Road test of HondaCBR 650 R E-Clutch 2024 A small sports car with all the makings of a big one

Our tester's opinion on the CBR 650 R E-Clutch from 2024

This story begins in the city of Marseille, by the sea. It's 8 o'clock in the morning, and I've been invited to try out Honda's new 2024 six-and-a-half sports bike. The Japanese brand has decided to equip its CBR 650 R with the new e-Clutch robotized clutch. The CBR is one of the three best-selling sports bikes in France in recent months. That's why the brand chose this bike.

I get up early on this March morning to approach these little Japanese bikes. They're all lined up, specially prepared by Honda Europe's mechanics. There's no denying that their red CBR hypersport-style bodywork gives them a very attractive silhouette. Don't be fooled, though: it has the styling of a CBR, but it's still powered by the same engine as its sister, the CB 650 R. Designer Kazuki Watanabe wanted to give this bike a more aggressive style, more in keeping with the family from which it takes its name.

The aesthetics are really pleasing. It makes you turn around. The matte black metallic version is almost discreet, while the grand prix red versions, with their three colors and the dominance of red, shine in the sun. The sporty fairings reveal the engine block, although it doesn't benefit from the roadster's two-tone version of the engine block. This opening in the fairing also gives a brief glimpse of the e-clutch system installed on this new 2024 version.

A clear, simple instrument panel

It's time to settle in. A few adjustments are necessary before setting off. The position is not too high, the feet are well positioned on either side, and the seat height of 810 mm is the same as its roadster sibling. On the other hand, the fairing shoe lowers the bike's ground clearance.

Switch on the ignition and play with the new dashboard and its 5-inch TFT screen. You don't even need to take out the instruction manual to get used to the handlebar-mounted controls. Scroll up and down, and validate by pushing to the right; to the left, it's backspace. You can quickly navigate through the settings, change the language and adjust the hardness of the gear selector.

The first feature on the dashboard is the ability to deactivate the e-Clutch system. By default, when the bike is launched, the system activates it for you. You'll have to disable it manually each time if you don't want it. In my opinion, this is a mistake, because not only is it very practical, it also disconnects automatically as soon as you touch the clutch lever.

Now we're ready to go!

I won't go into the details of the e-clutch's robotized technology again, but basically, you NEVER touch the clutch, and you shift gears with your hand on your knee. Chich!

We're here to test, so let's test! Take off the kickstand, put your foot on the selector, press down, and the gears shift without a clatter. The bike doesn't stall, and the gear indicator on the display confirms that all's well, and that first gear is engaged. All that's left to do is turn the throttle and I'm off. It's really smooth and pleasant.

The engine is that of the CB 650 R, an in-line four-cylinder developing 95 hp at 12,000 rpm. The torque has been revised at low revs to give it a better feel for those who want to wind. But it's in town that it's most enjoyable. You don't have to rev the engine to get out of traffic. At first, you concentrate to avoid pulling the lever, then instinctively, you develop automatisms that make driving very pleasant. Then, thanks to the shifter, you can shift gears effortlessly, without needing to use the clutch.

The half-handlebar position doesn't make city riding any more pleasant. Make no mistake, this is not its playground. At a standstill, the e-clutch housing, positioned on the engine block, doesn't bother the right leg, unless you decide to put your foot really close to the bike's center of gravity. When riding, I never touched the engine block, let alone the e-clutch, so no matter how tall you are, you'll never be disturbed. Another negative point is that in town, we use the turn signals a lot, so the idea of putting the horn just above them is not the idea of the century, to say the least.

The fact that you don't have to touch the left handlebar means that you tend to develop bad habits, easily forgetting to deactivate the indicators once you've passed the intersection. Or you don't return to neutral when stopped at a traffic light. But don't worry about the latter, it's designed for that, and there's no risk of damaging the gearbox or clutch.

Once you're out of the city and onto the back roads, you really enjoy the ride. You let yourself be carried along by the linear power, without being surprised by a kick in the ass that could lead you into dangerous situations. The bike is nimble and light, so you can quickly link tight turns without tiring. Thanks to adjustments made to the Showa inverted front fork to make it smoother, this new version has gained in agility. This also improves feel and damping. On hard braking, you feel really confident. This is made possible by double 310 mm-diameter floating discs and Japanese Nissin single-piston calipers. A high-performance brake/fork combo for a bike in this range.

As this is only a fairing version of the roadster, the shock absorbers are effective at soaking up road imperfections, and are not too harsh. However, you'll feel more dive than a real racing bike when braking hard. Both the front and rear provide reassurance, whatever the task.

Should you want to push the pace, the bike is also equipped with HSTC torque control (Honda's name for traction control). When HSTC (which can be switched off) is activated, a warning light appears on the TFT display. What's more, the turn signals are automatically activated in the event of hard braking, which is invaluable information during tight maneuvers. However, I couldn't understand why the front indicators should also be activated at such times, as I can't see the guy in the wheelie box coming up the road understanding why the bike is on warning. Honda has increased the length of the ducts on the CBR 650 R, allowing a 5% increase in power at high revs. It's not much, but at high revs, the bike clearly feels like an RR.

I'm not particularly keen on tricks like wheeling, stoppie and burn, but they're still doable. When you use the clutch in the conventional way, the bike behaves as usual. However, it's important to note that when you first use the robotized clutch, it may feel a little sluggish. This is perfectly normal, as the e-clutch automatically engages the clutch halfway by default to optimize its efficiency.

I didn't have a co-driver to accompany me on the jump seat behind me, so I couldn't tell you how uncomfortable it is or isn't to settle in for long trips. You should know, however, that Honda decided to remove the passenger grips from the bike's frame, saving 424g. A derisory gain, you may say, when you consider that the robotized clutch adds 2kg, bringing the fully loaded weight to 211kg. Driver and passenger will therefore have to join forces to prevent the latter from ending up on the floor.

Two packs are available, but each accessory can be purchased independently:

• Racing pack
  • with seat cover
  • side tank decals
  • oil dipstick
  • tank protection
  • and high-smoke bubble
• The comfort pack for globe trotters
  • with 15L saddle bag and holder
  • 3L tank bag for small necessities
  • and heated grips

To sum up, it doesn't have the substance of a CBR 600 RR, which is designed for performance and speed, but this R version is a great compromise for bikers who want style and a little sportiness. Young French licence holders (A2 licence holders) will also be able to take up sporty riding with this bike. Of course, it's the technology developed around the e-clutch that makes this sports bike even more attractive. Honda has paid careful attention to the budget for this bike, which will be sold in stores for €9949, to bring the price under the 10K threshold.