2019 Honda CBR650R Review - First Ride

2018 Honda CBR650F First Ride Review

When the new 650 sports standard debuted in 2014, Honda wanted to fill a gap for the everymotorcyclist. A sportbike with more comfortable ergos and subdued power that was lower in the rpm-range; a CBR you could live with around town akin to its 600cc F-designated predecessors. For 2019, the CBR650 drops the F for an R and it isn’t just the model name that’s more aggressive.

The engine receives a new piston shape, revised cam profiles, a slightly higher compression ratio, and optimized valve timing as well as an extra 1,000 revs, putting redline at 12,000 rpm. The airbox has also been tilted 20 degrees to allow for smoother airflow from the refined dual ram air intake ducts located under the headlights. Honda says the CBR650R has gained a five percent increase in power above 10,000 rpm. The 649cc inline Four is sewing machine smooth with a nice powerband coming on just after 8,000 rpm nearly all the way to 12,000. That’s not to say that you need to have the motor spun up to get around; scooting through town the CBR650R delivers accessible power out of its mid-range, too.

Weight savings starts as deep as the steel frame, with Honda claiming 4.2-pounds of weight loss from the outgoing unit. The fuel tank, footpegs, ABS components, and five-spoke cast aluminum wheels have all been scrutinized through the CBR’s weight loss program. Big Red claims the 2019 non-ABS CBR650R has lost 9.2 lbs, whereas the ABS model is dubbed the biggest loser with 11.6 lbs shaved.

The weight loss combined with the Showa Separate Function Fork (SFF) and shock make for an agile little sportbike. The fork offers no adjustment, but feels well set from the factory. Sporty enough for canyon carving and compliant enough to not be jarring in the city. The shock is comfortable, though a few hard-edged bumps launching my butt just off the seat left me wanting to slow the rebound. Alas, spring preload on the shock is the only suspension adjustment to be made.

The radially mounted four-piston Nissin calipers with dual 310mm floating discs get the bike stopped positively, though aren’t the most communicative at the lever. Speaking of the front brake lever, it’s adjustable. Just set it, and forget it! The rear brake, well it works, but on a sporty bike, you won’t be relying on it for its sheer power. On the 2019 CBR650R, should you plunk down the extra $300 for the ABS model, you also get Honda Selectable Torque Control (HSTC), or as we call it everywhere else, traction control. The two come as a package, never to be separated, though you can disable HSTC with the press of a button on the fly.

The rider triangle has been tweaked to bring the handlebars 1.2-inches forward and a touch lower with the footpegs two-tenths of an inch up and one-tenth rearward. I believe these changes add to the fun on the canyon roads we enjoyed before the hailstorm set in during our ride in the California desert, but I’m not sure I favor the changes around town. Which brings me to the question: Did Honda bring the CBR650R too close to its sporting familia?

The CBR650R, or F as it was previously known, was designed to be an everyday sportbike, as adept at city scooting as it is canyon carving. Do the changes to the riding position put a damper on the 650’s utilitarian allure? Only you can decide, but for me, it now teeters on the edge.

Visually, the 2019 CBR650R is a stunner for sure, but as the weight dropped and power increased, so did the price. The standard model sits at $9,399 with ABS adding a few hundred at $9,699. Do these prices and the ergonomic changes leave the CBR650R in an odd in-between space for interested riders, or did Honda give the buying public what they wanted with this model? Only time will tell. For us, we enjoyed a day out in the canyons onboard the 2019 Honda CBR650R and can confidently say the fit and finish is unequivocally there, as is the Honda performance and, we’d like to assume, Honda reliability. The bike is in dealers now, so if it tickles your fancy, go have a peek.