Re: CBR650R with no test ride?

Thread approved.

Re: CBR650R with no test ride?

Honda CBR 650R is a nice bike with the special inspirations from its big daddy and it is quite attractive than the older version but

Why can't you add:

1. Triumph Street triple
2. Suzuki GSX-S750

Please do test drive these bikes and then decide about your purchase.

Re: CBR650R with no test ride?

I have ridden the CBR 650R and its a very good machine. However riding position is pretty committed (less than RC390), but long highway rides will not be pleasant for your wrist, shoulder and back as they have lowered the clip ons b y 22mm as compared to the CBNR 650F.
If you plan to use it for touring, then better go for something like N1000.

If you mention your budget and intended usage pattern members here can provide better suggestion.
For what the bike offers, CBR 650R is over priced. Servicing and parts do cost less as compared to competition.

Re: CBR650R with no test ride?

It's still comfortable to tour on as I've heard on reviews. And it's not as powerful as the z900 n other competition but has a similar top end.

Re: CBR650R with no test ride?

Thats from reviews abroad mostly. Our road conditions are different from theirs.
I am not saying that one cannot tour on the CBR 650R, however it wont be that comfortable, and the rider would need much frequent breaks.
Had clocked some kms on my friends ride and it wasn't a very good experience.
Hence went for the N1000 and really happy with it.

Re: CBR650R with no test ride?

It's yet to be seen , it's a bit sporty but not too much , you can easily do 300 at a stretch . For sure the F is more comfortable, but this has better forks and slightly more power and a lower weight than before

Re: CBR650R with no test ride?

Sorry for such a late reply but i didn't go any mail from xbhp about any update on this thread.

Street triple looks really ugly and both of them are naked(by watching some review on youtube suzuki is also boring to ride like cbr).
For my whole life i've ridden naked bike only, that is why i'm leaning towards fully fared bike for a change.
If i've to choose naked bike i'll go for mt09.
I was unable to find any ownership thread for suzuki and yamaha.

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I can go for N1000. I can extend my budget upto 12-13 lakh but from what i read on xbhp or team bhp, kawasaki's are pain in ass to maintain.

Even my brother's friend's told me to steer away from kawasaki.

I don't have budget problem, but i don't want to make a mistake and buy something which i won't be able to keep for long time. Kawasaki checks all the negatives on maintenance. Correct me if i'm wrong on maintenance cost. I love kawasaki, i like its look and what we get for the initial price we pay but i'm afraid of buying it.

My usage pattern will be daily ride to my office, weekend rides and atleast 2-3 long tours in a year. So you can think it as my primary bike.

Re: CBR650R with no test ride?

Okay then, I have a few observations to make:

1) Go with the heart, if it wants a faired, find a faired bike you like
2) Have real Kawasaki owners who have owned a bike for 3 or more years told you they were terrible to maintain? Have multiple unbiased sources told you the same?
3) None of your faired options are going to ride quite like the Z900 or Striple R/RS you need to test ride and go in with eyes wide open

From what you have said, if you can live with the weight, the Ninja 1000 is hands down the most fun bike in your budget for you. It has more than enough low end and mid range, while the high revs just go ballistic. It is comfortable to go touring with and is equally at home blasting around on weekends. The weight will be felt in the city, then again most of the bikes you are considering aren't exactly fun to ride in Indian cities anyways.

I think you need to re-assess WHY you want a bike, WHAT you want from it, and what you are willing to COMPROMISE. There is no perfect bike whether you spend 3 Lakhs or 30 Lakhs, just something that you like to ride and you will enjoy owning. Please be clear that if you put 10K km on the bike in a year, you will need to spend on Insurance, Tires, Brake Pads and routine maintenance. Depending on what you buy you will need to budget 50K-75K range for these big bikes. Sorry if you already know this, but I just wanted to point it out as I have gone through similar calculations very recently.

Re: CBR650R with no test ride?

Just a question, is CBR 650R available? I thought it has been sold out/discontinued (BS6 implementation).

Re: CBR650R with no test ride?

Let's start with second point. I've read all the negative comments on team bhp or xbhp and one from by brother's friend. Problem is i can only find the service cost till 3rd service after that their is no source other than people saying their consumables are super expensive like chain set etc. Even their service interval is short(6k kms) compared to Honda or triumph(10k kms).

Now coming to your third point, i was on the verge of buying z900 because my height is 5'7''(170 cm) and my weight is 70kg (not a gym type guy), only z900 has lowest seat height but when i read the negatives of kawasaki, i started to think about cbr650r. I even went to the honda showroom for test ride but bike wasn't available for test ride. Even then i asked them to book a black cbr for me. But all black ones were sold out. After that in 2020 corona started so no luck. Coming to Ninja 1000, its seat is higher than cbr 650r(even z900 has more weight) and has 40kg of extra weight, i can barely touch the feet on cbr, so there is no chance i can manage N1000, still i'm going to test ride N1000 if current situation gets any better.

Coming to triple rs, this is the lightest bike in any segment(cc wise) that i can think of buying but again it's seat is even higher than ninja1000.

First point, I don't have any problem with naked bike, i love their style more than faired bike(yamaha mt10 my fav), but heat they dissipate on legs is my primary concern and i'm going to drive at-least 70kms daily in traffic, so correct me if i'm wrong about heat dissipation thing. Second problem is wind blast on highway when touring.

I know i sound confused that is why i'm here for your help.
When i go to showrooms, i feel un-welcomed or get really lukewarm response from sales person present there. Maybe i don't look like a person who will buy such a expensive bike but when i go to car showroom or service center they make me feel like god. Sometimes i ask myself that am i making a huge mistake? If they can't even care for a person who is about to buy a bike then i can forget about after sale service. That is why i'm more concerned about servicing than features.
The only brand that took interest was triumph, they called me several times for triple rs but in 2019 my budget was restricted to z900 or cbr. The person i talked to in Honda was pretty good on phone, he himself contacted me when 2019 model launched in India, but when i went to showroom story was completely different.

Again sorry if i sound confused.

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Yes not available right now because of corona. Just clearing my doubts for 2021, if by any luck corona situation gets any better.

Re: CBR650R with no test ride?

Okay so consumables like chains and sprockets are always available on the aftermarket, you can easily source it even during warranty without any issues. For such types of bikes you have to be prepared to get involved yourself. Find and read the service manual, be extra finnicky about things and learn to do basic services yourself. Intervals are essentially chosen at the whims of manufacturers, their poison (oil, probably not the best) of choice and the filter cleaning cycle. I would definitely do an oil change every 3 months or 3-5K Kms my self, regardless of what the manufacturer says. Your engine will thank you in the long run.

1) Look No Japanese mid weight sports tourer is going to give you the feeling of a mid weight naked. for your use case, they are actually terrible to buy given their lack of low end and mid range performance. You have to decide if that is okay with your regular commute. It sure as hell wouldn't work for me. Great for touring though, given their wind protection, especially if most of the riding is done o good roads. Get into the twisties though, and you'd wish for something with more torque

2) Z900 and Ninja 1000 are heavy. No getting around it. However when you start moving, they do hustle. Not ideal for city commute though. I think the heat management of these is the best amongst the big bikes in this price bracket

3) Seat Height is a double edged sword. The older Z900 Triangle didn't work for me. I am yet to try the new one. While I could just about flat foot the old Tiger, the new one is a breeze due to the tank design. You need to sit on bike and see if they work for you. A number doesn't translate into usability or lack of in the real world. It is like buying a bike based on performance figures alone.

4) Striple is probably the most fun bike around a bend, but it is low on space for luggage or pillion comfort. Again it won't be cheap to maintain. About 10% more than Kawasaki would be a good general rule of thumb. Don't let that deter you though. All large bikes come with big bills.

5) In general Faired Bikes will do better on wind blast than nakeds. I will come back to this in a bit.


Don't apologise for being confused man. It is where every major decision such as this starts. I was in a dilemma as well a few days ago until I made a decision and placed an order for my future bike.

6) Lackadaisical response from Showroom numpties shouldn't deter you. In general they are all like that until you start following up for a sale. These bikes all sell themselves. Most people who buy do a lot of research and know what exactly they want to buy, or they cross shopping between a couple of models, which is where the sales person can shine.

7) Don't worry so much about aftersales, it is always going to be hit and miss. You need to deal with it as it comes. Get involved with changing brake pads, oil, fork service, chain tightening, cleaning and lubing and you will be fine for most of your ownership horizon

As far as riding in the city and touring on the highway goes while trying to minimise windblast and keep maintenance somewhat reasonable, the following holds true if you are trying to do any permutation and combination of this scenario

Ninja 650
Suzuki Vstrom

Stick to a twin. In your case it sounds like the Faired Ninja would suit you better and enjoy it. I know people who are currently riding the Suzuki, it isnt ideal for the city, but its doable. I also know people who have put 50/60K on the Ninja touring the length and breadth of the nation. Both are very admirable bikes. In the case of the Kawaski, do yourself a favour and buy used.

Re: CBR650R with no test ride?

You wanna drive 70 kms a day, in Delhi, on a sports bike? Leave the budget and all other things out, and think about it. Sports bikes are good for things but commuting. A street bike or adv tourer (especially if your way requires some maneuvering over shitty ways).

Now I don't have a fancy bike or ever ridden one. But watch this video, from a motorcycle instructor himself, on the bikes he has owned.

Also, invest more in safety gear and training to ride.

https://youtu.be/3isQRi1sPjQ

Re: CBR650R with no test ride?

Whatever bike you buy, do not buy one without a test ride. You don't want to have regrets when you take delivery of your bike and it's no small $$ either.

Re: CBR650R with no test ride?

Completely agree with fellow xbhpian Sparky. While the decision to select a particular high performance bike comes from the heart (and it rightly should), the process of shortlisting the contenders should be from the brain (read deliberate and well researched). Big bike purchase should be done after evaluation over a period of time and after thorough sampling of all contenders.

Test drive is a must and is an inescapable part of this process. This helps you to see which machine connects with your heart the most. Because you want that childlike grin everytime you sit on the bike and feel good about going to office and look forward to getting back home just so as to get to ride the bike again. Everything else can be rationalised. Hence plz do not miss out on test drive.

At times you really have to persist with crappy showroom people who tend to behave as if they are doing you a favour by letting you into the showroom.

So far you have been patient and have done the right things. Plz persist with the process till the end.