Honda CB650R E-Clutch test: Introduction, positioning and rivals of the Honda CB650R E-Clutch
See if things change; The Honda CB650R E-Clutch (94 HP, €9,400) is the only “six-hundred” four-cylinder naked left on the market. In the 900 cc plains, there are still mohawks like the Kawasaki Z900 (125 HP, €10,650), and the Kawasaki Z900RS (111 HP, €15,999), but in the medium displacement, manufacturers have reduced the number of cylinders, to three or two units, in search of manufacturing economy.
Honda has not shied away from that path either, there is the Honda CB750 Hornet (92 HP, €7,880), but giving up the four-cylinder that they themselves placed on the map in 1969 would be too much, tradition is very important. Honda is an automotive giant and is capable of accepting the challenge of fighting with its four-cylinder CB650R against the Aprilia Tuono 660 (100 HP, €10,949), Yamaha MT-07 (73.4 HP, €7,999), Kawasaki Z 650 RS, Suzuki GSX8S (83 HP, €8,299), Ducati Monster (111 HP, €12,490), Triumph Trident 660 (81 HP, €8,595), KTM 890 Duke R (121 HP, €13,639) or BMW F900R (105 HP , €9,720) and even with its sister the CB750 Hornet.
Being the last of a lineage (that of the medium-displacement tetra-cylinder), it is the model chosen to equip the E-Clutch, Honda's new electric clutch. A Honda sophistication that shows the way to the competition. They had already marveled at the DCT, a dual-clutch automatic transmission.
The E-Clutch is still a manual transmission, but it eliminates having to operate the clutch (if you don't want to, because it is still there). The revolutionary thing about the E-Clutch is that it is easier to use than what we have been doing all our lives. It barely adds extra weight and its cost compared to the standard Honda CB650R is €300. In my opinion, it is a game changer.
If only for that reason, the Honda CB650R and CBR650R that equip it for the first time will go down in history; as did the 1969 Honda CB750 with its inline four-cylinder and front disc brake. A revolution, but that's another story.
Honda CB650R E-Clutch test: Technical characteristics and equipment of the Honda CB650R E-Clutch
The design of the motorcycle has changed slightly compared to the 2023 model. The shape of the seat has changed, as well as the side fins. What is most striking is the new front headlight (full LED lighting), which in its upper part deforms backwards, in the image and likeness of the Honda CB1000R.
Handlebar rims and some covers are painted in bronze, which contrasts with the black of the engine block and the red of the body. What continues to be the protagonist are the beautiful collectors, which are born parallel and converge in the silent, low outlet.
Having to fight with its rivals with a four-cylinder, Honda presents the CB650R as an authentic naked, with a round headlight, but undoubtedly modern. That authenticity implies some toll to contain costs, such as the absence of engine modes or suspensions without the possibility of adjustment. After testing the bike, I can say that I did not miss either of the two absences.
As for the engine, its smooth and silky personality at low and medium revs contrasts with the rage when revving. It has 649 cc and delivers 93.87 HP at 12,000 rpm, which means that it can be limited for the A2 license. The declared maximum torque is 64 Nm at 8,500 rpm, which does not imply an absence of thrust at low and medium revolutions, but it does define where the pelendengues bite. The declared consumption is 5l/100, so its real theoretical range, with its 15-litre tank, will not exceed 300 kilometers.
The suspensions can only be adjusted in preload (7 positions) on the Monoshock rear shock absorber with 120 mm of travel. The Showa SFF-BP (Separate Function Big Piston) inverted fork with 41 mm diameter and equal travel (120 mm) cannot be adjusted, but its setting progressively hardens as it is compressed, achieving a very good balance between performance and comfort. At least for someone like a server, who weighs around 83 kilos. One of its bottles houses the hydraulic function, while the spring is in the other.
The brakes are Nissin: double 310 mm disc with 4-piston radial caliper and a 240 mm diameter disc at the rear, clamped by a 1-piston caliper. The hoses are not metal. The tire sizes are very conventional: 120/70 ZR17 and 180/55 ZR17 for Dunlop Sportmax with very good performance.
The chassis is a double steel beam, while the swingarm is cast aluminum. The seat height is an affordable 810 mm, as it is not a wide motorcycle at leg height. The weight is contained, around 220 kilos in running order and it is very easy to maneuver at low speed and when stopped.
The brake lever is adjustable. The clutch one, no. The reason is that, on this CB650R E-Clutch, you are not going to use it! The system is a clutch driven by an electric servo. It acts the moment a gear is inserted, in any circumstance. And why is there a clutch lever? The E-Clutch system can be deactivated and operated as on a normal motorcycle.
When activated, there is no need to use the clutch lever when engaging a gear, but if you do, it will act like a normal clutch. That means that when you grab the clutch lever, the system is deactivated. As soon as you release the lever, it activates again. As we will see in “how it goes”, this has its reason for being.
The interface is also new compared to the previous model. It is a small joystick on the left pineapple that controls a 5-inch TFT screen, more complete than before, with on-board computer and automatic day/night mode. Through the RoadSync application it is possible to pair the mobile phone via Bluetooth.
Honda CB650R E-Clutch Test: How the Honda CB650R E-Clutch Goes
The Honda CB650R is very well proportioned in every way. It is really attractive to look at, also in part due to its chromatic contrasts of engine, chassis and bodywork. At his command, everything feels natural. The seat is 810 mm high and its redesign is a great success: it is more comfortable as it has no edges.
At 178 cm tall, I place both soles of my feet on the ground and have plenty of room for flexion in my knees. The hands fall on the handlebars naturally, the trunk slightly forward and the footpegs (with very long warning devices) allow a comfortable position and a certain degree of sportiness, if we rest the toe of the boot on them.
When starting, you feel the smoothness of the Honda four-cylinder. So far, everything is normal. The first time you operate the gear lever without squeezing the clutch, the doubt never ceases to assail you: “Could it be true that it is not necessary to hold the clutch lever?” Indeed, it is an act of faith. But once you press the lever, you hear first gear engage; The sound is the same as if you had taken the clutch. And the truth is that it is the motorcycle that triggered it.
On the screen you can see that first gear is engaged. All that remains is to give the gas and the motorcycle moves forward, slipping the clutch slightly, in the same way that you would have done by releasing the clutch lever little by little. The surprising thing is that everything happens in an instant, naturally. What your hand usually does, has been done by an electric servo that has received the order to engage (in essence, disengage) at the same moment that you have pressed the lever down.
On the other hand, it is the throttle grip that gives the command to “release the lever.” The transition from one gear to another is identical to that of a quickshifter, with the advantage that there are no limitations of any kind: the number of rpm does not matter, or if you are giving gas or cutting. It will always respond to your commands and insert the gear you have ordered with your foot. It is still a manual transmission, in the sense that you command the gear in which it is circulated. An automatic transmission like the DCT chooses the gear in which the motorcycle rolls (unless you intervene). The E-Clutch does what you order, but you don't have to use your hand.
Another peculiarity is that you do not have to press the clutch lever to stop the motorcycle. You can stop in any gear, which will not stall. It is not necessary to engage neutral to release the handlebar. If you try to start in a gear other than 1st, the clutch will slip until you can get the bike into gear.
The reason is not that you can start in any gear, but that the motorcycle is able to detect (and it does so very well) when it is necessary to slip the clutch to always obtain the necessary traction in any circumstance. It is easy to check this by entering any curve or roundabout in a higher gear ratio than appropriate. The bike detects this and will make the clutch slip as soon as you give the gas, to get thrust at the moment you request it.
If, on the other hand, you want to be in control of the situation and feel the engine braking when you release the lever, you can do it: the moment you take the clutch lever, the motorcycle deactivates the E-Clutch and works like a conventional motorcycle. The moment you release the lever, it returns to E-Clutch mode.
The exceptional thing about all this is that it is much more natural than it seems when it is explained. It does not require an adaptation period. What's more, it's much easier than driving “the old way.” My conclusion regarding the E-Clutch is that it is revolutionary. We will see it in more Honda models and also how the competition reacts with alternative systems. It provides ease of driving and safety.
Going back to the CB650R, it is still the compact and effective naked that it was. Being the last four-cylinder among the medium-displacement naked models, it is suitable for those who like to find the engine's peak at the top of the rev counter. But that does not mean that it is a difficult engine to manage, quite the opposite.
The 4 cylinders continue to be the specialty of the house. Of course the engine is rabid in its final third, but the power is equally linear throughout the rev range. It is not empty at low rpm, but rather offers the smoothness and pleasure of use usual in Honda tetras. There are no bumps in the lap climb, but rather progressivity.
The same can be said of the cycle part. The suspensions are comfortable and although they do not have hydraulic regulation, they are progressive in their performance. They are not as firm as in a sports car, but they do feel firmer in the last stretch of operation. Thus, when you apply yourself on the road in sporty driving, it is easy to feel the motorcycle in the cornering phases.
The feel of the front wheel is very good and I don't miss more elaborate suspensions taking into account the use of the motorcycle, focused on daily use without underestimating weekend outings.
The brakes are at a high level, but the absence of metal hoses on a set of 4-piston radial calipers and 310 mm discs is still surprising. In normal use they measure up, but in sporadic circuit entries they will show fatigue from intensive use. Although, thinking about it, with such long warning lights on the footpegs, the circuit will not be one of your favorite destinations.
The TFT panel is read very well. Honda has improved the intuitiveness of its interface compared to other models. It is even easy to calibrate the sensitivity of the E-Clutch lever, but it is also true that, paradoxically, it does not have engine modes and other systems.
After a week with the Honda CB650R, I haven't missed the engine modes, ABS settings or traction control. What is going to be difficult for me is going back to a traditional manual transmission. How quickly one gets used to good things.
