Price: £8,599 | Power: 93.9bhp | Weight: 209kg | Overall BikeSocial Rating: TBA
Introduced five years ago to replace the CBR650F the Honda CBR650R has become a quiet hit for the company – outselling bigger-name sports bike offerings and offering the sort of daily usability and sporty attitude that made the original CBR600F a best-seller in the 80s and 90s.
For 2024 there’s a new look, taking its cues from the latest-gen Fireblade, and the CBR650R, alongside its unfaired CB650R sister model, becomes the launch platform for Honda’s intriguing new E-Clutch system, which aims to combined the best elements of conventional gearshifts, quickshifters and semi-autos to allow rapid, smooth gearchanges without the need to touch the clutch lever, while simultaneously making it impossible to stall the bike – a useful attribute on a model like the CBR650R that appeals to less experienced riders.
Pros & Cons
- New look is much sharper than the previous design
- E-Clutch option could be a game-changer
- Uprated TFT dash adds much-needed injection of tech
- No mechanical upgrades to the chassis or engine for 2024
Spot the difference…
Review – In Detail
Price & PCP
For and against
Engine & Performance
Handling & Suspension (inc. weight & brakes)
Comfort & Economy
Equipment
Rivals
Verdict
Specification
Like the mechanically-similar 2024 CB650R roadster the updated CBR650R is just £100 more than its 2023 predecessor – starting at £8,599.
That’s not a bad deal, given the new TFT instruments, phone connectivity and much-improved styling of the latest generation. Deliveries of the manual-transmission model are due to start in early 2024. The E-Clutch will add an as-yet-unknown premium and won’t appear in dealers until a couple of months after the standard model, with Honda expecting to start deliveries in Spring 24.
There are no surprises when it comes to the 2024 CBR650R’s four-cylinder engine – it’s the same 649cc, DOHC, 16-valve unit that’s been around for years, with a strong reputation for reliability. In fact, it’s an engine that’s increasingly being copied by brands in China as a growing number of them attempt to fast-track their move towards four-cylinder designs. If imitation is the greatest form of flattery, then Honda should be honoured (although that probably isn’t quite how the company’s lawyers look at the situation…)
The engine is tuned to put out exactly 93.9hp, which is 70kW, a number picked not at random but because it’s the legal limit for bikes that can then be detuned to half that power level and used by riders with restricted ‘A2’ licences in Europe. Since it’s based on the older CBR600RR design, the building blocks of the engine are capable of substantially more performance, and in under-stressed form in the CBR650R there’s little to worry about in terms of longevity.
Max power arrives at 12,000rpm, backed up by a peak torque of 46.5 lb-ft (63Nm) at 9,500rpm, and is fed to a conventional six-speed transmission by an assist/slipper clutch and regulated by Honda’s simple HSTC traction control system. That transmission and clutch are unchanged even if you tick the box for the E-Clutch option, illustrating how cleverly the semi-auto transmission setup is integrated into a resolutely normal powertrain.
The E-Clutch is, quite simply, and electronically-actuated clutch, operated automatically by its own ECU and using two electric motors geared together to form a powerful servo motor that’s built into a modified clutch cover. A simple-but-clever linkage means the standard, cable-operated clutch lever still operates normally, allowing the rider to override the E-Clutch whenever he or she wants – the system gets briefly deactivated by manual clutch operations but returns to action within seconds unless consciously turned off on the dashboard. When switched off, the bike is a normal manual.
There’s no pushbutton or auto gearchange – you still physically clunk the ratios into position using your left foot – but a quickshifter-style sensor in the linkage tells the E-Clutch ECU when you make a clutchless shift, allowing it to balance the clutch engagement, ignition and injection to ensure the smoothest possible shift, either up or down through the box. Come to a halt and the clutch is automatically dipped to prevent a stall. Open the throttle again and it smoothly reengages to pull away. It’s essentially impossible to stall the bike with the E-Clutch in action.
The E-Clutch also has settings to alter the level of pressure needed on the gearshift pedal to start the gearchange process, so you can tailor it to your own preferences, and because it’s much simpler and less intrusive than Honda’s DCT (dual clutch transmission), it should add relatively little to the bike’s price. It doesn’t add much weight, either – E-Clutch versions of the CBR650R are just 2kg heavier than the standard model at 211kg.
There are precisely zero changes to the chassis, brakes and suspension on the 2024 Honda CBR650R, which carries over the previous generation’s ‘diamond’ steel frame, 41mm Showa SFF-BP upside-down forks and linkage-operated monoshock. Adjustability is limited to rear preload, with 10 possible settings.
The brakes are the same four-pot, radial-mount Nissin calipers as before, riding on 310mm discs, with a single-pot Nissin at the rear and a 240mm disc. There’s ABS – it’s a legal requirement these days – but it’s not a clever cornering anti-lock system.
The frame dimensions, 25.5-degree rake and 1450mm wheelbase are unchanged, too, while the new CBR650R is a single kilo heavier than the 2023 model at 209kg (rising to 211kg when the E-Clutch option is fitted).
The bodywork changes for 2024 include a new tail and seat unit, suggesting there may be a slight change in comfort and feel for the new CBR650R, but the proportions and dimensions haven’t altered so any difference is likely to be minimal.
The seat height remains at 810mm, as last year, and the clip-on bars and footpegs are also carryover parts, so the riding position will be familiar to existing owners.
Economy is also unchanged, with Honda claiming 57.6mph (20.4km/l). As before the tank is a 15.4-litre design, giving a range of 195 miles between fill-ups if you’re prepared to run it dry.
The biggest equipment update, with the exception of the optional E-Clutch, is the new full-colour TFT dash, a 5-inch unit using optically-bonded glass that minimises glare. Like the 2024 CB650R that shares the same upgrade, the CBR650R’s dash has three visual modes – ‘Bar’, ‘Circle’ and ‘Simple’ – and is smartphone-compatible. Download Honda’s RoadSync app to either Android or iPhone and you can connect to the bike’s display via Bluetooth, allowing control of music, calls and on-dash, turn-by-turn navigation.
To keep up with modern tech, there’s now a USB-C socket under the seat, too.
Honda is offering two distinct options packs. The ‘Racing Pack’ adds a quickshifter if you haven’t already specified the E-Clutch, as well as a colour-matched pillion seat cover and carbon-look tank pad, plus an oil level gauge and ‘CBR’ branded tank side pads.
The ‘Comfort Pack’ includes heated grips and luggage in the form of a 3-litre tank bag and a 15-litre tailpack.
The market for sub-100hp, sub-£10k sports bikes is getting increasingly competitive at the moment and anyone with the CBR650R on their list is also likely to be considering the likes of Yamaha’s R7 or Kawasaki’s Ninja 650. For 2024, the Suzuki GSX-8R is also a rival, based on the GSX-8S but with a full fairing, and you might even be tempted by the tiny, screaming four-cylinder Kawasaki ZX-4RR.
Yamaha R7 | Price: £8,910
Power/Torque: 72.4bhp/49.4lb-ft | Weight: 188kg
Kawasaki Ninja 650 | Price: £7,389
Power/Torque: 67.3bhp/47.2lb-ft | Weight: 193kg
Kawasaki Ninja ZX-4RR | Price: £8,699
Power/Torque: 76.4bhp/28.8lb-ft | Weight: 189kg
We’ll let you know when we’ve ridden it!
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New price
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From £8,599
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Capacity
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649cc
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Bore x Stroke
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67 x 46mm
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Engine layout
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Inline four
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Engine details
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16v, DOHC, four-stroke, liquid cooled
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Power
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93.9bhp (70kW) @ 12,000rpm
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Torque
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46.5lb-ft (63Nm) @ 9,500rpm
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Transmission
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6-speed, chain drive, assist/slipper clutch, optional E-Clutch, optional quickshifter
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Average fuel consumption
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57.6mpg (20.4km/l) claimed
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Tank size
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15.4 litres
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Max range to empty
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195 miles
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Rider aids
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HSTC (Honda Selectable Torque Control) traction control system, ABS.
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Frame
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Steel ‘diamond’ chassis
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Front suspension
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41mm Showa SFF-BP USD forks
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Front suspension adjustment
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none
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Rear suspension
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Linkage-operated monoshock
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Rear suspension adjustment
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10-stage preload
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Front brake
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310mm discs (x2), Nissin four-piston radial calipers, ABS
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Rear brake
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240mm disc, Nissin one-piston caliper, ABS
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Front wheel / tyre
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120/70ZR17
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Rear wheel / tyre
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180/55ZR17
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Dimensions (LxWxH)
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2120mm x 750mm x 1145mm
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Wheelbase
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1450mm
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Seat height
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810mm
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Weight
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209kg (kerb)
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Warranty
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unlimited miles/2 years
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Servicing
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TBA
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MCIA Secured Rating
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Not yet rated
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Website
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www.honda.co.uk
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Looking for motorcycle insurance? Get a quote for this motorbike with Bennetts bike insurance
What is MCIA Secured?
MCIA Secured gives bike buyers the chance to see just how much work a manufacturer has put into making their new investment as resistant to theft as possible.
As we all know, the more security you use, the less chance there is of your bike being stolen. In fact, based on research by Bennetts, using a disc lock makes your machine three times less likely to be stolen, while heavy duty kit can make it less likely to be stolen than a car. For reviews of the best security products, click here.
MCIA Secured gives motorcycles a rating out of five stars (three stars for bikes of 125cc or less), based on the following being fitted to a new bike as standard:
- A steering lock that meets the UNECE 62 standard
- An ignition immobiliser system
- A vehicle marking system
- An alarm system
- A vehicle tracking system with subscription
The higher the star rating, the better the security, so always ask your dealer what rating your bike has and compare it to other machines on your shortlist.
