Honda CB650R: A review and riding impression

The bike is extremely forgiving and relaxed at low speeds and can handle city traffic with ease. When it is time to get going, the CB650R really gets going. This is such a usable, every day motorcycle.

BHPian neil.jericho recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

Thanks to the good team at the Big Wing Kochi dealership, I got an extended test ride of the Honda CB650R. I took it on the highway, through narrow inner roads, dense traffic and so on, to see how it fared in mixed, real world conditions.

Here are some observations from the time I got with the bike:

• The design is very pleasing and there are some lovely elements that make the bike stand out. I love the detailing on the headlight, the pattern on the rear tail piece plastic, and the elegant black and gold engine design.
• Not all the design is great though. The mirrors are more functional than stylish, and the rear tail lamp is a bit unimaginative.
• After sitting on the bike, the first thing that struck me was how compact and light it felt. Even when wheeling it around in the parking lot, the bike felt very easy to manage.
• Everything falls to place very easily. The ergonomics appear to be spot on.
• The display is small but useful. If I were given the choice, I would have preferred it to be a bit bigger, but on the move, it is very easy to look down and see the information that you want.
• The clutch is really light! The CB500X has a lighter clutch than this but for a middleweight bike, the CB650R clutch is such a delight to use.
• At lower speeds, the bike is super friendly. It is light, flickable and on the move, so much so that it feels like a much smaller bike. If you are upgrading from a Dominar or a Duke 200, you will immediately find yourself at home. This is not an intimidating big bike (which is a massive compliment).
• Once the road opens up and you twist the throttle, the bike picks up speed effortlessly. You need to look down at the inverted LCD to see what speeds you are doing. It will easily be 15 - 20 kmph more than what you think you are.
• The brakes are good. A bit more feel would have been nice but they do the job very well.
• I got used to the inverted position of the horn and indicators on the bike.
• The engine stayed quite cool despite a lot of 1st and 2nd gear riding. The fan, when it came on, was quite silent.
• Speaking of silent, with my ear plugs in, I could barely hear the lovely engine note.
• The seat is scooped out and is very comfortable. The pillion seat looks to be quite spacious as well.
• I think the indicators stay on while the bike is on the move. I'm not a big fan of this system though.
• And now, coming to the biggest negative of this test ride bike. At around 4K RPM, some vibes start coming in and at 6K RPM, they become very prominent. It was a bit unnerving to find the vibes from below the seat and the base of the pillion seat, which gets transmitted to the back of your posterior.
• A minor nitpick is that the adjustable front brake lever is a little difficult to adjust because of the cables that are right above it.

To sum things up, it is almost like someone at Honda's headquarters did some mind reading and understood what I was looking for in a naked middleweight bike and engineered the Honda CB650R to match it to the tee. The bike is extremely forgiving and relaxed at low speeds and can handle city traffic with ease. When it is time to get going, the CB650R really gets going. This is such a usable, every day motorcycle. I feel that this is the perfect all round middleweight super bike for Kerala's conditions. I add the caveat of Kerala's conditions, keeping in mind our roads, high traffic density, plethora of speed cameras etc.

On the basis of this one hour with the bike, if I had to give it an overall rating, I would say that this is a 9.5 / 10.

While the price might seem high, I would suggest that you keep an open mind and test ride the bike. Like me, you too will probably end up coming out liking this bike, a lot more than you expected to.

The black and red colours on display:

I prefer the black one:

Stylish side profile:

A closer look:

View from the top, you can see how slim it is:

View from the rider helmet:

Headlight detailing is really nice:

Headlight with the DRL on:

Long indicators are a bit dreary:

I would have preferred a bit more panache:

Nice design element:

The gold painted wheels are delicious. It helps that Mallus have a fascination with gold:

Those pipes are gorgeous. Even when they are caked in mud:

Some mud does get thrown up on the radiator:

The black and gold works very well:

I like this. A lot:

Nice red stitching:

Very light clutch:

Adjustable front brake lever that is a bit difficult to adjust:

The mirrors are very functional:

Though not very stylish:

On/off switch could be a bit more premium:

Inverted indicators and horn placement:

Rear suspension does its job well:

Upside down?

Very nicely sculpted:

Inoffensive rear light:

Dunlop Sportmax tyres are fine for regular use:

Alloy design is elegant:

Simple exhaust:

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