Duel CB650F Vs MT-07: the traditional Honda 4-legged against the sensational CP2 Yamaha
Attacked from all sides, the Yamaha MT-07 remains the benchmark for mid-capacity roadsters. In 2017, Honda continues to oppose its CB650F, revised on the occasion of the switch to Euro4. Can the 4-legged roadster beat the CP2 twin ? Answer in this new MNC duel !
Duel CB650F Vs MT-07 page 2 – Honda 4-cylinder sharpens for 2017
The engine architectures of our two roadsters are their main distinguishing feature, but there are others! Placed side by side, the two motorcycles do not seem to play quite in the same category: the size of the Honda is a little more imposing than that of the Yamaha.
On the CB650F for example, the tank is more bouncy (17.3 liters Vs 14) and its side covers are more prominent. Its higher and more prominent light, topped with a more generous – but just as ineffective – windscreen, gives the impression of a larger displacement motorcycle..
Or is it the MT-07 that looks like a small cube, especially because of its little flattened and tapered butt like that of an older generation R6? Similarly, the exhaust manifolds – half as many on the Yam ‘- visually impose – twice – less than on the Honda !
Note also the absence of black paint on the radiator of the MT-07, or cover on the tubes of the steel frame, which make the Yamaha look like a 125 a bit "exotic" while it is made in Japan, she. Produced in Thailand, the CB650F clearly does not have to be ashamed of its country of origin.
For 2017, the Honda even receives "Full LED" lighting … except, strangely, turn signals which retain their bulbs and large gray caps. Pity ! Customers are sensitive to this kind of detail: they will nevertheless appreciate that the Tokyo firm has equipped the rims with elbow valves (straight on the Yamaha).
Another novelty mentioned in the introduction of this duel and whose performance will be studied on the following page: the new Honda fork features the words "SDBV Showa Dual Bending Valve" under the driver’s nose and caps in a gray tint more flattering than the anonymous yamaha end caps.
One regret however about the CB650F fork: it is not inverted, unlike that of the late Hornet … which the new CB does not replace but not "officially" in the Honda catalog, insisted the officials of the brand during its presentation !
Bikers who are still waiting for the arrival of a "CB650R" will also regret the absence on the "F" of radial fixing calipers. But they may notice that the front discs of the Honda are significantly larger than those of the Yamaha (320 mm Vs 282) and that their cut into petals is sharper..
On the MT-07, we find the traditional star front calipers: appeared on the very first R1, this finish is present on the majority of Yamaha models. At Site, we never tire of it. And among customers of Yamaha dealerships either, if we are to believe the sales figures !
One could justly criticize the Yamaha product for its important distribution: if, when it was released, the MT look contrasted sharply with the rest of the production, it has become terribly commonplace today. To differentiate themselves from the flood of MT-07s that flood our streets, future customers can opt for the original gray / fluorescent yellow biton that our test machine covers. Within the MNC editorial staff, opinions on this color diverge – which is enormous, joked the late Desproges….
The facelift of the Honda brings on the contrary a little freshness … Like the CB500F renewed last year, the 2017 CB650F is clearly refined from the front: the fire is lower, its casing is more compact and the radiator scoops are simply cut off. On the other hand, the new "bronzed" color of the 4-legged engine housings stands out better than on the CP2.
The Yamaha retaliates at the rear with its sleek, openwork aluminum arm to the right, while it remains full on the Honda. Equality on the other hand with regard to the rear shock absorbers which are mounted without connecting rods on the two motorcycles of this comparative test.
While continuing its inspection, Site spots with amazement rust spots on the exhaust of the Honda … which has just come out of the box (0 km)! Fortunately, the tiny pellets start with a fingernail stroke: phew, the metal is not attacked. Admit it would have made a mess…
However, the sound of the redesigned exhaust does not call for the slightest criticism! Honda engineers have allowed the engine to breathe better: they have reviewed both the inspiration (air box and ducts) and the expiration (silencer) of their roadster. The affiliation with the CBR600RR is closer.
Note at the same time that the incongruous crackling that emanated from under the tank on the old CB650F has disappeared as if by magic. The throttle grip is still as responsive on the first degrees of opening, the engine appearing all the more lively.
Despite its original 270 ° setting (as on the venerable TDM, in particular), the twin-cylinder "CP2" gives off a more basic tone. Fans of Japanese sports cars – Fireblade, Ninja and Gex on the front line, because the R1 is apart with its own "Cross Plane" setting – will probably prefer the round and angry tone of the CB650F.
Bikers looking for engine performance will naturally lean towards the CB which, as a reminder, had beaten these rivals in this area in the previous MNC comparison (). But was Honda right to bet again on its traditional 4-legged ?
Against its former adversaries, the CB650F also stood out by exposing its 180mm rear tire and presenting the lightest weight in its class: 208 kg with ABS, as it is today. But the MT-07 is also equipped with a large gommard and above all, it weighs only 182 kg all full. !
The difference of 26 (twenty-six!) Kilograms jumps to the arms and legs of Site, which in turn handles the two motorcycles. The observation is clear: engines cut, small riders will clearly prefer to operate the Yamaha rather than the Honda..
What then strikes the user is the difference in terms of turning diameter: the Journal moto du Net has measured that the MT-07 requires a meter less than the CB650F to make a U-turn. Yamaha marks new milestone for mid-displacement roadster.
Deemed too hard by Site three years ago – especially compared to the delicious Bandit 650 – the saddle of the CB650F turns out to be a little more welcoming than that of the MT-07, thanks to a padding that is a hint of softer, especially in front of.
The Honda saddle is thin enough up front to allow most riders – and users – to put both feet on the ground. Announced 5 mm higher than its competitor, the Yamaha nevertheless facilitates access to the ground thanks to suspensions which sag more generously under the weight of the pilot.
As wide as the other in their rear part, the two saddles make these two motorcycles rather comfortable, even when you have to put down your – fat? – butt on it. At the end of one day, Site felt a tiredness qualified unanimously as "reasonable".
Thanks to its twin, the MT has a slimmer size than the CB and its 4-cylinder. The Yam ‘therefore spreads the legs a little less, which are also less bent on the Yamaha, whose footrests are located about a centimeter lower and forward than on the Honda..
We note in passing that despite its compactness, the CP2 has a fairly prominent clutch housing. In hot weather, the top of the right calf quickly feels the temperature rise while on the Honda, it is rather the knee that comes into contact with the "boiler".
On both roadsters, the driver’s boots are greeted by a generous thickness of rubber, doubled on the CB650F only by very high weights … Enough to filter the crackling of the 4-cylinder that the Euro4 update would not have managed to suffocate? Let’s check in !
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