The 2019 CB650R is powered by a 649cc inline-four engine that was purpose built for life on the street. Although it shares the same cylinder bore measurements as the CBR600RR engine, Honda assures us the engines are completely different. And you can tell from the moment you lift the kickstand. As opposed to a conventional middleweight 600, the CB jumps away from stoplights with added vigor. Yet it still has that same fun, rip-roaring sound and four-cylinder power rush, only more usable.
The powertrain has been tweaked, as has the chassis—so much so that Honda dropped the “F’ designation from the model name, replacing it with a “R.” But how does it ride? We go through the ins and outs of this new naked bike in this episode of MC Commute.
