The CB650F doesn’t have all the latest bells and whistles, but it makes a great bike for those not chasing silly speeds
There’s been a reasonably priced naked ‘CB’ middleweight in the Honda line up since the spirited 97bhp CB600 Hornet was introduced way back in 1998. Proving popular, especially with newcomers and anyone with a slightly lower appetite for speed, the 600cc roadster models then went through a few different guises. Replacing the Hornet, the 2008 CBF600 may have had a higher spec alloy frame, but the reduced performance of its 76bhp engine made it more suited to the safe and sensible set. The CBF lasted until 2013 when the first 650cc model, the CB650F, was introduced for the 2014 season.
The all-new bike, built in Thailand, featured a water-cooled engine making a modest power maximum of 82bhp. Along with its steel frame and quite basic looking suspension, it appeared Honda had taken a bit of a backward step. The reality was different, with the roadster motor’s healthier midrange usability helping to make it quite a hit. Not so cheap at just over £6300, with the ABS option coming in at £6999, it still proved a popular, steady seller.
For 2017 the 650F was restyled with sharper-looking bodywork, LED lights and uprated forks. Modifications to the engine boosted peak power by 4bhp. ABS was now standard and the cosmetic changes of a black finished swingarm and cylinders, together with gold engine cases, gave the CB a cooler look. We’ve tested one of the last examples of this model here.
This year, the six-kilo lighter CB650F gets more midrange power and another 4bhp in total, courtesy of improved engine breathing and higher revs. It’s equipped with radial brakes, new suspension, wheels and clocks, as well as a CB1000R-aping makeover.
WHAT'S IT LIKE TO RIDE?
Esta historia es de la edición September 2019 de Motorcycle Sport & Leisure.
Comience su prueba gratuita de Magzter GOLD de 7 días para acceder a miles de historias premium seleccionadas y a más de 9,000 revistas y periódicos.
Ya eres suscriptor ? Conectar
Esta historia es de la edición September 2019 de Motorcycle Sport & Leisure.
Comience su prueba gratuita de Magzter GOLD de 7 días para acceder a miles de historias premium seleccionadas y a más de 9,000 revistas y periódicos.
Ya eres suscriptor? Conectar
Honda CRF1100L ES Africa Twin
Without panniers he was adventuring nowhere - so at least Bertie's got something sorted now
BMW R 12 nineT
Chad gets a track day surprise when BMW's R 12 nineT turns out to be surprisingly fun on track
Test fleet: VOGE 525 DSX
After testing the Voge's abilities on a long ride, it was time to take it to the Cotswolds and see how it would manage on the rougher stuff
Portuguese Perambulations
Nearly over before it had begun, a brief workshop stint allows Spain and Portugal to be explored
Highway to Heaven
Three friends take on the challenge of riding the length of Canada, from Vancouver in the southwest to Inuvik in the north. The road is long, the conditions merciless, and wildfires are tearing through the country. To top it all off, the final leg of the journey is the ultimate test of gravel riding skills, nerves, and courage - it's the legendary Dempster Highway...
Battlaxes at the ready!
We tend to take tyres for granted, never really looking at them in any detail, or at how they work, just hoping that they keep us shiny side up at all times. Even in the wet
Ducati Riding Experience
When I rode the Ducati DesertX to France last year, I did have a bit of an explore on some easy fire roads and gentle green lanes in the wilds of the Médoc area, but was left with the feeling that, had I the experience, the DesertX would have been capable of taking me along some more extreme trails to some even more exciting places. If only there was a way of finding out just how well the Italian adventure bike could cope with some more extreme terrain...
Four pot flyer
Many said that sports bikes, and particularly bikes in the traditional Supersports class that was populated by 600cc inline fours, were dead. Maybe they spoke too soon?...
Eastern adventurer
With an increasing interest in smaller capacity adventure bikes, the market expands with a new entry
First Time Lucky?
It's ironic that the first all-new MV Agusta model to hit the marketplace right after Italy's No.1 trophy brand was acquired by Austrian giant Pierer Mobility, owner of off-road titans KTM, should be the company's first dual-purpose model of the modern era, powered by MV's all-new 931cc three-cylinder engine that's destined to form the basis of a whole series of new models in coming months and years.
