2019 Honda CB650R review

Honda’s CB moniker is one of the longest-standing names in motorcycling.

With that kind of longevity comes a special kind of refinement and the 2019 Honda CB650R is nothing if not utterly refined.

And, frankly, given how crowded and capable the middleweight LAMS market is these days, it absolutely needs to be.

This latest iteration is about bringing the middleweight machine’s styling in line with Honda’s Neo Sport Cafe design ethos, which so far includes its CB300R and CB1000R stablemates.

While the 649cc inline four-cylinder engine is available in full-powered versions in other markets, Honda Australia has opted to offer the 2019 CB650R and its fully faired CBR650R sibling in LAMS-approved guises only.

Given how capable and good looking the latest nakedbike is, and how lucrative the middleweight sector currently is, I can’t help but wonder how many sales Honda has and will miss out on by only making the restricted version available on Australian shores.

In the learner-approved category, however, it has created its very own segment by being the only inline four-cylinder powerplant which meets the LAMS criteria and, combined with its on-trend neo-retro styling, should prove really successful.

Climb aboard the 2019 Honda CB650R and it’s immediately comfortable. The ergonomics are less upright than the styling initially suggests, but they’re instinctive and engaging which is a good thing.

Thumb the starter and the four-cylinder engine whirs into life and settles to a calm and quiet idle, refreshing in a segment otherwise populated by parallel-twin machines.

But it’s not until you engage the cable-actuated clutch (which is said to be 12 percent lighter than the outgoing model) and start feeding the engines revs, slowly at first before increasing the time between gearshifts, that you really get a sense of what’s great and unique about this motorcycle.

Given how prolific inline-four machinery was not that many years ago, it seems strange to refer to the configuration as unique, but in this segment it is.

More than just a modified version of the firm’s now-obsolete CBR600RR engine, it has a longer stroke for more usability lower in the rev range and makes for a really engaging ride.

Aided by the relatively short gearing, it gets off the line easier than an inline four probably should and it sounds great doing it.

Wind the wick up at this point and all of a sudden you’re aware of the refinement I mentioned earlier; the whole package is so well balanced in the bike’s hugely intuitive chassis that the handling makes itself known as positive performance feature, rather than simply being good enough to go unnoticed, which is what most bikes in this price point do.

That could well be the difference between hanging onto a learner-approved bike for the foreseeable future rather than trading it in for an unrestricted machine once your licence allows.

It’s a trait helped, no doubt, by the upside-down 41mm Showa Separate Function Front (SFF) fork employed by the 2019 Honda CB650R, which has replaced the conventional Showa Dual Bending Valve (SDBV) unit on the older model.

It is still a non-adjustable unit but in this application and with its very decent base setting, it’s more than fulfilling its design brief.

The rear monoshock remains largely unchanged from the model previous, and offers 10-stage preload adjustment.

The ABS-equipped brakes have received an update for 2019, too, in the form of four-piston radial-mounted calipers replacing the conventional dual-piston affairs of last year’s F-model.

It is a positive and important update given the sort of metal this bike is mixing it with these days, and the brakes offer ample power and decent feel.

In terms of tech, the CB650R can boast Honda’s Selectable Torque Control (HSTC) – which is a swanky name for a relatively basic traction control system – as well as ABS.
The traction control can be switched off, however the ABS can not.

There’s LED lighting all around, though the indicators remain illuminated when not in use and only flash when activated, which Honda obviously sees as a safety benefit.

The absence of a ride-by-wire throttle and associated switchable engine mapping helps keep the costs to where they ought to be on a mid-sized learner machine, though features like the new styling, the 180-section rear tyre and the radial calipers will leave many people guessing whether it’s actually a restricted model or not.

The dash is modern and full of information, but is dark and hard to read in nearly all light conditions and, frankly, Honda should know better.

Seat height is unchanged at 810mm but the section where the seat and tank meet has been made narrower to improve accessibility, though at the expense of a slightly reduced fuel capacity. Now 15.4 litres, it is just shy of two litres smaller than the outgoing model, but with a frugal consumption figure of 4.5lt/100km, you’re probably not going to notice or even care.

There’s rarely anything wrong with any model in any of Honda’s line-ups and last year’s CB600F middleweight nakedbike offering was no exception.

However when it’s competing against modern and capable motorcycles like Triumph’s learner-approved Street Triple, Yamaha’s MT-07 variants, even KTM’s 690 Duke, Honda needs to be able to stand out and attract young, image-conscious buyers.

Perhaps once overlooked as a bland interpretation of an otherwise competent machine, the new CB650R turns that around with a well-timed and well-executed styling update, matched to important but price conscious improvements to its componentry.

At $10,299 plus on-roads, there’s plenty of less expensive options for style-conscious learner riders, but given its level of componentry, its years of refinement and its ability to engage even experienced riders, the CB650R represents excellent value for money.

An added bonus is the fact the engine is going to ensure a new generation of riders will fall in love with high-revving, four-cylinder motorcycles once more.

ENGINE
Type: Inline four-cylinder, DOHC, 16 valves
Capacity: 649cc
Bore x stroke: 67mm x 46mm
Compression ratio: 11.6:1
Engine management: EFI

PERFORMANCE
Claimed maximum power: 35kW
Claimed maximum torque: Not given

TRANSMISSION
Type: Six speed
Final drive: Chain
Clutch: Wet, multi-plate, slipper-type

CHASSIS AND RUNNING GEAR
Frame: Steel, diamond type
Front suspension: Showa SFF 41mm non-adjustable fork
Rear suspension: Monoshock, adjustable preload
Front brakes: Twin 310mm discs, four-piston radial calipers, ABS
Rear brake: 240mm disc, single-piston caliper, ABS
Tyres: Metzeler Roadtec Front: 120/70 ZR 17 Rear: 180/55 ZR 17

DIMENSIONS AND CAPACITIES
Claimed weight: 202kg (wet, claimed)
Seat height: 810mm
Wheelbase: 1450mm
Fuel capacity: 15.4 litres
Measured fuel consumption: 4.5lt/100km

OTHER STUFF
Price: $10,299 plus on-road costs
Colour: Red or black
Test bike supplied by: Honda Australia
Warranty: 24 months, unlimited km