2015 Honda Cbr650f

2015 HONDA CBR650F

IGNITION

FIRST RIDE

A sensible, affordable middleweight

Paul Dean

Honda's CBR650F seems to confuse some people. After all, it's a 650cc, four-cylinder middleweight sportbike that's not as fast or as light as the 600cc supersports, and it doesn't offer their roadrace-quality handling either. Who needs a bike like that?

Obviously, Honda believes that lots of riders need a bike like that. And the most compelling feature it has given this all-new model is an $8,499 MSRP, which is about three grand under the company’s own CBR600RR; an ABS model goes for just $500 more. Other appealing aspects of the 650F include a more-comfortable riding position than the full-race tuck of supersport machines and a powerband that’s light-years easier to manage.

To create this more-affordable, “user-friendly” middleweight, Honda designed an entirely new dohc inline-four engine with 50CC more displacement than the CBR600RR then hung it in an all-new steel perimeter frame. The front suspension is via a conventional 41mm fork with no adjustment provisions; it’s mated with a shock fitted to an aluminum swingarm whose only adjustability is sevenposition preload. Even the front brakes are old-school, non-radialmount, dual-piston units.

On paper, all this appears to describe a sportbike that isn’t all that, well, “sporty.” But on the road, the 650F is a surprisingly competent, fun machine, whether snaking through the twisties, cruising the open highway, or just scooting around town. On a fast back road, it can’t match the pace of a modern 600 supersport piloted by a highly skilled rider; but on tighter back roads with shorter straights and average riders on both bikes, the 650F can run wheel to wheel with that same 600 or at least keep it in sight.

Why? Simply because it is easier to ride fast. On a typical 6oocc supersport, you have to keep the engine wailing up in or near its io,ooo-to-i5,ooo-rpm powerband to make good power. But the 650F’S engine pulls steadily from as low as 3,000 to 4,000 rpm and accelerates the claimed 461-pound (with the 4.5-gallon gas tank filled) bike up through the gears to its 11,400rpm redline quickly enough to get the rider’s attention and keep it there. In less-demanding situations, the smooth-running engine delivers enough roll-on oomph to zip past slower traffic with either no downshifts or maybe just one.

So, too, is the handling a surprise. The steering is not as lightning-quick as on the racy middle weights, but it still lets you flick into and out of corners with ease, remaining neutral and stable all through the turn. There’s lots of cornering clearance, too, before the sidestand, fairing lower, or footpeg feelers start announcing their disapproval.

Ergonomically, the 650F is more sport-touring than tuckedin racer. The clip-on handlebars mount above the top triple clamp instead of below, and the footpegs don’t crank knees into such extreme angles. The seat has thicker padding than those on other sporty middle weights, yet it’s a wee bit lower.

Even the 650’s low-tech suspension and brakes are pleasant surprises. The fork and shock soak up most road imperfections without harshness or bottoming, and the brakes provide strong, predictable, fade-free slowing and stopping, even after repeated hard use.

Combine the new Honda 650F’S competence with its crisp, modern styling, and, of course, its modest price tag, and you have a middleweight sportbike that makes a lot more sense for a lot more riders than the 6oocc supersport models. It not only can carve corners with ease, but it also allows everyday commutes and weekend rides to be filled with more ecstasy than agony.

So, yes, Honda is correct: Lots of riders need a bike like this. But the question is, do lots of riders want a bike like this?

Only time will tell.

SPECS

2015 HONDACBR650F/ CBR650F ABS

PRICE:

$8499/$8999 ENGINE: dohc inline-four DISPLACEMENT:

649cc

SEAT HEIGHT:

31.9 in.

FUEL CAPACITY:

4.5 gal.

CLAIMED WET WEIGHT:

461/467 lb.

18

COST-PERPOUND, IN DOLLAR5, OF A CBR650F. THE CBR600RR IS $28.

51

DIFFERENCE IN CLAIMED FULL-TANK WEIGHT BETWEEN THE 461-LB. CBR650F AND THE 410-LB. CBR600RR