We knew Honda was teasing the new CB650R when we saw the Neo Café 2020 concept in Paris last month. What we didn’t know was just how soon the production version would follow it! Now, it’s here. Meet the all-new 2019 Honda CB650R.
The new CB650R replaces the CB650F as Honda’s middleweight standard-bearer, and combines retro/modern styling with serious performance bits from the top-shelf CBR1000RR supersports bike. It’s a compelling package, on paper, but we’ll have to wait until April to ride one in person. I mean, unless Honda wants to send me to Texas to ride one again. I’ll let you know if that happens.
In the meantime, check out the full spec sheet and more press photos of the new CB650R, below, then take some time to let us know what you think of the newest middleweight UJM from Honda in the comments section at the bottom of the page.
2019 Honda CB650R | Official Specs
Honda brings a fresh new approach to the naked middleweight arena, with the Neo Sports Café styling of the CB650R, replacing the CB650F. The classic Honda four-cylinder engine propels a lightweight chassis with a high-revving spirit, and premium specifications include upgrades to suspension, brakes and instrumentation. The new CB650R mirrors the CB1000R, with pared-down lines designed to put maximum machine on show. Its super-compact, trapezoid form draws extremities in tightly, and the four-cylinder engine—blacked-out with cam and engine covers highlighted in burnished bronze—is the machine’s centerpiece. Compared to the street fighter-styled CB650F that it replaces, weight has been trimmed from the chassis. An inverted 41mm Showa SFF fork, radial-mount four-piston calipers, floating brake rotors and new wheels are also new for 2019. Tapered handlebars make for easy steering, and the riding position is sporty. The CB650R also shares the CB1000R’s distinctive round LED headlight (all lighting is LED) and modern LCD instrument display, which includes Shift Up and Gear Position indicators. The engine’s revised intake and exhaust, plus new cam timing and compression ratio, boost peak power and provide a smoother, stronger torque delivery through the midrange. An assist/slipper clutch eases upshifts and manages fast, successive downshifts. On the ABS version, HSTC improves rear-wheel traction.
Jo has been working in the automotive industry since 1997, and has been a contributor to various automotive and technology blogs for more than a decade. You can usually find him talking about Swedish metal at his Volvo fansite, out cruising on two wheels, or chasing his kids around Oak Park, IL.
