2018 Honda CB650F

Motorcyclists old enough to remember Honda’s 1975 CB400F and CB550F Super Sport models will wake right up from their La-Z-Boy nap (okay, just kidding daddy-o!) instantly upon a close-range startup of the CB650F. While technically a way different animal than those fondly remembered classics, its soul remains precisely the same: a well-balanced standard bike powered by a 649cc inline-four with a particularly snaky 4-into-1 right-side-exiting exhaust system.

While the olden models had SOHC engines and five-speed transmissions, the new CB650F has a DOHC mill and a six-speed gearbox. And the performance is night-and-day, Jekyll-and-Hyde different. Although competent in their time, the original snaky-pipe Super Sports weren’t world-beaters in stock form, while the CB650F gets with it in a much more, well, ¡Ay, caramba! manner. Other reasons to go new are EFI, better conventional suspension, and triple disc brakes (with ABS optional for $500). And guess what? Both the 1975 CB550F and 2018 CB650F weigh a claimed 454 pounds wet. We told you they shared their souls.

Likes: Solid value and versatility with Honda's famous attention to detail

Dislikes: Conventional suspension is an obvious cost-saving ploy

Verdict: Respected 1970s mission reimagined via contemporary design and technology

2018 Honda CB650F Review