Honda CBR650F Launched!

After much excitement and anxious anticipation, Honda has finally brought its race horse to Indian shores. The CBR650F has now been launched by Honda at Rs 7.3 lakhs (ex-showroom Delhi). A proper sport-tourer motorcycle, it was launched at the exclusive RevFest event held at various cities across India.





The CBR650F is a fully faired motorcycle with attractive race-dynamic styling, something that's necessary to turn heads involuntarily. What attracts the most though is the 649cc, 4-cylinder engine that can produce 87bhp of power and 62 Nm of Torque. A dedicated programmed fuel-injection system delivers the right amount of fuel to feed the engine. All of this power will be mated to a 6-speed gearbox, and since the max Torque figures stand at 8,000 RPM, the high-gearing character of the engine will be further supplemented by that essential 6th.



Wide grip tires further complement the looks of the bike, a 120/70ZR-17 at the front and a 180/55ZR-17 at the rear, both tubeless, doing all the duty. Dual-discs, each being 320mm, at the front offer added braking power to help the monster of a machine come to a stop. A single 240mm disc at the rear also adds to the braking ability. ABS is standard on the CBR650F; the ABS system offered is a dual-channel ABS system, quite worth the money.



The entire motorcycle uses a steel diamond frame to mould its existence, while telescopic 41mm suspension forks at the front and a single-unit shock absorber with adjustable pre-load provide added stability when tackling the toughest of roads. A short exhaust, very much unlike the Honda exhausts seen on the current performance bikes offered by Honda India, is used on the CBR650F, it would be great if Honda would bring in add-ons like slip-on exhausts in the future. Overall, the bike looks staggeringly sporty and appropriately styled with no extra bits that might cause an annoyance.



Honda India will only sell this performance machine through dedicated dealerships that have been set up across the country, 13 in total – known as the Wing World dealership. Although the price tag may be on the pricier side, Honda should expect a fairly good number of ambitious buyers at their dealerships. With this launch, Honda aims to lock horns with the Kawasaki Ninja 650R, although, the Kawasaki sells at Rs 5 lakhs but gets ABS and 4-cylinders. A comprehensive review of the bikes that fit into the 600cc class is one to watch out for, and we will have to wait and see how Honda's beast lives on the road.