The CBR 650F looks impressive, with a mature, sporty air. However, Honda’s been unable to capitalize on a styling edge they held with earlier CBR bikes seen till around 2000, those making more dashing looking sportsbikes. The CBR 650F has a ‘V’ shaped headlight set in a raked fairing that gives the bike a conservative fascia, and looks a touch too sedate Styling for the flanks and rear is excellent, with smooth, flowing lines. The CBR 650F fairing opens smartly to expose its engine casings. Black has been used extensively to contrast the bike, and you get a cropped under-belly exhaust and shiny swingarm bringing up the rear. Honda announced the CBR 650F as India bound some years before. Speaking to top management of the big H in New Delhi at the time, we learnt they were to assemble in India, eyeing a target price around a sensible Rs 7 lakh, on-road. Back then, there was little competition in this segment, with only early bird Kawasaki present with their Ninja 650R, not even in the same league, being a twin where the CBR is an in-line four. In the past few years, Honda has been focused on enticing and capturing new riders with new entry-level and mid-level motorcycles. As someone who works in the industry, I’m always thankful for efforts to expand ridership because a growing industry is usually followed by companies increasing R&D and coming out with new and interesting stuff.The CBR650F uses an all-new 649 cc inline-four, which will form the base for a new line of motorcycles(it’s also currently available in the naked CB650F), as Honda has previously done with the 300 cc and 500 cc lines. Honda claims this new motor produces a max output of 86 horsepower at 11, 000 rpm and 46 foot-pounds of torque at 8, 000 rpm The CBR 650F has a good build quality and design but the instrument cluster looks dated. Don’t get us wrong, though, it displays all the information that the rider would need in a glance, except the gear position indicator.Another aspect of the bike that made us scratch our heads was the positioning of the horn and
The price tag of the motorcycle pits it against the likes of the Kawasaki Z800, which sports a larger engine but that’s a street-naked motorcycle and not a full-faired commuter ove all its looks is exilent