2017 Honda CBR650F Launched In India: Price, Specifications And Features

After unveiling the 2017 Honda CBR650F at EICMA last year, India’s second largest bike maker has silently launched the middleweight sports bike in India at Rs 7.3 lakh (ex-showroom Delhi). Interesting, despite all the new updates, Honda has still managed to price the 2017 Honda CBR650F similar to the previous model, which might turn out to be the USP of this 650cc fully-faired bike.

On the first look, there is not much to differentiate the 2017 Honda CBR650F to its predecessor, however, since the bike was pulled out of the Indian market due to new BSIV norms, its compatibility with the regulations is one of its major highlights.

The most talked about feature of 2017 Honda CBR650F is its Euro 4-compliant 4-cylinder, liquid-cooled, DOHC, 4-stroke, 4-valves, 649cc motor which is mated to a 6-speed gearbox. While the Euro-spec of the inline-four engine delivers 90PS and 64Nm of peak torque, the Indian-spec produces only 86.7PS of maximum power while peak torque stands at 60.5Nm. This loss in power is said to be a result of lower fuel quality in India which forced Honda engineers to tune the motor. The older Honda CB650F’s engine produced 87PS at 11,000rpm and 63Nm of peak torque at 8,000rpm.

The 649 cc four-cylinder engine also gets a new intake and exhaust, to make the bike compliant with Euro 4 emission norms. 2017 Honda CBR650F’s shorter air intake funnels houses four 32 mm throttle bores from a down-flow airbox which in turn has resulted in the right side-swept 4-1 exhaust with a dual-pass internal structure in the muffler.

The 2017 Honda CBR650F also gets shorter 2nd to 5th gear ratio which will improve acceleration and roll-on figures. Honda also claims fuel efficiency figures of 20kmpl and a full tank range of 350km with its 17.3-litre tank capacity.

The point worth mentioning is, the company has claimed that compared to the outgoing version, 2017 Honda CBR650F will be louder. So, will the wild one scream this time?

Updates haven’t been restricted to the engine and the 2017 Honda CBR650F’s chassis has been updated to be stiffer around the headstock as well as more flexible in the spar section. It comes with a new set of 41mm Showa Dual Bending Valve (SDBV) forks which offers more suspension travel at 120mm (the older bike had110mm).

At the back, however, suspension duties in 2017 Honda CBR650F are handles with the same adjustable-monoshock with 7 preloads, mounted directly in the die-cast aluminum swingarm. Braking hardware has been updated with a revised two-piston Nissin front calipers while twin-channel ABS comes as standard. The revised two-piston front calipers work with 320mm discs, with a single-piston 240mm disc a the rear.

One of the biggest cosmetic change in the 2017 Honda CBR650F is the LED-powered headlamp console which is a great move by Honda to increase its appeal for the masses, however, the instrumentation panel remains untouched.

As for other specifications in the 2017 Honda CBR650F, cast aluminum six-spoke wheels come studded with 120/70-17 and 180/55-17 front and rear radial Tires. It measures 2110 x 755 x 1145mm, comes with a Wheelbase of 57 inches (1450mm), Seat Height of 31.9 inches (810mm), Ground Clearance of 150mm and 213kg of Curb Weight.

The 2017 Honda CBR650F will directly compete against Kawasaki Ninja 650F (Rs 5.69 Lakh ex-showroom) in India and will be available in two new shades namely Millennium Red and Matte Gunpowder Black Metallic.

The four-cylinder middleweight bikes provide accessible and enjoyable engine performance and are affordable to both purchase as well as run. Honda has always had a strong belief in creating motorcycles which are low on costs but big on excitement and are genuine middleweights which pack the real pound-for-pound punch.

2017 Honda CBR650F is no exception to their beliefs and since Kawasaki Ninja 650F with a lower powered engine is its only competitor in the segment, this BSIV compliant new middleweight sports bike might end up climbing the sales charts for Honda.