2019, 2021 & 2024 Honda CBR650R review | Sporty styling and real-world power without the back-ache of a superbike

As you’d expect the Honda CBR650R isn’t hard to get on with. Ride quality is spot-on, given its budget forks and shock and it wafts nicely through town, is comfortable on the motorway and doesn’t protest when you ride it swiftly.

It’s balanced, stable, agile and engaging, with brakes that are always up to the job. It isn’t as sharp as a full-on supersports race rep or have the sumptuous ride of a machine with more expensive suspension, but it takes everything in its stride.

We rode it around our MCN250 test route with an MV Agusta F3 675 and Aprilia RS660 and in real world conditions the Honda never struggles to keep up. Better still it’s riding position, which is slightly sporty is spacious and comfortable.

The Honda CBR650R is based heavily on the CBR650F that appeared in 2014 and later facelifted in 2017. It has the same steel diamond frame but the section around the swingarm pivot is pressed instead of cast steel and 41mm non-adjustable ‘right way up’ forks are swapped to upside down units. The preload-adjustable single shock remains unchanged. Twin, four-piston ABS-assisted calipers are radial-mount, instead of conventional.

Honda have slashed kerb weighed by an impressive 6kg, but much of that reduction comes from the CBR650R’s two-litre smaller fuel tank (it’s now 15.4 litres) and 800ml less oil capacity.

Its riding position is slightly sportier than the previous F model. Bars set 30mm lower and 30mm further forward to put more of the rider’s weight over the front wheel for extra feel and confidence. Footpegs are 6mm higher and 3mm back, but the seat height stays the same at 810mm.

Honda CBR650R or Ducati Supersport S?

The CBR650R impressed when we rode it around our MCN250 test route in the spring of 2019 against its big ‘comfy supersport’ rival: Ducati’s (significantly more expensive) Supersport S.

Tester Jon Urry said: "The CBR may be small, but it’s big in heart and demonstrates what Honda do best: like CBRs of yesteryear, it’s a brilliant do-it-all bike that’s effortless to ride yet still capable of a sporting buzz. While the inline four does need its gearbox to be worked if you want instant acceleration, it usually has more than enough midrange. But its major selling point will always be its price tag.

"Riders who want a chilled-out Ducati sportsbike will love the SuperSport S, and rightly so as it has all the character, feel and sporting prowess you expect from a Bologna bike, but in terms of value it can’t match the Honda. Even the base model, without the Öhlins, is £4409 more than the CBR and I struggle to justify the extra investment in an Italian do-it-all over a Japanese one.

"Back in the 1990s Honda’s CBR range sold like hotcakes based on sporty handling, good looks and real-world practicality, and aside from lacking a centrestand, that’s exactly what the CBR650R delivers."

Tyres we ran on our 2019 Honda CBR650R longterm test bike

The OE Dunlop D214 Sportmax rubber that came on our longterm test bike held its own in the warm and dry but things got a little vague in the cold and wet. They lasted around 5000 miles before squaring off and needing to be replaced.

By the time the Dunlops needed swapping, the temperature had risen and trackdays were looming and so we fitted Pirelli Diablo Rosso Corsa 2s (pictured below). With a triple compound rear (preserving the softest, grippiest rubber for the edge) and dual compound front these were the ideal choice. On the road, the Pirellis felt plush and smoothed out small bumps really well.

Next we opted for Bridgestone S22 sports touring tyres, which sat pretty well in the middle between the long-lasting but vague Dunlops and the soft Pirellis. The tyres flatter profile made you work harder to tip into a corner but they were very stable once you did.

Riding the revised 2021 Honda CBR650R

First published 30 April, 2021 by Dan Sutherland

Honda have gifted the second gen CBR650R a set of 41mm Showa Separate Function Big Piston forks. Older bikes are also dressed with 41mm Showa units, however the new ones are said to be lighter and - of course - feature a larger piston.

The result is a bike that feels composed over bumps, with minimal dive under hard braking at road speeds allowing you to make full use of the front four-piston calipers without intrusion from the ABS. Although non-adjustable, they are set-up adequately for a session on your favourite switchbacks but can crash over more rutted tarmac.

The Honda is also 25kg heavier than the rival £10,150 Aprilia RS660 and feels lazier – requiring more effort when tipping into a bend and less eager to change direction. Once lent over though, it feels planted with bags of grip from the front end – supported by a set of impressive Dunlop Sportmax tyres that warmed up quickly during our cool springtime test.

Where the Honda impresses less is in the seating department. Despite its clip-on bars and Fireblade lookalike plastics, it has quite an upright position and is far from a traditional supersport crouch. In principle, there is nothing wrong with this and there’s still ample ground clearance to scratch the occasional trackday itch, however it’s let down by an uncomfortable seat that leaves you with a numb bum in just 50 miles or so.

This is disappointing on a bike with such good fuel economy figures and an otherwise very comfortable stance, as it damages its ability to cover distance as a credible tourer.

2024 Honda CBR650R handling

Predominantly, the 2024 CBR650R remains unchanged. However, the frame has been altered slightly and the fork settings have been changed up, thanks to a lower spring rate along with slightly more compression damping and an updated Dunlop Road Sport 2 tyre, which has a new compound and tread pattern. On the damp roads of Marseille at the world launch it was difficult to get a feel for just how much it impacted the ride quality of the 2024 model when ridden harder, however, it didn’t feel far removed from the previous generation in terms of ride quality, or dive through the stroke of the fork under heavy braking.

Although the CBR650R E-Clutch gains an extra 3kgs in total from the 2023 model, it’s not noticeable in the slightest. Visually, it’s a bit chunkier thanks to the two additional motors and it can be felt on the right knee when shifting seat position, but it’s not in the way, and isn’t a huge issue.

Like the out-going CBR650F, the CBR650R uses the same liquid-cooled 649cc inline four-cylinder engine with added traction control. It has new dual air intakes, revised cam timing and exhaust tweaks, which adds up to an extra 3bhp at the crank which is next to impossible to feel in isolation.

It isn’t the last word in excitement, but with 94bhp on tap and loads of midrange oomph, the Honda is smooth, engaging, has a decent turn of acceleration when you open the taps and a deep racy growl. The clutch is light and the revised six speed gearbox is slick and smooth, but picking up a closed throttle at low revs can be jerky.

2021 Honda CBR650R engine updates explored

First published 30 April, 2021 by Dan Sutherland

From the outside looking in, the Honda CBR650R’s 649cc copper-coloured four-pot looks much the same as before, but it’s now Euro5 compliant. Under the surface lies tweaks to the ECU, cam lobes, intake timing, exhaust pipe, catalyser and silencer. Honda have also added a crank pulsar for good measure but managed to keep the same claimed kerb weight of 208kg.

The result is a bike that pulls almost identically to the old one – producing the same claimed 93.9bhp, with around a 0.7lbft drop in torque, to 46.5ftlb. Our 150-mile test took us through a mixture of towns, cities, back roads and dual carriageways, with the bike recording an impressive 55.98mpg on the day. This means a predicted range of just under 190 miles. Not bad from a 15.4-litre tank.

For all its green-fingered loveliness though, the engine is almost silent above idle, detracting from the riding experience. At a standstill, the CBR purrs with a delightful gravelly burble, but this soon disappears below the wind, even when wearing earplugs. Turn up the wick though and the motor bursts back into life, shouting its way through the gears at the upper echelons of the rev-range with next to no vibes.

If wringing its neck isn’t your thing though, you’ll be pleased to hear there’s a decent spread of power, with a useable midrange for daily riding and less frantic overtakes. Compared to its twin-cylinder rivals - the novice-friendly 67bhp Kawasaki Ninja 650 and more focussed 99bhp 659cc Aprilia RS660 - it offers impessive levels of refinement, but lacks the peppy engine note and fun factor many riders crave.

2024 Honda CBR650R engine and E-clutch

For the 2024 model, there are a few small tweaks to the engine platform, such as new intake valve timings for increased torque at low revs, a slightly different exhaust angle and longer intake ducts, which improves the air intake - however none of that is really noticeable compared to the previous model.

The big change comes in the form of Honda’s new E-Clutch, which is a truly impressive piece of technology, especially when the £100 price tag is considered. Let’s start with the good stuff; overall, gear changes both up and down the ‘box are smooth and efficient which makes things a lot easier, much like utilising a solid up/down quickshifter unit. It’s also really impressively in its slickness of operation, as without even a hover on the clutch lever the engine is easily started in neutral, pushed into first and rolled away with ease.

The system is also quick enough to cope with 99% of riding conditions too, only really feeling a little bit docile in its application when shifting from sixth gear down to second gear, in the same manner that would be expected on a track – however, it still deals with the stress admirably.

But one of the most impressive features is how Honda have dialled in the algorithms to pull from any gear too; although the revvy, four cylinder motor is happiest in the top of the rev range, the E-Clutch genuinely allows for a smooth pull away in sixth gear with no juddering whatsoever – although it’s no good for the health of the clutch, it truly is impressive how it adjusts to speeds, and is able to pull no matter where the engine’s RPM is sitting.

However, it doesn’t quite feel perfect. The CBR650R still utilises an old-school throttle cable, which means that it is a little bit too jerky at slow speeds, and in the initial throttle pick-up in first gear. This means that even with the E-Clutch engaged it’s more comfortable to keep the rear brake covered and the clutch lever feathered for slow speed manoeuvring and U-turns, while holding the CBR in second gear was a far calmer approach to single digit riding. However, Honda are very aware and opted to forgo ride-by-wire in order to keep the expense down, so we do expect that to come in the near future.

Although there’s three different settings for the strength of force required through the gear lever there’s very little change between ‘Soft’, ‘Medium’ and ‘Hard’ too, which does make it fell a bit unnecessary to mess around with, and it’s also worth noting that for experienced riders, the E-Clutch system does take some getting used to as it’s unnatural not to use the clutch at slow speeds.

However, it won’t take long to rely on the easy-going nature of the E-Clutch, and the impossibility of stalling. For those who also like using the clutch, the lever is very soft in its application but there is a lot of play in the lever (which is done purposefully), and it retards the system by five seconds at slow speeds, which makes the system confusing to reintroduce after a panic grab on the clutch lever too – at higher speeds it springs into action after two seconds, which makes it much more natural to rely on. It’s not a perfectly executed system, but it’s bloody good.

Tech facts

The E-Clutch is a flexible system, which means you can use it completely, go for the clutch if you wish and you can also completely turn it off. The clutch operation is controlled by two motors (instead of one to keep the unit thinner) which are controlled by the motor control unit. This motor control unit gets data from the ECU in order to regulate itself, with the data points being shift load, gear position, throttle position, engine RPM and wheel speeds from both front and rear, alongside a rotation angle sensor which reads the opening of the clutch plates, and an engine countershaft sensor.

The feedback loop is then created between the rotation angle sensor and ECU data, which means that on upshifts the system controls the ignition time and fuel quantity to manage the release of gear like it would using a quickshifter, however it has the benefit of opening the clutch halfway in order to reduce ‘shift shock’. On the way down the ‘box, the system operates the clutch halfway to release the gear, rather than a blip of the throttle in order to smooth out the process. It is also possible to revert to a ‘normal’ clutch lever-driven gear change thanks to the manual clutch cable, which is connected to a cleverly designed split shaft which rotates between manual or auto when the lever is engaged.

Honda are known for building quality motorcycles and this is reflected in the CBR. The fit and finish far out-stretches its reasonable 2021 £8049 ticket and is backed up by a two-year warranty and wide-stretching dealer network.

As you’d expect Honda CBR650R owners have nothing but good things to say about life commuting, touring and generally enjoying the Thai-built CBR650R, too. There are no reliability or durability issues for this or the previous CBR650F models, which makes buying a second-hand example all the more reassuring.

How did our long-term Honda CBR650R cope with a winter?

The MCN Fleet 2019 Honda CBR650R never put a mechanical foot wrong. It burned no oil at all between changes in 20,000 miles of riding and felt the same on the way to a service as it did on the way back.

Like many modern bikes, it didn't stand up to a British winter without bearing scars and some of the metalwork, especially the pegs and pillion pegs had furred up by the time it went back. The paint and tank decals scuffed up under a magnetic tank bag, too.

2024 Honda CBR650R reliability

The ’24 model’s new bodywork looks clean and crisp, and more premium to the eye. Owners’ reviews of the CBR650R have been absolutely glowing since its release in 2019, while there’s also no need to doubt the longevity of the E-Clutch system, as there is no additional maintenance requirements for the E-Clutch system.

A 2021 Honda CBR650R is yours for £109 a month over three years, with an initial deposit of £1302.61 and an optional final payment of £3924.15. That’s cracking value for a bike screwed together as well as this and for a new rider on a full licence, or an experienced pilot looking for a sporty all-rounder, it’s a great shout.

However, the CBR also likes to make noises about being A2-friendly and it’s here where it makes less sense. Compared to a £7099 Kawasaki Ninja 650 – which is available for £110 a month with a deposit of just 900 quid – the CBR is likely to be a bit too salty for the average 19-year-old in this licence bracket.

In fact, for the £1300 deposit needed here, you could bag yourself an A2 licence friendly Suzuki Bandit 600 or SV650 with likely a bit of change left over to help with insurance. What’s more, the Japanese firm also offer the A2 ready Honda CBR500R for £6149, with 47bhp out the crate and enough shove for the commute and a good laugh along a back road.

Producing a fraction under 94bhp also puts it in direct competition with the Aprilia RS660, which comes with a TFT screen, quickshifter and cruise control as standard, plus a more comfortable riding position, IMU and full electronics package – all things the Honda lacks. That said, the Aprilia is over £2000 more expensive and lacks the finish and dealer network of the CBR.

If you're a more mature rider looking to take advantage of the CBR's comfort and practicality but the power and price are less important, the Ducati SuperSport 950 should be worth consideration.

Is the Honda CBR650R good value in 2024?

Whereas before the CBR650R only really had the Ninja 650 to contend with which undercuts it heavily at £7,539, there’s now a whole host of machinery in the sub-100bhp sportsbike sector.

Although Triumph’s Daytona 660 undercuts the CBR650R by £4 (or £104 with the E-Clutch model) a lot of similar machinery is priced higher: Yamaha’s R7 is £8,919, Suzuki’s GSX-8R is £8,899 and Aprilia’s RS 660 comes in at £9,550.

However, it’s worth remembering that for the new E-Clutch model, the technology is priced impressively well when the price of an aftermarket quickshifter (£260 for the standard accessory on the CBR650R) is taken into account.

Watch: Honda CBR650R takes on Aprilia RS660 and MV Agusta F3 675

The CBR650R comes with ABS, Honda Selectable Torque Control (HSTC) or traction control to you and me and a revised LCD display dash, which is still hard to read in bright daylight. An extensive list of official accessories is also available, includes heated grips, an up/down quickshifter, luggage and crash protection.

It also comes with an extensive list of Honda accessories that includes heated grips, luggage and crash protection.

The dual LED headlights aren’t particularly bright and seem to aim a little high s you get flashed by oncoming lorries regularly.

What did we add to our longterm test bike?

The 2019 MCN Fleet Honda CBR650R came with the optional quickshifter fitted from the factory, but was otherwise standard.

When you're riding hard, the quickshifter is a dream to use but it's a bit ropey at low speeds around town especially if your chain is due an adjustment.

We fitted engine covers from GB Racing and crash protection, tail tidy and radiator guard from Evotech.

2021 Honda CBR650R equipment updates

First published 30 April, 2021 by Dan Sutherland

As before, the CBR650R gets conventional two-channel ABS an assist/slipper clutch, and Honda Selectable Torque Control (or traction control to you and me…) which can be switched off, if required. For 2021, the LCD dash also gets an update and the front headlights are more powerful, thanks to alterations to the reflectors.

Starting with the clocks, there’s a change of font size and LED angle for easier reading. The result is a simply navigated, slim display that houses all the information you need at a glance. That said, both the lesser powered £7099 Kawasaki Ninja 650 and more powerful, premium Aprilia RS660 now both feature swanky TFT units, with options for mobile connectivity.

Elsewhere, the Honda CBR650R also gets a USB-C socket under the rear seat to charge your phone, with enough useable space behind the tool kit to hold even the largest handset. A quick shifter is also available for £238.50 alongside a raft of other optional extras, such as taller screens, heated grips and luggage.

On top of this, Honda have tweaked the styling around the seating area and extended the lower fairing but after 150 miles across two days and multiple side-by-side image comparisons later on, we’re still struggling to spot all the tiny differences.

What’s more obvious is the revised number plate hanger, which has gone from black plastic to a more sophisticated steel, with a couple of small wings thrown in for good measure. Although an improvement, it’s unlikely to stay once purchased – replaced by an aftermarket tail tidy to help clear up the slightly underwhelming rear end.

Also new are the colours. Available in a choice of black or red, our design harks back to the CBR600F Sport of the early noughties and looks gorgeous up-close. The seven-stage preload-adjustable shock spring is also finished in yellow – another nod to the old school F.

For added visibility Honda have updated the reflectors within the headlights for an even stronger beam. Slotting into the purposeful superbike aping face, although hard to assess on our glorious sun-kissed test days, they help give the impression you’re on a much larger machine. What’s less impressive are the hazard warning lights pinging on under hard braking. A feature of many modern Hondas, it’s a distracting and unnecessary addition.

2024 Honda CBR650R equipment

The 2024 CBR650R comes with ABS, Honda Selectable Torque Control (HSTC) which is essentially traction control as before, but the full colour, 5” TFT dash is big upgrade from the previous LCD offering, especially with its Bluetooth connectivity. The option to have the E-Clutch for such a low price (an extra £100) is impressive too, while there’s an extensive list of official accessories available, which includes heated grips, luggage and crash protection.