Honda CBR650R 2024

Information

Honda’s upgraded 2024 CB650R and its fully faired CBR650R sibling have been revealed at the EICMA show in Milan—including not only updated styling but a new TFT dash. More importantly they’re the first two Hondas to be offered with the company’s new E-Clutch option that promises to provide an unmatched level of versatility by allowing completely clutchless operation or letting you ride the bike using the conventional clutch lever.

As in the past, the CB650R and CBR650R are mechanically identical, sharing the same 649cc inline four-cylinder engine and the same steel-tube chassis of last year’s models. There’s no change to peak power, remaining at 94 bhp at 12,000 rpm, with max torque of 46.5 lb.-ft. at 9,500 rpm, tamed by Honda’s HSTC traction-control system. The bikes’ suspension is also unaltered, with 41mm Showa SFF-BP forks and matching shocks, plus Tokico four-pot radial-mount front brakes and 310mm rotors with ABS as standard.

What is new is the styling. The CB650R keeps the signature Neo Sports Café style that was first previewed with the 2015 CB4 Concept, but for 2024 it gets revamped with the drooping LED headlight design from the CB1000R, a shorter, sharpened tail, and redesigned radiator cowls. On the CBR650R, the rear-end changes are the same, but a new front fairing takes its inspiration from the latest-generation CBR1000RR.

On board, both bikes finally join the 2020s with a full-color TFT dash, plus new backlit bar controls to operate it, which gives phone connectivity and turn-by-turn navigation via Honda’s RoadSync app. Under the seat is a USB-C socket to charge modern phones (under the latest EU laws, phones have all adopted USB-C, even forcing Apple to ditch its proprietary Lightning connector on the latest iPhone).

The big news, however, is the E-Clutch, which Honda previewed a few weeks ago and has now been confirmed to be debuting on the CB650R and CBR650R. Available as an option, it’s a servo-operated clutch that retains the conventional, cable-operated manual lever allowing it to be overridden by the rider at any time. In operation, the E-Clutch uses two electric motors, controlled by its own ECU, to engage and disengage the clutch. The servo is mounted in a modified clutch cover and the whole package is compatible with exactly the same assist-and-slipper clutch unit and bar controls used on the normal, manual models. It adds just 4.4 pounds to the weight of the bikes.

In operation, the E-Clutch uses a load sensor mounted in the gearshift linkage—essentially the same sort of electronics used in quickshifters—to tell the clutch when you want to change ratios. There are three presets to alter the sensitivity of the system (hard, medium, and soft), and the E-Clutch ECU combines with the engine’s ignition and injection system to ensure the smoothest shifts possible, both up and down through the ratios, without the need to use the bar-mounted lever.

Although some quickshifters perform a similar role once on the move, the E-Clutch also means you can start and stop without having to touch the lever on the bars. From a standstill, you simply select first gear and open the throttle—the E-Clutch will balance the clutch with the throttle input to make it impossible to stall and allow a smooth getaway. Come to a halt, and the E-Clutch disengages drive before the engine can stall, even without your pulling the lever in. Prefer to take control yourself? Simply select the manual mode on the dash and the bikes are completely conventional, and even when the E-Clutch is active you can override it at any time using the lever on the bars.

2024 Honda CB650R/CBR650R Specs

Reference

https://www.cycleworld.com/bikes/honda-cbr650r-and-cb650r-first-look/

Pictures

Videos