that’s still a lot of power for an amateur / intermediate rider like me. And I feel that the detuned for India Striple is still a very good option. But somehow, it had slipped out of the list.

The bikes which didn’t make the cut:
• Kawasaki Z800 – Not meant to be ridden with a pillion. But great motor and smashing looks. Would have been killer if the CBR came with the Z800’s engine. Or maybe we should have a Ninja 800. Priced decently (relatively speaking).
• Benelli TNT600i –Pedigree be damned (Keeway with an old R6 engine, Aprillia Shiver lookalike frame etc), when viewed in isolation, the 600i does turn heads, feels substantial and the ones with the IXIL exhaust sound awesome. Reports of the powerband being not too usable in the city and the weird clutch lever positioning made me ignore this one.
• Ninja 650 – The N650 has quite a fan following abroad. Maybe that’s the reason why Kawi use the same 650 parallel twin engine in multiple configurations (ER6n, Vulcan, Versys). Probably the most VFM bike in the segment. Its about time Kawi introduce ABS on this, But I didn’t like the sound and the ones with aftermarket exhausts didn’t sound too good either. How does Benelli make the TNT300 sound much better despite it being a parallel twin? A newer model has been due for a long time.
• ER6N – Same reasons as the N650
• Versys650 – there was no news of its launch in August 2015. Plus same reasons as N650.
• Triumph Bonneville – Probably has the most comfortable pillion seat in the segment. But I was never a fan of vintage-ish technology. Probably why none of the Royal Enfields appealed to me in the first place. Maybe my preferences will change and I’ll buy a Bonnie when I’m 50 yrs old 
• Yamaha FZ6R, MT07, MT09 – Not sold in India! C’mmon Yamaha, bring these here. Ditto with the Suzuki GSR750. Edit: Yamaha have launched the MT09 recently. But at around 13 Lakhs INR, its priced itself out of the competition.

The long wait for the 650F started, and when the marketing head of HMSI (Mr. YG Sulleria or some such) made a heroic claim that the bike will be made in India under the err.. ‘make in India’ policy, it got me super excited. Could we expect a Sub 6 lakh price? But then all the claims fell flat. Honda couldn’t achieve the localization levels they hoped for and that basically meant that the price would be brought in as a CKD only. The whole Revfest event in Aug 2015 was stupid really… I attended the event in Bangalore. Why call it a ‘Revfest’ when you didn’t even revv the bikes? Wonder who plans out these events at Honda. They must be sitting on boatloads of money made from selling Activas.
Silicon Honda (at RV Road, Jayanagar) were meanwhile appointed as the sole dealers for Karnataka and I had even visited them twice before Revfest enquiring about the price. When announced, the price (8.5 OTR Bangalore) was a bit over the budget. But I knew I’m going for the bike anyways. I had been waiting for an upgrade for what seemed an eternity. Enough is enough.

Booking + Test ride + PDI:
A few days after Revfest, Silicon Honda had a display bike and I rushed to the showroom to check it out on a Saturday morning. I would have preferred Matte or Glossy black, but the Pearl Metalloid white color scheme (Tricolor) looked decent as well. After staring at the bike for an hour or so, I went ahead and laid down 50,000 hard earned ones as the booking amount. Mine happened to be the 3rd booking in Bangalore. Yes, I booked the bike before even test riding it. The test ride bike was yet to be registered so I came back a couple of days later for a test ride – which was pretty uneventful, but in fairly crowded Jayanagar traffic. What I observed during the test ride was the bike felt very familiar to me – just coming off a Karizma. Didn’t get the chance to open the throttle. Since I had already made up my mind to go for the bike, I didn’t feel the need for a longer test ride. I came back and started the loan process. Decided to go with IDBI Bank who were offering the best interest rate@ 10.35%. The folks @Silicon Honda were pretty attentive throughout my booking + delivery process. Full marks to them.
I was duly informed when the bike arrived at their warehouse and I went in to do the PDI.


After spending a little more than a year with the bike, below are what I think are the positive aspects of the bike:

1. Looks are always subjective. Overall, I like the looks of the CBR650F. It isn't drop dead gorgeous (like some of the Italians) but its not offensive either. I think it will age well. Faired bikes are passe nowadays in India. But I do get glances while in traffic. The twin spar looks expensive, the 4 exhaust header pipes look gorgeous and the fuel tank is superbly sculpted. Bike looks best from the front and rear 3/4ths. The HRC tricolor (Pearl Metalloid White) scheme looks decent.

2. Build quality is super. I've always read and heard about Hondas being well-built. And the CBR650F confirms to the norm. The paint quality is brilliant overall (especially on the fuel tank) and the plastics feel like they will last for a long time. Ditto with the good quality switchgear.

3. Brakes are the best you can get within the sub 10 Lakh price range. ABS works and saved my @$$ a few times when I had to avoid truckers doing fairly high triple digit speeds. I recommend that everyone buys a ABS equipped motorcycle!

4. 85 subtle horses! The bike does not scare you at all initially. Power delivery is pretty linear throughout the powerband. Its only when you glance at the speedo that you realize that you are putting in some decent speeds. Don't let the understated demeanour fool you. This is a genuine 230+kph motorcycle - on unrestricted autobahns of course. Don’t try this in India

5. The relatively silent exhaust (sound < 90 DB is within the legal limit and might help, considering upcoming legislations on noise) makes the bike go under the radar most of the time and starts to sing only after about 5000 rpm which is good if you don't want to attract cops. Another positive is that on long rides, your ears don't keep ringing.

6. The gearbox is positive shifting like all Hondas - this is another thing which improved after my first service. I used to find a few false neutrals between first and second which disappeared after a while.

7. I'm no pro and the bike's handling supercedes my own capabilities but I really like the neutral handling capabilities of the CBR650F. Its not as razor sharp as say, a 600 supersport (or even a KTM RC390) but it suits my riding style perfectly. Not overtly enthusiastic, but not a slouch either. I’ve done some decent lean angles and it feels very planted and stable - mid corner bumps pebbles etc will not upset the composure to a large extent. Pretty confidence inspiring for a rank amateur like me. The stock suspension (regular forks at front, single monoshock at rear) does the job adequately and are is tuned well for India. I’m not someone who will mess around with the suspension settings. So I do not see the need for USD forks (maybe except for bragging). The rear monoshock has some preload adjustments but I doubt I’ll dibble-dabble with it considering that I find the stock settings to be good.

8. The OEM Dunlop Sportmax D222s (120/70-17 at front, 180/55-17 at rear) are adequate in the dry. Haven't tested the grip levels in the wet but will mostly get Michelin PR4s / Pirelli Angel GTs during the tyre upgrade. I wish we get Bridgestone BT-023s in India soon.

9. Comfort/ Ergonomics - Honda have almost nailed it here. I'm 5'9 and my feet easily reach the ground. Those below 5'7 might have to tiptoe a bit. This bike is comfortable! The banana seat does not look 'cool' and younger juntae will not approve. But it gives the rider enough space to move around. Enough space for the pillion as well. You can do 2-up touring on this one and your pillion isn’t going to punch you in the face after a long ride. The stock seat foam isn't thin by any means, but recently, I added an extra layer of padding for additional comfort. Its wayy better now. The clip-ons are somewhere between a dedicated supersport and a fully upright position hinting at the positioning of the bike - sporty middleweight.

10. The fairing helps. I did a Blore - Goa solo ride sometime back. NH4 out of bangalore is pretty decent upto Hubli and I could cruise at fairly high triple digit speeds most of the time. Tough luck doing that with a naked bike. The stock screen is ok upto 130kph after which there is some buffeting. Chucked it and recently got a MRA touring screen which improves the airflow significantly. Honda have a taller screen as an option but not in India.

11. You can actually commute on the CBR650F. At one point when my Karizma needed repairs, The CBR650F held up fairly well on my stupid office commute in messy Bangalore traffic. Upto around 2500 rpm, it is almost too civilized. The clutch engagement is light which helps a lot during commuting. Honda seem to have done a decent job with the heat flow around the engine. There is some heat but not enough to cook your thighs.

12. Ownership costs should be the lowest in the segment - as other owners (Rachit Dogra, Mashblue) have pointed out. First service (Rs 3100), Second service (Rs 3100), Third service (Rs 3100 again). The spares are decently priced too. I changed the front brake pads recently (Rs 6000). I hear that other manufacturers are more expensive. A shout out here to Silicon Honda (the Blore dealer). I've had a fuss-free interaction (touchwood) with them so far. Sanjay & his team have been pretty approachable.

Negatives / Things which could have been different:

1. Price, Price, Price! Everyone universally cribs about the pricing. I feel Honda should have priced the bike around Rs. 7 Lakh OTR. But I guess, we in India have a raw deal anyways. Low salaries combined with relatively high prices means a no-win situation for auto enthusiasts. The 650F costs around $8500 in the US. The Z800 also is around $8400 there. Hopefully this 'Make in India' thingy actually sees more manufacturers producing a bike in India for Global consumption. That will definitely make prices of large displacement machines more attractive.

2. There used to be some uncharacteristic vibes/ buzz between 3200 rpm and 4200 rpm - but these mostly disappeared after my first service. There is still some minor high frequency buzz left at this rpm range. Doesn’t bother me much but it kind of stands out because the rest of the powerband is butter smooth. I wonder why this happens. Lets be clear though – these ain’t no Harley / Royal Enfield type vibrations. Its just that everyone expects Hondas to be smooth as silk.

3. The instrument cluster will not please anyone, though it is fairly easy to read and offers most of the required info. Honda offer cooler gauge clusters on their lower models! Boo.

4. The exhaust note is unmistakeably that of a Inline-4 but the fact that it is relatively silent at lower rpms will not please a few folks. A lot of owners have chucked the stock exhaust for full system upgrades (its not slip-on ready which is a negative) and they do sound very good. I'm still undecided if I should bite the bullet on an exhaust upgrade (Akra full system?)

5. I have no clue why Honda swapped the position of the horn and the indicator toggle switches - this is a quirk on the ergonomics front. Not a big niggle, I've gotten used to it now. But a big negative is the absence of a gear indicator (the Yamaha R3 has one!).

6. The clutch case cover which sticks out a bit asymmetrically on the right side could have been avoided by Honda. This part gets hot along with the engine - I've learnt to avoid touching it. No Shorts.

7. Honda should consider offering more color options in India. A lot of prospective owners want solid shades (Black or Red).

8. The old hornet based CBR600F had around 100 odd BHP which looks good on paper and does win you some bragging rights. A few people might have thought that 85 odd BHP of the 650F is a downgrade. But I hear it might be a ploy to be eligible for A2 license requirements (47 bhp) in Europe where Honda might offer a restricted 650F. You can't restrict a 200 BHP ZX10R for A2 license requirements apparently

9. The buying experience of other competing brands (Triumph, Kawasaki etc) might be more posh. For the kind of money Honda is asking for the CBR650F, some customers might expect a more premium showroom/ dealership. This is not a major fly in the ointment though. Hopefully this keeps overall cost of ownership low as typically, companies pass on these costs to the end consumer. Honda in Thailand have BigWing outlets specifically for their bigger bikes. They can probably consider a similar concept here as well. Maybe when they offer more models in India.

Other bits:
1. I keep getting beckons for impromptu drag races while in traffic. An enterprising chap once on a Duke 390 was very insistent once. I politely declined. Mr.'Ready to Race' just found out that 'You meet the nicest people on a Honda'
2. The auto headlamps get some attention during the daytime as well. I've had to actually convince people that the headlamps cannot be switched off. Others do these vulgar gestures at you while you are passing them
3. I've been filling regular fuel (Shell whenever possible). Very rarely, there is a lack of power at lower rpms. This is mostly due to fuel quality. Otherwise I've hadn't had any other problems with regular unleaded.
4. The 17 litre fuel capacity means you have a range of around 300 to 320 kms. Haven't bothered to check fuel efficiency so far but it must be returning around 20 to 23 kmpl on an average I guess.
5. The stock horn isn't good sounding. I've bought Hella Trumpets. Will fix soon.

Bottomline
The CBR650F isn't a spec-sheet warrior. Factor in the price and things start going south. But this will appeal to a lot of folks who want a bike which will do most of the things comfortably. It’s a bit like the kid in school who did decently in all the subjects while topping a few. That you can actually commute in it means that it is a great option if its the only bike in your garage. Look beyond the price and it kinda makes sense that the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. Cheers and Happy riding folks!


A few pics which I clicked (Mix of Cameraphone + Edited DSLR pics)


My Bike in Bubble wrap at the dealer stockyard





The showroom folks had planned a small celebration for the delivery (I cut a cake and was handed over a box of chocolates). Very nice gesture!



Parked alongside my beloved 2007 HH Karizma. With an Activa body cover. I need to buy an external cover. Still haven't bought one. Honda sell one for around Rs 1200 I guess.



Fully clothed! ATGATT! My Gear:

AGV K4 Evo Roadster helmet
Dainese Tourage Goretex jacket
Spidi Road Eagle Leather / Mesh riding pants
Spidi STR1 gloves (Semi Gauntlet - for highway rides)
Cramster Flux gloves - for the city. Lost these recently
Spidi STR3 Coupe gloves - Replacement for the Cramsters

I got some cheap knee guards initially but wasn't feeling too confident in those. Riding boots are on the wishlist.





Not exactly a supermodel. But not too offensive either. It will age well. I dig the looks! Particularly the front 3/4ths view. The Pearl Metalloid White (HRC tricolor) color scheme is decent. Although i would have preferred solid shades.



Another of the better views of the bike. The rear 3/4ths. Looks like a proper big bike. I also like the chunky tail section + LED tail lamps. The tail section is not overtly squarish like some of the Fireblades. Which is a good thing. Notice the cleanly/ cleverly integrated Rear Grab handle!


180/55 Rear tyre enhances the rear looks. I think that the rear mud guard / section looks decent but a lot of folks might want to get Tail Tidys.


The superbly sculpted Tank. Paint quality on the tank is some of the best I've seen. Added a Tank pad (cheap, found it on Ebay)


The Plain Jane instrument cluster. Doesn't belong on a Rs. 8.5 Lakh bike. Weird that Honda even came up with this considering that lower end models (CBR500, CBR300 etc) have better looking clusters! Maybe Honda might offer a better looking cluster when this bike is upgraded. It displays most of the required info. Gear indicator is a BIG MISS. Sunlight legibility is okish. The big gap between the cluster and the fuel tank could have been avoided.

HISS (Honda Ignition Security System) - is an electronic immobilizer that automatically disables the starting of the engine by means of electronic control. Helps in your bike not getting nicked by someone.



Regular Philips 60/55 H4s halogens. Were mostly adequate. I don't do too much highway rides in the night so can't comment on the beam throw etc aspect at night. The Stock bulbs are Yellowish while the pilot lamps are white LEDs. I recently put Philips Blue Vision Ultra Halogens which are much more whiter.



The Rear view mirrors open up wide and are inward folding as well (helps in tight parking spots). Do the job very well.


One of my favourite details - the twin spar frame! Looks expensive. Most of the bikes in this price segment have regular box type frames. Why have such a nice looking frame and a cheap looking instrument cluster? Confusing.

Notice the big chicken strip on the rear tyre


Exposed Clutch cable - I might cover it up with some Rubber accordion tube. The clutch case cover protrudes outwards slightly more than on the left side. Wonder why the asymmetry. Prone to contact with the inner knee. I've now learnt to avoid touching it.


Frame sliders are recommended. I got mine installed on the day of the bike being delivered. Sourced from RSV Racing, Thailand. 3 contact points - I'm assuming will dissipate the impact better (not that I want to test it out).





Top view of the frame slider. Also notice the extent to which the clutch case cover sticks out slightly.



The front end could have been more sharper. Almost similar to the Karizma's headlamp design. Probably the weakest section of the bike aesthetically. Don't judge a bike by its front end looks eh? I also hate the front number plate positioning. Will chuck it and put some nice stickering on the Windscreen soon.




650F decal on the rear side section. The other paint schemes have the 650F sticker on the front side fairing.



One of the Trump cards of the CBR650F - the ABS equipped front brakes! Twin-piston Nissin calipers with dual 320mm petal style discs. Regular ABS only (not Combined-ABS as you might see on Honda's other models. Not sure why)


Another of the very nice details. The 4 header pipes look beautiful through this opening. Not sure if this was for aesthetic reasons only or if there is some functionality associated with it.


Another pic of the good looking twin spar. The underbelly exhaust provides a ground clearance of around 130mm. Looks sleek from the right. But is actually a big boxy thingy (when viewed from the bottom left)




Banana seat! I prefer these over the split seats available on most other bikes. Recently added an extra layer of foam


Radiator guards from China. These are cheap and functional. Look jazzy too.


Tank Grips. (a friend got these from Thailand). Custom ones for the CBR650F.


Recent Addition - MRA touring windscreen.

[loki]

Additional Pictures

Admire your bike while its parked. Note: Red 'Honda' sticker on the lower fairing is not a part of standard equipment



But the real proof of the pudding is in the riding!


Either Solo


Or Two up (Friends pictured here)



Always keep your eyes on the road




Wear Proper safety gear while riding. Ensure your riding buddies do the same!



Follow safe riding practices


CCD / A2B / other Random dhabas on highways will end up being frequented a lot on weekends




But fun can be had in the twisties...



...especially with riding buddies


Remember to stop to check out the view


The journey is as important as the destination. So are random breaks in the middle of a ride. Just to take a breather, soothe the bums and get back to riding again. After some banter of course.


Riding puts a smile on your face! (the Bangalore 650F gang here)


Don't forget to click some cool pics while at it!

[Nithesh_M]

Congrats on the purchase

It's a steel twin spar and not aluminium. Those are oval steel tubes that are hollow inside and manage to save weight on the bike. One of the reasons why the inline-4 bike with a fatter and somewhat heavier rear tyre weighs just as much as the parallel twin Ninja 650 at 211 kgs. The spec sheet for the Indian market lists the bike at 215 kgs which I'm guessing is the 4 extra kg off of the saree guard which nobody rides around with anyway.

With an Akrapovic full system you shed a further 5kg for a 4.5hp bump, and you can lose a bit more weight with a tail tidy kit. As mentioned, the MRA touring screen should do wonders for any windblast on the chest for taller riders.

And you're right about the color options. HMSI should think about bringing in the red, white and matte black colors down the line which I don't see happening. Even the blue looks great on Canadian models.

[loki]

Originally Posted by Nithesh_M

It's a steel twin spar and not aluminium. Those are oval steel tubes that are hollow inside and manage to save weight on the bike. One of the reasons why the inline-4 bike with a fatter and somewhat heavier rear tyre weighs just as much as the parallel twin Ninja 650 at 211 kgs. The spec sheet for the Indian market lists the bike at 215 kgs which I'm guessing is the 4 extra kg off of the saree guard which nobody rides around with anyway.

And you're right about the color options. HMSI should think about bringing in the red, white and matte black colors down the line which I don't see happening. Even the blue looks great on Canadian models.

Oops Thanks for the clarification Nithesh I chucked the Saree guard within a week. Its weird that Honda are offering only select colors in each market. The US gets only 2 color options currently. Ditto with Europe I guess.

[Nithesh_M]

If you have spare cash, do experiment with a set of heavier bar ends from HVMP. They worked with the guys at the 650F forums and most of the owners are happy with the handlebar vibration damping when it was paired with Grip Puppies or equivalent thicker set of handlebar grips.

The D222s are just like the Contis on the 250. Adequate dry grip but not a lot of confidence in the wet. PR4s/GTs are the go-to tyres.

[bblost]

Thread moved from the Assembly Line to the Motorcycle Section. Thanks for sharing!

[Doc_nikhil]

Hi Loki,

Congrats on your purchase there. the bike looks beautiful, and bigger in real life! And yeah, the negatives you'd listed are definitely felt by others too. May i suggest a full exhaust system of the Akrapovics for your Honda, like bhpian Rachit got it done? I'm sure there will be substantial weight loss and bhp gain. Plus, the aural pleasure with it would give your ears some good time. Do consider them as your next upgrade. A blackened out Visor should make the bike look proper bad-ass. Also, the number-plate surely deserves an emigration stamp to the front fender as a sticker. Congrats on your purchase again.

Ride safe and ride hard,
cheers!

Doc_nikhil

[loki]

Originally Posted by Nithesh_M

If you have spare cash, do experiment with a set of heavier bar ends from HVMP. They worked with the guys at the 650F forums and most of the owners are happy with the handlebar vibration damping when it was paired with Grip Puppies or equivalent thicker set of handlebar grips.

Thanks for the suggestion - I've ordered the Grip Puppies and should get them in a couple of weeks (a friend is bringing it). Need to find someone returning from the US for the HVMP bar ends - they cost around $72. Probably sometime later. R&G also have bar ends - while not as heavy, do you think they might be as good as the HVMP ones?

Originally Posted by Doc_nikhil

May i suggest a full exhaust system of the Akrapovics for your Honda, like bhpian Rachit got it done? I'm sure there will be substantial weight loss and bhp gain. Plus, the aural pleasure with it would give your ears some good time. Do consider them as your next upgrade.
Doc_nikhil

Thanks Doc. Yeah I'm definitely tempted to get those Akrapovics. The full system costs around 72k INR at one of the Bangalore dealers. Which is a fair bit of dough I must say. I'll hunt for a good deal outside India. The Two Brothers exhaust also sounds very good on the 650F

I wish slip ons were an easy option without hacking through the stock exhaust pipes. I'm not sure if there will be a substantial BHP gain without remapping. But the aural experience will be much better. On longer rides, I think I might still prefer the stock exhaust though.

Originally Posted by Doc_nikhil

A blackened out Visor should make the bike look proper bad-ass. Also, the number-plate surely deserves an emigration stamp to the front fender as a sticker.
Doc_nikhil

Will try this soon. Are front fender stickers allowed? Cops might find a reason to stop you. Otherwise, I'll just go for the stickering on the windscreen.

[PraNeel]

A very nicely written review. Your effort in penning the review shows. Some pictures are awesome. I hope the ride remains trouble free and gives you maximum enjoyment.

Any inputs about the service cost?

[Venku2015]

Congratulations Loki for your new acquisition and attaining freedom. Yes, riding is freedom!

The CBR650F was one of the top contenders during my bike purchase as well and since my priorities were different, I went ahead with the Z800 in the month of Feb 2016

There is one common similarity between you and me and that is, we both are lazy.
Hoping my video review to be done and posted in the next couple of weeks!

Cheers, ride safe with ATGATT and yeah, do get your riding shoes soon!

[loki]

Originally Posted by PraNeel

I hope the ride remains trouble free and gives you maximum enjoyment.

Any inputs about the service cost?

Thanks man. Touchwood!

- First, Second and Third Service - ~Rs 3100 each (Labour is Free)
- Fourth Service - ~ Rs 5000 (labour is included)

Originally Posted by Venku2015

There is one common similarity between you and me and that is, we both are lazy. Hoping my video review to be done and posted in the next couple of weeks! Cheers, ride safe with ATGATT and yeah, do get your riding shoes soon!

Amen Ride safe. I have my eye on Dainese / Sidi riding boots. Will try and hunt for a good deal online.


Did a quick breakfast ride to Vasudev Adigas (near Kolar) today morning. This place is usually swarming with big bikes on weekend mornings. A couple of chaps on a Suzuki Shogun stood out from the crowd



Here is a comparative picture of two aftermarket windscreens.
- On the right is a friend's bike with the Puig Touring windscreen - which is way higher than the stock windscreen and is also set at a slightly higher angle of inclination.
- On the left is my bike with the MRA touring windscreen. Which is set at a more acute angle and is around 20mm lesser length-wise than the Puig, but is wider...

[rohan_cherian]

Originally Posted by loki

Folks – I took delivery of my Honda CBR650F a year ago and have done around 10,500 kms so far. My humble apologies for not posting this earlier (got Lazy :P).

Congratulations, Loki! I noticed your posts on Rachit's thread introducing yourself as a fellow 650F Owner and this was a very enjoyable read, I hope you keep updating it more frequently now. The group photos will all the bikes together have ensured that the janitors at work will have a substantial amount of drool to clean up.

Originally Posted by loki

• Ninja 650 – , But I didn’t like the sound and the ones with aftermarket exhausts didn’t sound too good either. How does Benelli make the TNT300 sound much better despite it being a parallel twin?

Well, that's because the Benelli is an inline twin, this configuration does make it stand out among the current crop of parallel twins.

Originally Posted by loki

6. The gearbox is positive shifting like all Hondas - this is another thing which improved after my first service. I used to find a few false neutrals between first and second which disappeared after a while.

I ride a CBR150R and I too have faced issues with false neutrals, any information you might have here that I could use?

Originally Posted by loki

There used to be some uncharacteristic vibes/ buzz between 3200 rpm and 4200 rpm - but these mostly disappeared after my first service.

Mine come around 5K RPM on the right clip on and I'm still running stock grips, any suggestions on what I could use and where I could source them from? I've looked for ProGrip 719 Open ends on eBay, but all listings are priced ridiculously high.

[Teesh@BHP]

Nicely composed review. Congratulations on your CBR 650F.

A personal dream to own a 650F, pricing is just out of my reach Settled for the baby CBR.

A couple of years down the line, my hunt will begin in the used market!

Wishing you a lot of happy miles on your 650F. Ride safe

[narula123]

Originally Posted by loki

Did a quick breakfast ride to Vasudev Adigas (near Kolar) today morning. This place is usually swarming with big bikes on weekend mornings. A couple of chaps on a Suzuki Shogun stood out from the crowd

Hey buddy. I was one of the Kawasakis that rode along with you chaps

[Nithesh_M]

Originally Posted by loki

Thanks for the suggestion - I've ordered the Grip Puppies and should get them in a couple of weeks (a friend is bringing it). Need to find someone returning from the US for the HVMP bar ends - they cost around $72. Probably sometime later. R&G also have bar ends - while not as heavy, do you think they might be as good as the HVMP ones?

Not many owners at the forums use R&G bar ends. There's a thread over there where several owners are angry at R&G for supplying defective crash bobbins for the 650F that has been severing itself off its mounting position without even a crash. The bobbins have been popping themselves off the bike and they sheer off the thread cleanly. At first they thought it was a one-off but several owners came in with the same complaints. Then some of them got free replacement bobbins for it and surprisingly even those things too broke off the same way. Some guys are on their 3rd or 4th set of replacement crash bobbins right now.

So R&G has not been a popular brand atleast on the 650F forums.

HVMP worked in conjunction with the 650F forum members who provided their own bike for R&D.


Also 72k INR is a fair price if you can find an Akra in India right now. In the US the pipe retails for $1050 or so which is roughly around 68k when converted. If you order from Revzilla or other international sites for 950 or thereabouts then you will end up paying more at customs.