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Honda CBR 650 F in the HP driving report

Against the trend

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In the 600 class, four-cylinder engines are threatened with extinction. With the Honda CBR 650 F, Honda is bucking the trend. Perhaps even more so now.

At the end of the 2016 motorcycle season, the door at Honda also fell shut: With the end of the CBR 600 RR, the world’s largest motorcycle manufacturer also said goodbye to the 600 super sports segment. It didn’t come as a surprise. Ultimately, only Yamaha with the new YZF-R6 is holding the flag in the former flagship segment of Japanese four-cylinder technology. In this respect, the revised Honda is also VS.BR 650 F the last of its kind: the only four-cylinder bike in the lower displacement segment that is not hyper-sporty.

Honda CBR 650 F in the HP driving report

Against the trend

Chassis is in distress in attack mode

And drives like that too. Wide arches, long curves, that is the terrain of the Bonsai Double X. The delicate, technical eyeliner that the 650 now received has not changed anything. Thanks to shorter intake funnels and an exhaust system that is less restrictive despite Euro 4 homologation, four more horses should trot in the quad with 91 hp. Logical that they let off steam with a small row four far away from the speed range. Nevertheless: From 1,500 revolutions the propellant pushes without vibrating at low speeds. Initially moderate, from the 7,000 mark with the lightness typical of a 600 concept. Step through the gears, let the engine turn until just before the speed limit at 11,800 rpm – nothing is easier than keeping the Honda CBR 650 F happy.

At least as long as the chassis tolerates the brisk ride. Because the shock absorber and, above all, the fork work very sensitively on a civil excursion, as the duo gets into trouble under attack mode. When accelerating, the weakly dampened monoshock, which can only be adjusted in the spring base, pumps nervously over the bumps. When braking hard, the thin fork of the Honda CBR 650 F sticks deep into its travel despite the revised damping. Speaking of brakes: The technically unspecified change to the brake calipers cannot be felt subjectively. The pressure point and controllability are still good.

Last 600 sports tourer with four-cylinder

The Thailand-made Honda CBR 650 F does not have the role of the planer in its sights anyway. More like the all-round carefree package. Gears two to five, which have been reduced by ten percent, are now easier to connect to, and nobody misses different driving modes when the engine is set up successfully.

Whether the tariff of the Honda CBR 650 F with 8,705 euros meets the competition in the mid-range, which is aggressively priced, can be discussed. There is, however, not one thing: a four-cylinder engine in a sport touring outfit only exists in one motorcycle in this displacement league, the CBR 650 F.

Offers for the Honda CBR 650 F

Used Honda CBR 650 F in Germany

You should keep an eye on the last sports tourer in the 600 segment on the used motorcycle market. There the Honda CBR 650 F offers a top price-performance ratio. With a bit of luck you can even find a real bargain: a used Honda CBR 650 F in Germany

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