2019 Honda CB650R MC Commute Review

We take Honda’s CB650R for a spin during our workweek commute.

Honda adds a middleweight to its US 2019 Neo-Sports Café lineup with the introduction of the CB650R. The 650 slots between the fantastic (and affordable) CB300R and the ultra-premium CB1000R.

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.

We take Honda's $8,899 CB650R naked bike for a ride in this week's episode of MC Commute.Kevin Wing

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.