HONDA CB650F
FIRST RIDE
P70
will only represent at best a 30
percent share of the 14,000 such
fours it's bringing to Europe this
model year, it was the Naked F-
version that Honda focused on at
its Alicante-based press launch
on Spain's sunny Costa Blanca.
This new bike is more of a
landmark model for Honda than
any other of its recent plethora
of novelties, because like the
CBR250R single and trio of
CB500 twins, it's entirely manu-
factured in the company's factory
in Thailand. This makes its all-
new powerplant the first Honda
four-cylinder engine to be manu-
factured outside of Japan – ever.
And that's a significant milestone
in Honda's globalization.
Essentially, Honda is following
a similar strategy to KTM's, which
seeks to attract younger recruits
to motorcycles via its range of af-
fordable but cool-looking Duke
singles. Only KTM does so with
its Indian connections while
Honda has opted for India. Well,
there's also that twin and four-
cylinder thing rather than just
singles.
As such, the CB650F's arrival
signals an attempt by Honda to
develop a higher-performance
but still easy-riding motorcycle
that's accessible to younger and/
or less experienced customers,
while still offering fun, functional-
ity, and especially value for mon-
ey - at Euro 7600 ($10,300) in Eu-
rope, against Euro 5500 ($7400)
for the 471cc CB500F with half
as many cylinders and quite a bit
less performance (both prices in
Italy, just as an example, and in-
cluding 21 percent tax).
To create the all-new bike,
whose engine supposedly has
not a single part in common with
the outgoing Honda Hornets,
Honda recruited a team of young
engineers who'd be more likely to
interpret what the model's youth-
ful target audience were looking
for in such a model. But the result
is a package that will appeal to
riders of all levels of experience,
whose sharp styling with minimal
front or rear overhang gives the
CB650F a muscular so-called
'Mass Forward' appearance.
Hunched and ready for action.
The short fuel tank (that's
hinged at the back to allow easy
The CB650F is
Honda's first four-
cylinder motorcycle
to be built outside
of Japan with its
Thailand factory
now ramped up to
produce 1.7 million
units a year.
