2018 EICMA: Honda CB650R, CBR650R and CB500X

The Neo Sports Cafe concept which Honda unveiled at the recent Paris Motorcycle Show has been revealed at EICMA as the 2019 CB650R. Following very much in the wheel tracks of the firm’s larger 2018 CB1000R with its neo-retro design cues, the bike will replace the current CB650F in Honda’s line-up and will be learner-legal.

The CB650R is powered by the same 649cc inline four-cylinder engine as the outgoing naked, though gets a modest 3hp boost in power to 93hp thanks to both revised pistons and a higher compression ratio. It boasts sportier ergonomics than the machine it will replace for 2019 and, while the chassis is said to be newly designed, it retains the same wheelbase, seat height and steering geometry.

Elsewhere in the range, the firm’s CB500X gets some revised styling and a 19-inch front wheel as standard, along with longer-travel suspension and more ground clearance. As a result, the 500cc soft-roader gets a seat height increase, too, of 30mm but the profile has been slimmed down making it an easier reach to the ground from the 830mm perch. Its peak power remains unchanged, though how it’s delivered is said to be tweaked, offering users a better spread of usable power.

Meanwhile, with a few small tweaks the 2018 CBR650F has been morphed into the 2019 CBR650R allowing the Japanese firm to – on paper at least – bridge the gap left by the CBR600RR.

All the models will arrive in Australia in early 2019.