2024 Honda CBR650R E-Clutch Review

I had the pleasure of having the rather stylish Honda CBR650R E-Clutch on loan from Honda Motorcycles UK for a couple of weeks and what a great and interesting time I had.

The CBR650R and the CB650R are the first Honda’s to be offered with the option of Honda E-Clutch technology, which gives you the choice of automatic clutch operation by simply using the shift pedal.

I have never ridden with an E-Clutch before so I was really interested to see what it would be like and if I was going to like it.

A Few Specs for you:

• Weight: 211 kg
• Seat height: 810 mm 
• 649 cc Liquid cooled 4 stroke engine
• Power: 70 kW @ 12,000 rpm, 94 bhp
• Torque: 63 Nm @ 9,500 rpm
• 6 speed
• TFT customisable screen with Honda RoadSync connectivity  
• 15.4 litre fuel tank
• Emergency Stop Signal
• Showa upside-down forks with Prolink mono with 5 stage preload adjuster on the rear
• 2 colour options: Matt Gunpowder Black from £8,729; Grand Prix Red from £8,729

Engine

The 649cc, DOHC 16-valve in-line four engine is Euro 5 compliant and does sound rather nice. Peak power of 70kW arrives @ 12,000rpm with peak torque @ 63Nm delivered at 9,500 rpm. A 35kW option is available for A2 licence holders.

The engine has a compact internal set up with a stacked six-speed gearbox and starter layout with the cylinders canted forward 30°. 

The assist/slipper clutch eases upshifts while managing rear-wheel lock up under hard braking and rapid downshifts. Honda Selectable Torque Control (HSTC) manages rear wheel traction which can be turned off should you choose via the settings on the screen.

Chassis

The CBR650R has a steel diamond frame which provides core rigidity while the 41mm Showa SFF-BP USD front forks and Showa rear shock deliver great suspension control. 

The four-piston radial-mount front brake calipers work 310mm floating discs and the cast aluminium wheels mount the 17” Dunlop Roadsport tyres. 

I am not sure which would have to be purchased first – a new end can or tail tidy. Both are crying out to be fitted as soon as possible. The standard end can is way too quiet and is not in keeping with the style of the bike.

E-Clutch

The 2024 CB650R and CBR650R are the first bikes to be launched with Honda’s E-Clutch as an option.

What is E-Clutch? The Honda E-Clutch is unique to Honda and basically means you do not need to use the clutch lever for starting, stopping or going up and down the gears. The E-Clutch technology takes elements from the quickshifter, manually operated clutches and Honda’s unique Dual Clutch Transmission (DCT) technology.

You can choose manual clutch control of the six-speed gearbox, like normal or select E-Clutch via the TFT screen and leave the clutch lever alone. That’s it. Setting off from a standstill, shifting up and down, and coming to a stop, all you need to do is operate the gear lever. E-Clutch does the rest. If at any time you want to use the clutch, you do not need to select anything, just use the lever and you are back in control.

For the techy of you amongst us, Honda describes how it works as during the gear change it uses a harmonised combination of ‘half clutch’ operation, fuel injection cut and ignition control to eliminate ‘shift shock’ for an ultra smooth ride. The clutch control itself is managed through an actuator unit, similar to those used in Honda’s DCT gearboxes. All you have to do is use the throttle and change gears via the shift pedal. 

If you want to use the clutch manually at any point, simply grab the lever and use it normally. After a few seconds the E-Clutch technology is back on. The E-Clutch can be turned off completely via the TFT screen.

I did find it was a very smooth ride when using the E-Clutch. Going up and down the gears is smooth and in that respect it’s like riding with a quickshifter. To start with I kept forgetting that I didn’t have to use the clutch but soon got used to it. It does feel odd at first when you are coming to a standstill and then a stop, not pulling in the clutch, natural instinct is to pull this in. 

I can see that the E-Clutch would be good for round town riding or commuting.

Instrument Display

I do like the 5” TFT screen on the CBR650R, it is really clear and easy to read, especially when glancing down when riding. All you need to see at glance is there – speed, gear you are in, fuel, time etc. The display can be customised using the 4 way toggle switch on the left handlebar. Navigating my way around the screen was easy too which is a huge plus point for me.

Connect your Android 8.0 or iOS14 (or later) smartphone with the Honda RoadSync app which can be installed through your Google or Apple account. The app will also connect to your Bluetooth helmet-mounted headset with audio input.

The navigation app, which is OS specific, provides the navigation base for Honda RoadSync, with the turn-by-turn directions voice guided and displayed via the meter panel on the TFT screen.

I did download the app and connected my phone to the bike which I found relatively easy to do, the prompt along each step of the way helped! It was great to be able to access navigation whilst riding and also a bit of music should you wish to do so.

Tyres

The tyres on the CBR650R are Dunlop Roadsport 2 which Dunlop describe as:

A great proposition for keen riders, looking for a great value package for everyday riding:

• Consistent performance from new to worn, thanks to the state-of-the-art HCT tread design
• High silica content provides strong wet performance
• The highly modern compound, using very fine carbon black, provides versatile performance for different riding styles, in a wide range of conditions.

Not having ridden with these tyres before, I was impressed by how well they handled and gripped the road. 

I had the bike on loan end of January/beginning of February so the temperatures were very low and the roads were damp and salt laden, but the tyres performed well and gave me the confidence I crave from a tyre when riding.

LED Lights

I absolutely love the design of the front headlight, it is mean and aggressive, I can just imagine what that looks like in a rear view mirror

The lights are LED all round and the front light gives plenty of illumination. The front indicators illuminate permanently when the ignition is on and then flash when turned on.

The rear light housing is equally as impressive as the front and sits neatly underneath the rear seat. I really do think Honda have got the styling of this bike spot on. A tail tidy would need to be added as soon as possible though as this does spoil the rear somewhat.

The indicators have the Emergency Stop Signal (ESS) function which means that at a minimum speed of 56 km/h, with either brake working if negative acceleration of a minimum of 6.0m/s² is detected, the hazard lights flash to warn other road users a hard stop is in process. At the same speed the threshold is reduced if ABS is activated, to a negative acceleration of a minimum 2.5m/s². 

A2 Licence Compliant

The CBR650R can be ridden by riders holding an A2 licence as there is a 35kW conversion available, which is ready for full power once an A licence is held. 

The A2 licence is for riders aged 19 or over who have either passed their CBT or are looking to move up from a 125cc bike (A1 licence) and take the next step towards the full A licence. 

Riders are limited by law to progress through the various stages of licensing.

• AM (50cc moped)  -16 years of age 
• A1 (125cc) – 17 years of age 
• A2 (restricted power) – 19 years of age
• A (any engine, unrestricted power) – over 21 years 

The full A licence is only an option for riders over 21 years of age who’ve held an A2 licence for more than two years.

Riders over 24 years of age can take the direct access route to attain their full A licence.

What’s The Honda CBR500R Like To Ride, I hear you say?

Very nice

The CBR650R is a very smooth bike to ride, it does everything it should do very nicely, it feels like a quality bike, very nicely put together.

When parked up on the bike, I did get people coming over to look at the bike and talk about the bike, their bike etc. The bike looks stylish and draws people to it which is fabulous

For the money, you are getting a lot of bike, I am not sure if I would go for the E-Clutch myself but I can see why people would, especially if you are commuting on the bike, not using the clutch lever does make sense (once you get used to not using it )

I was impressed by how many times I grinned when riding the CBR650R, it is a lot of fun to ride and definitely has that grin factor. 

The bike felt solid and stable in the corners and you could tell this was its happy place, it seems made for sweeping bends and twisting roads and because you are sitting ‘in’ the bike rather than ‘on’ the bike, you do feel at one with it. It is just you and the bike egging each other along.

For someone riding on an A2 licence, what an awesome bike this would be! How cool would it be to rock up on such a stylish bike and only on an A2 licence. Once you have got your A licence, the bike can be derestricted of course.

Moving the bike around was okay for me although I did think the side stand was a little on the long side. The bike weighs in at 211 kg with a seat height of 810 mm. I’m 5’6” and my feet were nicely on the floor.

I did find there was a lot of engine braking so just lifting off the throttle scrubs off some speed and the brakes are responsive, which is always a good thing! 

I thought the suspension was good, it really soaked up the lumps and bumps on our roads nicely and made for a nice comfortable ride.

The CBR650R would be a great bike for touring on, as well of course, as everyday riding. The riding position is not as extreme as you think it would be.

The CBR650R is one bike that makes you go the long way back home, there’s just something about it that makes you want to keep on riding.

Thank you to Honda Motorcycles UK for the loan of the CBR650R.

BK

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