Honda CB650R Acceleration & Top Speed

Honda CB650R 0-60 Quater mile in 11.80 seconds

Honda’s CB650R is the replacement of the CB650F and is a naked version of CBR650R that replaced the CBR650F.

Both  machines were introduced in 2019 and are on sale today and compete with many other very capable motorcycles.

Powered by the same revised 649 cc inline four-cylinder engine as the sporty faired version and producing the same claimed 94 horsepower at 11,500 rpm.

Aimed at new and experienced riders who want an attractive-looking motorcycle that is comfortable and practical while providing big bike straight-line performance.

Honda had great success in the late 90s and all the way through the thousands with the Honda CB600F Hornet.

The Honder Hornet is a naked motorcycle powered by the bulletproof Honda CBR600F engine.

In its slightly detuned format, the Honda Hornet made a claimed 96 horsepower at 12000 rpm. 

It was a quick bike that thrived on revs and could reach 140 plus mph on a good day and in the right hands.

The Honda CB650R we could argue is a modern version of the phenomenally successful Honda Hornet that sold in the bucket load in all markets

The Honda Hornet even had its very own dedicated race series in the UK.

While both motorcycles look different, they are both attractive and funky looking.

I’d say that the new Honda CB650R is a worthy successor to the Honda Hornet.

It makes more-or-less the same power but benefits from more torque courtesy of the extra 50 cc and slightly lower state of tune. 

On paper at least the Honda CB650R should be aore capable engine on the road and in most situations.

Honda CB650R Dyno and engine performance

The Honda CB650R has the same engine as the Honda CBR650R with both having the same claimed power.

The Honda CB650R made a little bit less on the dyno vs the previously tested Honda CBR650R with a healthy 80 horsepower at 10,500 rpm and 42 ft/lb at 9500 rpm.

Our Honda CB650R on the test also made a little bit less power and torque throughout the entire rpm range.

I’m pretty sure that Honda has not changed the engine in any way, so I’d put the lower numbers down to the factors on the day or slight differences between each motorcycle.

It is a little down on power compared to the Honda Hornet which often makes around 5-7 horsepower more at peak. 

It is not an amount of power that you’d really notice much in isolation but perhaps could back-to-back if riding the tow machines.

But this minor top-end deficit is made up between 3000 and 8000 rpm where the Honda CB650R is considerably stronger likely down to that extra capacity.

The engine of Honda CB650R is also stronger than one of its main rivals – the Yamaha MT-07 but only in the top end as the Yamaha MT-07 out grunts the Honda CB650R in the bottom and mid ranges.

Either way, the engine is particularly good and exceptionally smooth in the typical Honda fashion we have become used to, and is exciting like many high rpm fours that love to be revved out to their limiters.

Honda CB650R in gear acceleration curve

Like the Honda CBR650R there is a welcome kick as the turbine-like thrust spools up at 6000 rpm as it drives you forward with good urgency through 12000 rpm.

It is no litrebike kick, but is enough to get your blood flowing and to put a smile on your face. 

The smoothness of the engine as well as good flexibility means that you can even chug around in fifth or even sixth in town and it will not complain too much.

The engine  will still pick up relatively well and drive hard enough to get the job done.

Being a racy four-cylinder though, naturally it likes to be around the 5000 to 600o rpm mark where it will respond well to throttle if you need to get a move on.

With the same engine and power, and broadly the same weight the straight-line performance of the Honda CB650R is very similar to the more aerodynamic and fully faired Honda CBR650R .

Honda CB650R Speeds in gear at 5000 rpm

Just like the Honda CBR650R, you should turn the TCS off as the Honda CB650R in warm and dry conditions will not spin the rear at least to a point that the rider notices or to the point where performance is hindered.

The Honda CB650R  just does not have the power to break traction but it seems that an aggressive dump/slip of the clutch has the TCS light on and the engine bogging down, as if it has run out of fuel.

When the TCS is off, thanks to the Honda’s nice and light clutch that has a good feel, it is pretty easy to get the Honda CB650R off of the line consistently.

After numerous attempts we managed a 0-60 mph time in only 3.39 seconds which is only 0.09 slower than the Honda CBR650R.

In reality from 0-60 mph both machines are equably capable. Just conditions, effort and luck is why the times are slghtly diffferent.  

Honda CB650R 0-60 mph in 3.39 seconds

60 mph from zero is achieved in first gear like most 600 cc plus motorcycles.

For the Euro, Canadian, and Aus folk the 0-100 km/h time for the Honda CB650R is managed in 3.55 seconds.

Brilliant times for a naked entry-level motorcycle, and a time that is faster than many Sportcars and Supercars

It’s from 60 mph where the Honda CBR650R will slowly edge away from the CB, with 0-100 mph for the Honda CB650R arriving in 8.24 seconds and at the top of third gear.

For the best 0-100 mph ET, you should change into second gear at around 12,400 rpm and into third at around 12,300 rpm.

I have heard that Honda claims a 0-200 km/h time of 14 seconds for the Honda CB650R but we managed 15.11 seconds.

This is still a great time though is beaten out by the Honda CBR650R which manages it in a very competitive 12.50 seconds.

The Honda CB650R is impressive over the quarter mile managing 11.80 seconds with a terminal speed of 115 mph.

It just  beats one of its main rivals the rowdy Yamaha MT-07 by a fraction of a second.

Anything that gets in the 11s is a seriously quick machine by any standard!

From 80 mph above the fact that the Honda CB650R is naked does start to eat into its 80 horsepowe.

This  fact is eactly why the Honda CBR650R has better ET’s the faster we go.   

You can mitigate this fact slightly  if you are small and really get as low as you can, but nothing beats a good fairing and screen to cut through the wind.

While the Honda CBR650R does have faring and screen it does not offer the best protection as the screen is low.

b\But it is still more aerodynamically efficient than the Honda CB650R.

After many runs, we managed 137 mph flat in top gear with the rpm just under 11000 rpm.

I would say that the Honda CB650R has a little more to go, so your results may vary but being a naked motorcycle you are very much at the mercy of the conditions on the day.

a real (not speedo) 130 mph /210km/h is a realistic top speed for most, as you will liely run out of road as you chase that last few mph.

It’s nearly as fast as the Honda CBR650R but a better comparison would be against the Yamaha MT-07.

We already compared the CBR650R with the MT-07 as we did not have access to the CB at the time unfortunately.

Of the very many entry-level sport or naked bikes the Honda CB650R is up there with the fastest.

From the traffic lights, you can smoke all but the fastest of cars while also keeping up with your friends on any number of motorcycles providing that you know how to launch.

It’s only on highways or big, long straight roads that its 80 horsepower, and the fact that it is naked means that bigger bikes and faster cars will be able to gap you  at some point.

But the Honda CB650R has the Ninja 650 and MT-07 just about beat for pure straight-line performance and will easily duff up the smaller capacity Ninja 400 or CB500R or CBR500R.

Honda CB650R top speed 137 mph