Cycle News is a weekly magazine that covers all aspects of motorcycling including Supercross, Motocross and MotoGP as well as new motorcycles
Issue link: https://magazine.cyclenews.com/i/894643
VOL. 54 ISSUE 43 OCTOBER 31, 2017 P89 2018 HONDA CBR650F I f you close your eyes and squint, you could be forgiven for thinking this is the original 1987 CBR600F come back from the dead. That bike gets legendary status for two reasons—the first being it invented what we now know as the Supersport class; and second, that it introduced sport-bike riding on a budget to a whole new generation of riders across the globe. This new CBR-F doesn't have quite those same sporting ambitions; it's still capable of turning some quick canyon laps, but does it with a comfort level not really associated with a full-fairing 600. Underneath the skin of the CBR-F is Honda's tried-and-tested 649cc inline four-cylinder. This is far from the kind of lump you'll find in the smaller capacity but much, much faster CBR600RR - a bike that feels like it's got a good 40 horsepower on the 650 via my well-cal- ibrated bum dyno (Honda won't release details on just how much power it has). The CBR-F has its redline pegged at 11,500 rpm on a split left-and-right dash that is devoid of design imagination (Suzuki's budget GSX250R dash is a far nicer thing to look at and access), and it's a bike that needs to be revved to go anywhere yet feels rather under-stressed when you do so. There's decent power available from about 6000 rpm but anything below that is pretty elementary, unlike, for example, Yamaha's FZ-07 that just wants to wheelie everywhere it goes. The CBR-F has a buttery smooth throttle response when the motor is spinning 3000 rpm or higher, something new and experienced riders alike are going to love as they dart up through the gearbox, which houses shorter ratios than the old CBR-F to keep you higher in the rev range and help you make the most of the power on tap. And there's a nice little induction roar coming from the 650, nothing like the old CB1000R but still enough to give the CBR-F a bit of personality. The CBR-F and CB come standard with Showa's un-adjustable Dual Bend- ing Valve fork that was released at the end of 2014. A budget-priced item, Showa claims the Dual Bending Valve (surely, they could have come up with a better name than Bending Valve?) is claimed to offer similar performance to a cartridge-type fork but with a little less weight (around 250g per unit) and complexity in setting it up. The good news is this 41mm fork offers surprising performance ideally suited to the CBR-F and even more suited to the CB. It's a plush ride but still performs well when pushed hard, and combines well with the preload-only adjustable shock and wide, long seat to give a comfortable ride over long distances. The CBR-F won't nail bends as easily as its CBR600RR brother but it will perform admirably up to rather high speeds. The suspension will reach its limitations quickly if you're pushing exceptionally hard, though. Regardless, the ride is a smooth one and the Showa set-up will soak up most bumps you can throw at it. Nissin provides the brakes and they are neither great nor bad. It's a tradition- al master-cylinder set-up so it's not like you're going to get SBK levels of braking power, but it's adequate for the job, especially when you throw in the ABS as standard. The CBR-F will be a strong challenger against something like the Kawasaki Ninja 650, although it's almost $1000 more expensive at $8749. Still, the CBR- F should serve as a perfect introduction to sport-bike riding for new riders; it just might have a tough time getting bums on seats in face of the competition from its twin brother.