Honda CBR 650F/650R Comprehensive Ownership Thread

[rachitkdogra]

Re: CBR650f 2018: Tried so hard to get this black beauty

Honda has discontinued it, parts availability will be difficult .

I am not really sure if I completely agree with you on this. From what I have seen, I don't expect any issues for the next 4-5 years at least.
650R is not an entirely new bike, there will be a lot of similar parts. I have seen 2008 Fire blades actively being serviced at the Honda service centers. In general I feel Honda Wing world does a decent job of maintaining an inventory of parts. It is possible that some thing is not in store, but their turn around time is very less. Mostly a week in my experience.

From what I have read and heard, in general Honda does a decent job of keeping parts for older models, because in general Hondas are know for their longevity. I am not saying everything will be perfect with a Honda, but going by the past history I am not that worried.


Rachit

[murali_db]

Re: CBR650f 2018: Tried so hard to get this black beauty

Honda has discontinued it, parts availability will be difficult .

It has not discontinued this model, it has upgraded it. All the companies upgrade their bikes every few years, it does not mean parts availability will be difficult for that. If your bike is from the Big4 companies i dont think you have to worry a lot, those companies have a big network all over the world, parts availability will always be there.

Incase if you buy it from benelli, yes what you say is right.

[kratos fury]

Re: CBR650f 2018: Tried so hard to get this black beauty

VERY NICE bro your story.
Glad to meet a fellow Chennai King @ xbhp forum. Im planning to buy CBR650, i want to know your valuable experience with this beast.
I shortlisted to Ninja 650 or CBR 650. My main concerns are

1. I will be using the bike for commuting ~80km per day. So will the heat be manageable and also wat is the mileage i can expect.
2. Is the weight concerning you, il be upgrading from CBR 250R.
3. The reason im inclined for honda over kawasaki is the after sales support,maintenance, spares price. Is the two lakhs difference justified or will the servicing of ninja make the difference amount negligible.
4. Vibrations,Refinement,Comfort are my top priority. Kawasaki has no test drive for 650 so i dont have any idea about the refinement of twin. Ur opinion ?

your reply is very valuable to me [MENTION=83390]murali_db[/MENTION] .Kindly suggest me the best option so i dont regret my decision. Cheers ..

[murali_db]

Re: CBR650f 2018: Tried so hard to get this black beauty

VERY NICE bro your story.
Glad to meet a fellow Chennai King @ xbhp forum. Im planning to buy CBR650, i want to know your valuable experience with this beast.
I shortlisted to Ninja 650 or CBR 650. My main concerns are

1. I will be using the bike for commuting ~80km per day. So will the heat be manageable and also wat is the mileage i can expect.
2. Is the weight concerning you, il be upgrading from CBR 250R.
3. The reason im inclined for honda over kawasaki is the after sales support,maintenance, spares price. Is the two lakhs difference justified or will the servicing of ninja make the difference amount negligible.
4. Vibrations,Refinement,Comfort are my top priority. Kawasaki has no test drive for 650 so i dont have any idea about the refinement of twin. Ur opinion ?

your reply is very valuable to me @murali_db .Kindly suggest me the best option so i dont regret my decision. Cheers ..

Hi @kratos fury , there is a chennai offline thread in xbhp and there are a lot of senior bikers and rusted xbhpians in it, you are welcome to join there. Coming to your concerns,

We cannot compare Ninja 650 with a CBR650f as both are different purpose machines, ninja650 is pure sports tourer which gives you a relaxed midrange torque and goes linear till the end, however in the cbr650f the entire torque kicks in at 7k rpm so imagine how much you will get in 3k to 6k rpm. The CBR650f is something between the sports tourer and a super sport, you can tour with it as well as hit the track or after few years tune it Up to hit the 100bhp mark.

1. Yes you can use it for commute without any issues, There wont be any heat on the move however inside the city in B2b traffic you might feel some in your thighs whenever the radiator kicksIn but its manageable if you wear jeans and that heat will never reach your crotch .

I commute 38kms per day in total for weekly 3 to 4 days, along the GST road. One cannot except mileage in such bikes, by average it will give 16 - 17 kmpl, at one instance it showed 21 kmpl. I will update this thread about mileage next week in detail.

2. You wont feel the weight once the engine is On, i bet you will get the same feel as your CBR250R. However moving it front back while parking requires some muscle as the tires are 120/180 and due to the weight.

3. As far i heard in the past about kawasaki, most owners talk about the JMB's worst after sales support & service. Charging 1000 & above for a wash ,coolant top-up and consumables is too much. The spares and service was expensive, but not sure how the situation is now. The two looks price difference is for the Inline-four engine, as the CBR650f is in a different segment. Honda(or Yamaha) service is far cheaper than any middle-weight bikes available, so no doubt in that.

4. Vibrations were there between 5k and 7k RPM in the early stages of owning it, but as you ride it and after few services all is well, it wont be a issue. Vibrations are felt on the handlebar only, mirrors are good all throughout the ride. Vibration and Refinement are proportional to each other, as you ride the engine gets more refined and lesser vibrations. Comfort factor i think you will have the same or better feel than in CBR250R, myself have been riding naked bikes for the last 9 years so im getting used to the Clip-on position nowadays.

Kawasaki 650 engine is a more refined one, there are many people who have ridden it 75k and more. So no doubt about that, they used to call it as Bulletproof engine but i dont know the technicalities . The JMB service is the only problem here in chennai, they did not keep up their reputation among customers, when it was with bajaj the sales & service was absolutely great, In chennai Jai Bajaj was handling the Kawasaki brand they did good work.


Regarding Decision, its your call bro, because its you who should decide your bike. Think well, read the ownership threads and decide, whatever you decide there will be a line of people who will be ready to criticize you, dont listen to the empty vessels.

Apart from arranging funds for buying the bike, make sure you invest another 25k in a good quality helmet, frameslider and Radiator guard.

My only advice, dont sell your CBR250R use it for local commutes to mom and dad shops

[rachitkdogra]

Re: CBR650f 2018: Tried so hard to get this black beauty

VERY NICE bro your story.
Glad to meet a fellow Chennai King @ xbhp forum. Im planning to buy CBR650, i want to know your valuable experience with this beast.
I shortlisted to Ninja 650 or CBR 650. My main concerns are

1. I will be using the bike for commuting ~80km per day. So will the heat be manageable and also wat is the mileage i can expect.
2. Is the weight concerning you, il be upgrading from CBR 250R.
3. The reason im inclined for honda over kawasaki is the after sales support,maintenance, spares price. Is the two lakhs difference justified or will the servicing of ninja make the difference amount negligible.
4. Vibrations,Refinement,Comfort are my top priority. Kawasaki has no test drive for 650 so i dont have any idea about the refinement of twin. Ur opinion ?

your reply is very valuable to me @murali_db .Kindly suggest me the best option so i dont regret my decision. Cheers ..

I own a CBR650F and have ridden a friends Ninja650 extensively. Here is my view point.
1) Ninja is a more comfortable daily commuter because of its upright seating position. CBR can put some pressure on your wrists especially in slow moving traffic. Ninja also produces much less heat
2) Weight is similar for both the bikes. Should not be a big deal.
3) Not sure how is the service in your area but in Delhi, Honda score over Kawasaki here.
4) In general both bikes are smooth and vibrations free. CBR being an inline4, is smoother feeling than Ninja in most rev bands but the CBR does have some buzzines at certain RPMs.

If comfort is your top priority, I would vote for Ninja. If sport ride is your top priority, out of the two CBR is better.


CHEERS!!

Rachit

[murali_db]

Re: CBR650f 2018: Tried so hard to get this black beauty

I own a CBR650F and have ridden a friends Ninja650 extensively. Here is my view point.
1) Ninja is a more comfortable daily commuter because of its upright seating position. CBR can put some pressure on your wrists especially in slow moving traffic. Ninja also produces much less heat
2) Weight is similar for both the bikes. Should not be a big deal.
3) Not sure how is the service in your area but in Delhi, Honda score over Kawasaki here.
4) In general both bikes are smooth and vibrations free. CBR being an inline4, is smoother feeling than Ninja in most rev bands but the CBR does have some buzzines at certain RPMs.

If comfort is your top priority, I would vote for Ninja. If sport ride is your top priority, out of the two CBR is better.


CHEERS!!

Rachit

[MENTION=39523]kratos fury[/MENTION] you can take his points than mine, he is a long term owner of this beautiful machine.
[MENTION=17658]rachitkdogra[/MENTION] the CBR650r might turn up putting even more pressure on the wrists, as the stance looks even more aggressive.

[rachitkdogra]

Re: CBR650f 2018: Tried so hard to get this black beauty

@kratos fury you can take his points than mine, he is a long term owner of this beautiful machine.
@rachitkdogra the CBR650r might turn up putting even more pressure on the wrists, as the stance looks even more aggressive.

Yeah, the CBR650R does seem to be sportier. When the bike is moving freely, CBR is very comfortable, but on broken roads or slow moving traffic where you have to brake a lot, I do feel that Ninja would be more comfortable. CBR is not very bad, but Ninja will be more comfortable.

[kratos fury]

Re: CBR650f 2018: Tried so hard to get this black beauty

Yeah, the CBR650R does seem to be sportier. When the bike is moving freely, CBR is very comfortable, but on broken roads or slow moving traffic where you have to brake a lot, I do feel that Ninja would be more comfortable. CBR is not very bad, but Ninja will be more comfortable.

Greetings [MENTION=17658]rachitkdogra[/MENTION] many thanks for ur kind reply. I have been watching extensive videos and interacting with Thai owners of new CBR650R.
The new bike gives mileage around 20kmpl.

1) Forgive my concern on mileage because every month i travel close to 2500km. So i would like to have a efficient bike.

2) My experience with kawasaki showroom & service is not satisfactory they dont care about customers. And their routine service cost without any replacement is 5-7k. My worries are will honda service be expensive with spares cost similar to honda.
Note : N650 sprocket set cost 25k
Tyres both cost 40k
Even basic levers cost in thousands.

3) Headlights, pillion comfort is much better in CBR. The extended warranty is icing on cake for honda. Meanwhile kawasaki showroom guys dont know about warranty also in website i cant find any info.

Im planning on keeping the bike for next 5yrs+ so want a peaceful ownership.

[kratos fury]

Re: CBR650f 2018: Tried so hard to get this black beauty

Yeah, the CBR650R does seem to be sportier. When the bike is moving freely, CBR is very comfortable, but on broken roads or slow moving traffic where you have to brake a lot, I do feel that Ninja would be more comfortable. CBR is not very bad, but Ninja will be more comfortable.

Found N650 gives mileage close to 23kmpl consistently can even go upto 25 if driven sedately.
# Headlight in N650 a concern many owners complaint on this issue.
# If Only wear and tear parts replacement in Ninja no major services in engine ten i will be able to maintain it. Engine service in Ninja can throw a bomb.

[rachitkdogra]

Re: CBR650f 2018: Tried so hard to get this black beauty

Greetings @rachitkdogra many thanks for ur kind reply. I have been watching extensive videos and interacting with Thai owners of new CBR650R.
The new bike gives mileage around 20kmpl.

1) Forgive my concern on mileage because every month i travel close to 2500km. So i would like to have a efficient bike.

2) My experience with kawasaki showroom & service is not satisfactory they dont care about customers. And their routine service cost without any replacement is 5-7k. My worries are will honda service be expensive with spares cost similar to honda.
Note : N650 sprocket set cost 25k
Tyres both cost 40k
Even basic levers cost in thousands.

3) Headlights, pillion comfort is much better in CBR. The extended warranty is icing on cake for honda. Meanwhile kawasaki showroom guys dont know about warranty also in website i cant find any info.

Im planning on keeping the bike for next 5yrs+ so want a peaceful ownership.

Mileage can vary a lot on riding style and conditions. My bike is regular city weekend rides give around 21 and on highways can go upto 25-26 KMpl

Rachit

[kratos fury]

Re: CBR650f 2018: Tried so hard to get this black beauty

Mileage can vary a lot on riding style and conditions. My bike is regular city weekend rides give around 21 and on highways can go upto 25-26 KMpl

Rachit

Ok thanks [MENTION=17658]rachitkdogra[/MENTION] so wat will be ur decision if given these two beauties..

[rachitkdogra]

Re: CBR650f 2018: Tried so hard to get this black beauty

Ok thanks @rachitkdogra so wat will be ur decision if given these two beauties..

It is highly subjective brother. What might work for me, might not work for you.
For my riding needs, where I mostly ride on weekends, CBR offered more and that is why I bought it.



Rachit

[rachitkdogra]

Re: CBR650f 2018: Tried so hard to get this black beauty

You're right, it's a good bike overall. I own the cb650f, basically the same, but without the fairings. I love how smooth the engine is and I even find it pretty comfortable at low speeds. I mean the thing won't even complain about 1.5k rpm. Its just that the gas response is a bit choppy from 0 to 5%, if that makes sense. The power this thing has is enough for me as a beginner. I've done 12k kilometers now, and I'm now able to use most of the power it makes. Sporty riding between 7k and 11k used to be intimidating when I started out, but its manageable now. I recently decided on getting a Mivv oval carbon cap exhaust. Its on its way from Italy as we speak. I hope that will make the bike sound a bit deeper and make it more audible at lower revs. I agree the sound isn't too bad above 7k rpm, but anything below that resembles a sewing machine...

A friend got a MIVVs slip on exhaust for his Z900 recently, I have to admit I was very pleasantly surprised by how understated, deep and nice the exhaust sounded.

CHEERS!!

Rachit

[murali_db]

Re: CBR650f 2018: Tried so hard to get this black beauty

Update : Just Bought a new Windshield and a new set of hand grips for the black beauty


Windscreen : I have been searching for a good windscreen for a long time, easily available and most marketed is the Puig windscreen. Some friends have the MRA windscreen, which is also available in india. I wanted to check some other european brands other than MRA, thats how I came across the Ermax brand.


Have seen some good reviews about the Ermax brand, similar to MRA they also develop windscreens for MotoGP teams. While MRA deals with petronas sepang team, Ermax supports KTM Redbull Tech3 team, some way or the other both the companies deal with racing inspired development. However Ermax deals with lot more components manufacturing like titanium bolts, tyre huggers etc. They claimed to practice the best thermoforming practices as per their website, not sure how thats done technically.



When i checked the design and price of both the windscreens, I liked Ermax touring screen more than the MRA one, the bubble and air vents were more detailed in Ermax Aeromax.



After fitting the Ermax Aeromax in my bike -



Cost - 90 Euros (https://www.speedmax.biz/en/cbr-650-...ar_transparent)


Hand Grips : In the early stage i get more pains in my hand palm, later after getting used to the seating position im fine with it. In city riding whenever we brake, entire body weight sits on the palm, which does not happen now after changing sitting positions . However when riding with pillion its happens again with little more effect. Due to which i decided to go for hand gel grips.


Most famous in market is Pro_Grip or Grip_puppies, one other friend suggested spider grips and told that the feedback & product life is amazing. Bought it for 18$ in US which is 1200+ Rs, available in amazon.in for 2200+ Rs.




Feebback from windshield : Getting a very good feedback from the Windshield, Im zipping up speeds like anything not sure if its really the aerodynamic advantage or just the Wind buff reduced that makes me feel that way, Anyway the difference is there. I have experience using Puig in my benelli 300, this is better than that.


Also Cleaned and Lubed Chain this weekend, so overall getting a excellent feedback from my ride

[Slvrvisn]

Re: CBR650f 2018: Tried so hard to get this black beauty

hi,
anyone upgraded the stock tyres. if so can you let me know to which one and how do they perform.