Honda Motorcycle and Scooter India (HMSI) has launched the company's middleweight sportbike, the CBR650R at ₹ 7.70 lakh (ex-showroom pan-India). The CBR650R will replace the Honda CBR650F and will be available in two colours - Grand Prix Red and Matte Gunpowder Black.
The CBR650R is powered by a 649 cc, liquid-cooled, inline-four cylinder engine which puts out 94 bhp at 12,000 rpm and 64 Nm of peak torque at 8500 rpm on the international model. For India though, Honda has decided to go with a slightly different state of tune, with the engine putting out 87 bhp of maximum power at 11,500 rpm and 60.1 Nm of peak torque at 8,000 rpm.
The CBR650R is powered by a 649 cc, liquid-cooled, inline-four cylinder engine which puts out 94 bhp at 12,000 rpm and 64 Nm of peak torque at 8500 rpm on the international model. For India though, Honda has decided to go with a slightly different state of tune, with the engine putting out 87 bhp of maximum power at 11,500 rpm and 60.1 Nm of peak torque at 8,000 rpm.
"It was just last week that we announced the establishment of new premium big bike business vertical - the Honda BigWing in India. The CBR650R further strengthens the model line up to be sold and serviced under Honda BigWing. Delivering a sporty and powerful performance with Honda's Racing pedigree, the all new CBR650R is set to excite middleweight biking enthusiasts," said Yadvinder Singh Guleria, Senior Vice President - Sales and Marketing, Honda Motorcycle and Scooter India Private Limited.
Replacing the Honda CBR650F, the new CBR650R gets the 'R' suffix, denoting a change towards a sportier personality than the 'F' it replaces. With design cues inspired by the litre-class Honda CBR1000RR Fireblade, the new CBR650R features new styling with its sharp, aggressive lines and extended side fairings as well as a sleek rear section. The bike features full-LED lighting, and a digital LCD display, with clip-on handlebars which make for a sportier riding position than the CBR650F.
The Honda CBR650R features a slipper clutch to aid in rapid downshifting and also Honda's traction control system called the Honda Selectable Torque Control System (HSTC), which is switchable. Honda says the CBR650R's chassis is 6 kg lighter than the CBR650F and has better steering agility. Suspension duties are handled by adjustable 41 mm Showa Separate Fork Function (SFF) upside down fork at the front and a pre-load adjustable pro-link monoshock at the rear. The 310 mm twin front discs now get new radially mounted Nissin four-pot calipers while the rear wheel gets a 240 mm single disc with standard dual-channel ABS. The 2019 Honda CBR650R will be available across 22 Honda WingWorld dealerships around the country and one exclusive Honda BigWing dealership in Gurugram.
