Honda CB650R (2024) – Technical Review

Price: £7,799 (manual) | Power: 93.9bhp | Weight: 205kg | Overall BikeSocial Rating: TBA

It’s been eight years since Honda’s CB4 Concept previewed the ‘Neo Sports Café’ retro style that would come to define the following generations of CB650R and CB1000R models and the same themes are still clearly present in the revamped 2024 CB650R – which also becomes the launch platform for the clever E-Clutch option that eliminates the need to use the clutch lever while still retaining the ability use the bike completely conventionally.

It’s a clever evolution of the semi-auto ideas that Honda has pursued for decades, with attempts dating back as far as the Hondamatic transmissions of the 1970s and more recently apparent in the hugely popular, but complex, Dual Clutch Transmission (DCT) option available on a range of bikes from the NC750 to the Gold Wing. With E-Clutch Honda offers the advantages of those earlier semi-autos but without sacrificing the ability to use a normal clutch if you prefer, in a package that’s simpler, lighter and cheaper than its predecessors.

Review – In Detail

Price & PCP
For and against
Engine & Performance
Handling & Suspension (inc. weight & brakes)
Comfort & Economy
Equipment
Rivals
Verdict
Specification

Given the mechanical similarities between the 2023 CB650R and its 2024 replacement – at least in standard, manual transmission form – there’s not a huge price increase. The 2024 model starts at £7,799, which is just £100 more than the outgoing version, and seems something of a bargain given the improvements in tech and style that the latest model enjoys.

The E-Clutch option will obviously come at extra cost. Honda has yet to announce how much that premium will be but it’s unlikely to be anywhere near as pricy as the DCT system offered on other models in the Honda range.

Honda expects the standard, manual version of the bike to reach dealers in early 2023, with the E-Clutch variant arriving in Spring next year.

Spot the difference: e-clutch vs regular clutch

The engine in the CB650R is a familiar old workhorse, and none the worse for it, and in 2024 there’s no change to essential specs of the motor – it’s already up to date with the latest international emissions rules and regulations, so there’s no impetus for mechanical changes.

The 16v, DOHC four is related to the old CBR600RR motor, but measures in at 649cc, with a peak power of 93.9hp (70kW) arriving at 12,000rpm, with max torque of 46.5 lb-ft (63Nm) coming at 9,500rpm. That 70kW outright maximum is no accident, as it aligns with the maximum allowed under A2 rules for engines that can be restricted to 35kW (46.9hp) and ridden by A2 licence holders, and Honda will also sell you the new CB650R ready-restricted to that figure if you’re in that position.

The 67mm bore and 46mm stroke are carried over from the old motor, as is the 11.6:1 compression ratio. The engine drives a six-speed transmission through an assist-and-slipper clutch.

That transmission is shared by both the standard and the E-Clutch versions, which even use identical clutches. The difference that the E-Clutch system brings is a new clutch cover, visible on the right-hand side of the engine, incorporating a geared servo that can electronically take over the operation of the clutch. A clever linkage means that the standard, cable-operated clutch lever is kept, letting you override the electronics or turn them off and use the bike completely conventionally.

In operation, the E-Clutch, which weighs just 2kg – a tiny fraction of the 10kg penalty that Honda’s DCT system brings – automatically disengages the clutch when you come to a halt and re-engages it when you open the throttle to pull away, as well as operating when required during gearshifts. You simply nudge the conventional foot lever with your toe and the bike slots into gear, with no need to operate the clutch manually at all.

The system has three ‘feel’ settings – Soft, Medium and Hard – to alter the level of pressure needed on the gear shift pedal to activate the E-Clutch. Unlike DCT, there’s no push-button gear shift or fully-auto mode, you need to make all the gear shifts with your foot, like a conventional bike. An on-dash display will remind you to shift down if the bike think’s you’re in too high a ratio.

The computer control system of the E-Clutch takes info from the bike’s speed, throttle position, engine revs, shift pedal pressure, countershaft speed and gear position, operating two electric motors inside the E-Clutch actuator to smoothly engage and disengage the clutch as required. It also modulates the bike’s ignition and injection to make gear changes as smooth as possible.

Colour options

When it comes to the CB650R’s chassis, Honda has left it well alone for 2024 – carrying over exactly the same suspension, frame and brakes as the previous model. If it ain’t broke…

That means the steel ‘diamond’ frame is the familiar design from the old-generation bike, equipped with 41mm Showa SFF-BP USD forks and a linkage-operated monoshock with 10-stage preload adjustment. The 1450mm wheelbase is unaltered, as is the 25.5-degree rake.

The 2024 model is a fraction heavier than its predecessor at 205kg wet, including fuel, compared to 203kg, and the E-Clutch system adds another two kilos, bringing the kerb weight to 207kg on bikes with that option fitted.

The brakes are four-pot radial Nissins at the front, clamped on dual 310mm discs, with a single-piston Nissin at the rear with a 240mm rotor. ABS is standard, of course, but it’s not an IMU-assisted cornering ABS setup. The 17-inch alloy wheels, with 120/70 front and 180/55 rear rubber, are carry-overs from the previous model.

The new look for 2024 brings a redesigned tail section and seat, although the rider’s seat height is unchanged at 810mm so if you fit the 2023-spec CB650R, you’ll also be happy on the 2024 model.

The bar and footpeg positions are unchanged, so the rider triangle isn’t any different, but there are new backlit left-hand bar controls to improve operation of the bike’s redesigned, 5-inch TFT dash.

Although there are new air intakes on either side, the 15.4 litre fuel tank is carried over from the old model, leaving plenty of space for the bars to turn to 35 degrees in either direction, making low-speed manoeuvring easy.

Honda claims the CB650R will achieve 57.6mpg (20.4km/l), giving a potential maximum range of 195 miles (314km) between fill-ups.

The biggest equipment change – with the exception of the optional E-Clutch that we’ve already mentioned – is the new TFT instrument panel. It’s a 5-inch, full-colour display with optically-bonded glass that minimises reflections and improves visibility. Along with the new switchgear, it lets you swap between three visual settings – Bar, Circle and Simple – and features smartphone connectivity via Honda’s RoadSync app.

Operated via the four-way bar switch, the RoadSync system allows turn-by-turn navigation and can stream media and phone calls to a Bluetooth headset. Pretty standard stuff by 2024 norms, but a first for the CB650R.

For 2024 you also get a new LED headlight – it appears to be the same design used on the CB1000R, shaped like one of Dali’s melted clocks – and the rest of the lighting is also LED, including a new design for the taillight to suit the reshaped rear end.

Under the seat you’ll find a USB-C port for charging phones, and Honda is also offering a trio of options packages to tailor the bike in different directions. The ‘Style Pack’ adds aluminium inserts on the radiator cowls, front fender, side covers and tank sides, plus a red anodised oil level gauge. The ‘Sport Pack’ adds a quickshifter (if you haven’t opted for the E-Clutch), a flyscreen, a pillion seat cover and a belly cowl. And the ‘Comfort Pack’ includes five-stage heated grips with memory function, a tank bag and a rear seat bag that can be extended to 22 litres of storage.

As in the past, the CB650R goes up against a variety of competitors, both retro and modern. You might consider a Kawasaki Z650 or Z650RS, Suzuki GSX-8S, BMW’s F900R or KTM Duke 790 as twin-cylinder alternatives, Triumph’s Trident 660 or Street Triple 765 as a three-cylinder options, but four-cylinder alternatives are thin on the ground.

Triumph Trident 660 | Price: £7,895

Power/Torque: 80bhp/47.2lb-ft | Weight: 189kg

Kawasaki Z650RS | Price: £7,689

Power/Torque: 68hp/47.2lb-ft | Weight: 187kg

BMW F 900 R | Price: £9,090

Power/Torque: 105bhp/67.8lb-ft | Weight: 211kg

We’ll let you know once we’ve ridden it.

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