Honda CB650R Review 2019

[@wossyname]

picked mine up yesterday, in red, fitted a quickshifter as soon as I got home, awesome bike, I had the cb1000r neo before this one, I down sized due to knee problems, I have had quite a few bikes over the years, this one is near the top of the pile. a lot more manageable than 150hp litre bikes, get a test ride on one you will be impressed

[@TommyBarnezTV]

Nice! Yeah I can definitely see the appeal for something like this over the bigger bikes.

[@suryav4994]

Does it have more vibrations than 1000r??

[@Englishbikerdan]

Nice review. Regarding quickshifters for new riders, the beauty is you don't have to use it. 👍

[@TommyBarnezTV]

Thanks! And very true

[@darthshenron5180]

Seeing u here is gud to know englishbikerdan

[@gabriel__2640]

I want to buy this bike, and man, trust me, I watched over 50+ reviews, until I got on this one. The style of this review is my fav! And this bike is mine next year in spring ❤️

[@nicolainielsen7499]

getting this bake after your review mate. Well done, keep up the good work.

[@TommyBarnezTV]

Thanks!

[@migsteele]

I bought it with the quick shifter, it’s a good option to have when you have a bit of open road. Although I often forget I have it and use the clutch. Lovely bike. I had plenty of practise from a 125 and 500 with some very clunky gearbox and clutch combos.

[@tonybland9226]

Don't have to use the quickshifter if you don't want to so I would say get the option anyway

[@chazphot]

Strange to see someone riding roads I'm familiar with, I demoed that exact bike from Maidstone Honda earlier in the year too. Not for me but a good bike none the less.

[@TommyBarnezTV]

Nice! I hope you've subscribed? I have a rule that anyone local has to subscribe 😂

[@MrNurse-cr1lq]

This rides much smoother than the MT 07. Test rode both of em

[@heidcam]

Cheers for the video Tommy....I bought one of these in March then an Audi TT side swiped me. Still haven’t got the bike back. Apparently I’m the first person to crash one as the parts still aren’t in the country to repair them. 😩 The plan is to use it for a wee commuter bike and the MT09 Tracer for touring. The short time I had it, I loved it. 👍🇬🇧🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿

[@TommyBarnezTV]

Ah man that sucks! Hope you're alright? Good choice of bikes there!

[@RiderReview]

It's better looking than the last years model. Proper digital dash, head light oh n looks

[@MarvFitBikesKicks]

did they really make changes between 2018 and 2019? they look exactly the same

[@klvntry]

@@MarvFitBikesKicks I think he's saying is the cb650f model

[@teaks6283]

Nice review! Just waiting until I finally get my own.

[@TommyBarnezTV]

Don't waste time, life's too short :)

[@tonykartracer8032]

Gotta say, that's a sexxy lookin' machine!

[@WolfgangVonKempelen838]

Tommy, is the steering bar a bit narrow or is it just my impression. I love the bike, and good review. Thanks

[@TommyBarnezTV]

Thanks, didnt feel particularly narrow. All felt well proportioned

[@antares7368]

I have never understood the need for a quickshifter on a road bike. Yes if you are Marc Marquez and one millionth of a second is important to you then fine but for the other 99.99% of us who aren't that good then what's the point.

[@TommyBarnezTV]

There isnt a need, it's just a want, I personally enjoy them :)

[@alexandervp6180]

Whats the need of more than 20 horsepower in a roadbike? Are you marc marquez?

[@andreymatveyev3204]

got my like for mentioning the important stuff like how to save on insurance, not just that this bike is fun ( we all know that )

[@hooeetube]

6:33 that laugh that is elicited by this machine -- must be a common thing. Acceleration is downright amazing.

[@TommyBarnezTV]

Haha you should see the reaction I had to the mt10 and CB1000R 😂

[@marvinranido9918]

my dream bike. thank you review this unit.

[@TommyBarnezTV]

Thanks!

[@johntheaccountant5594]

Love the sound of that 4 cylinder. I wouldn't bother buying a quick shifter for it. I love the look of the sporty CBR650R but I prefer a more upright riding position and that is better for the pillion and here in Thailand the air is warm so see myself buying this CB650R. In my opinion for a 4 cylinder 650cc Honda, it is cheap at £7,500 in Thailand.

[@alexwotherspoon5630]

Nice review 👍 Probably getting the CBR variant with the sports pack next year..... How is the cowling attached? Can't see any bolts on there. I take pillion quite often but love the look with the cover 😁

[@TommyBarnezTV]

Havent tried the CBR yet but will be giving that a go soon. I'm not actually sure on the cowling attachment as was already on the bike when I turned up. I presume pretty easy but maybe not a 30 second clip on and off as I guess people would generally not be changing it regularly. I'm just guessing there, when I'm next in Honda I'll ask them

[@Kxtomm]

Cowling is a complete unit that just clips on with the key lock like the standard pillion seat

[@vintagerealityvr]

No quick shifter. I have the US model without a quick shifter and there is absolutely no need for one unless you want that tech. The bike shifts so easily without it

[@weareonebrain1610]

thats a good trainnng programm.btw nice bike dude

[@karlosh9286]

re 12:45 ish . Filtering . Yes noise is good to warn car drivers. I wonder what'll happen if and when bikes are electric. Maybe a fake exhaust pipe bass tube imitating the sound of your favourite engine that day . one day a big single sound the next a parallel twin (, 180, 270 or 360 firing order) , a V four , a V twin or maybe a straight four ! The choice of noise will be yours (on electric bass tubes !)

[@TommyBarnezTV]

I've been thinking about this recently and the need for louder pipes may go in the not too distant future. Self driving cars will be pretty quick to take market share once the technology and infrastructure is in place. Once you have say 80% of cars self driving then riding a bike will become much safer. Will probably see a sharp uptake in people getting on bikes too as driving enjoyment from cars will be gone.

[@karlosh9286]

@@TommyBarnezTV for me, driving enjoyment evaporated from driving cars around a decade ago ! Maybe that's why I have become a newbie middle aged biker. I do wonder about self driving cars. Ones where you can literally go asleep at the wheel are someway off, and maybe there is no wheel and you don't need a driving licence. We are probably going to have a long period where the automated systems are still going to need to be supervised by a qualified human driver ( the driving test will have to change). Automated systems in passenger aircraft has lead to incidents where the pilots are deskilled, and a bit asleep. This is also certainly going to happen with automated cars. The mechanical and electrical control of a car is now relatively simple. It's the brains that are the problem. The biggest problem for me on auto car driving is the interpretation of a visual scene. Us humans have brains that have evolved very good visual interpretation skills. Now an automated car could have cameras better than human eyes that can see sharper and in lower light , can be looking at all angles at the same time and in theory should be able to "see" all the potential hazards much better than a mere human. They also shouldn't go to sleep or be as easily distracted. In theory they should be a lot better. What machines aren't yet that good at is the brain interpretation part of seeing. What is the object that is to the side of the road , is it a small child or a dog ? What is it going to do ? What is the direction of travel of this small child, dog or even adult pedestrian ? If a pedal cyclist or pedestrian is regularly looking over their shoulder at the traffic are they going to suddenly cross in front of the path of the car ? The issue is, can the machine identify the objects ? (currently they're not that good) and can they anticipate the intent of the object ? Then not so technically challenging as the above , there are the ethical questions. Assuming the car has correctly identified that it is a small child , and that the child is likely to run after the ball they just hit into the road , is the car going to work out that the single occupant of the car is say 60 years old , the child is 5 and the ethical thing is to risk the car's occupant more than the 5 year old child, since the child hopefully has many more years to live ? There are a lot of variations on this. Automated cars will crash, so when a semi automated car crashes, (the one where it still needs some sort of human oversight) , who is to blame for the crash ? The "driver" or the AI computer scientists ? The vision and brain seeing part of automated cars is is the problem that will keep the AI computer scientists busy for years. The ethics problem will keep the politicians arguing for years. The blame game on semi automated car crashes will keep the lawyers rich and arguing for years !

[@TommyBarnezTV]

Sorry for some reason your comment went into the spam folder 😂 Yeah very complicated issue, I'm sure they'll work it all out, then riding can be a bit safer 😎 Theres some pretty good vids on Tesla's avoiding crashes which shows we are going in the right direction I think

[@neilsmithers6979]

With a quick shifter, you are not supposed to use it from first to second and between first and second isn’t a false neutral, it’s just neutral.

[@sugarrfree]

Hows that?

[@c.g.c2067]

I weigh 65kg ... :)) Don't particularly fancy the quickshifter

[@ondrejzaruba3402]

I am getting it as my first bike without quickshifter (since they are sold out in Europe lol). Goona get it for next season, which I think is ideal anyway.

[@TommyBarnezTV]

Nice, remember to stay safe. I'd say it's a good beginner bike but that doesn't detract from the fact it's still quick and will take time to get used to it

[@LeeCogger]

How funny. Not only do I have this bike on order it is this actual bike. Honda Maidstone were doing a rather good deal for the ex demo

[@TommyBarnezTV]

Haha nice!

[@LeeCogger]

@@TommyBarnezTV I hope you treated it with love and affection 😜

[@jackaofdp]

Has a 2001 cb600r everyday commuter, I'm eager to buy this one. I'm already a Honda fan, the looks of this model with that round headlight makes the change a little bit more bearable :) "Back in my days" we didn't had quickshifter, never used one, don't know if It is a 'game changer'. Not being a necessity I would only got one if the price is right. Also I wouldn't buy a new bike has a beginner.

[@TommyBarnezTV]

If you've not used one I suggest having a go before deciding. They are very nice i think especially if you want to get up the gears fast or change up while accelerating through a bend

[@OregonFlunder47]

cool bike, but would you recommend the quickshifter?

[@TommyBarnezTV]

Yeah having thought more about it would say go for it, you dont have to use it, but good to know it's there for when you want it

[@Carlos75_]

Beautiful !!!!!

[@mikeking3263]

Having watched a few of your vids now, they are good and I do appreciate the effort but would say the constant cutting is annoying. Show us going up bluebell hill and coming down. Let’s see how windy it is. Otherwise, very good.

[@TommyBarnezTV]

Thanks mate, appreciate it. I'm still working out the format a bit, do you just mean the cuts up and down the hill or the cutting throughout? I'm working on solving some mic issues I've got at the moment where the audio gets extremely distorted when it gets a bit loud. Up and down bluebell hill the audio is generally terrible, also why I dont speak on that bit in the hope I'll have a clip I can extract for continuity. Other cuts tend to be there to bring it all together as I'm not talking for pretty long sections, just getting used to the bike. Like I said, still working on the format and other things to improve the quality so i do really appreciate your feedback on it, dont want the vids to be annoying for people 😁

[@mikeking3263]

Throughout really. Hey, I’m just a viewer and don’t wanna be a downer, I appreciate how much effort goes into them. An if you’re cruising up the hill and a spritely Leon cruises up behind you, pull over!!! Lol! Seriously you keep going mate, very good. And take care.

[@TommyBarnezTV]

@@mikeking3263 cheers mate, I think I know what you mean. Whole test ride is about 2 hours so will need to be cuts but I'll see if I can improve my talking so longer periods are cut together. I have a few I'm editing at the moment so will be a future thing to look out for 😎 cheers for feedback and advice 😎

[@johnDukemaster]

I have one, same colour too! But, I painted airintakes matt black. Looks much better! I ride on the fun side and it does 23-24km/l. Quite good! To be honest, I haven't changed the exhaust, don't think it's worth it. Use the money on heated grips. I tested one with a quickshifter, but the gearbox and clutch is so light and smooth as it is. I don't think it's worth that either! :-)

[@Jaffa1951]

I think this bike is a good 1st ' big bike ' providing you did the CBT, then rode around on a 125cc bike for a couple of months before getting your full A licence. However, if you did the DAS course and went from CBT to full A licence in a week, which, I think you can do. Then, I think you'd, probably, be better to get something a little less powerful while, effectively, learning how to ride, which you can't do in a week. I know you did it, but there are a lot of people out there that would get into trouble with that much power and that little experience.

[@TommyBarnezTV]

Yeah it's a fair point. It's difficult to really judge "first bikes" as everyone is different. I got my license pretty quick - cbt on a Saturday, training Tuesday Wednesday and Thursday and then back to back test on the friday for my full license. I then clocked up over 25k miles in first year - proper anomaly. Makes it tricky to give solid advise on whether a bike is suited or not to a beginner. My advise tends to be along the lines of try something out, see how it feels. It's so tough though as there is no right answer.

[@21335186z]

I was tilting my head way to much during this video.

[@TommyBarnezTV]

Sorry dude, going to be chin mounting gopro soon, just waiting on new helmet

[@expatbiker6598]

Do you know how many times you change gears on a125 in 5 minutes of riding? Over 100 times. I'd say that's enough learning about gears in 1 year of riding 125cc bike. Bring on the quick shifter.

[@TommyBarnezTV]

Good point! I went direct access so had very little time on a 125

[@boormoboormo9701]

£300 for a quick shifter. Bet they shift them quick.

[@TommyBarnezTV]

nice 😂

[@DaveDayve]

Fab review, what's the price of the acro pls? Tks

[@jeremycubs8331]

Nice bike indeed but for daily commuting I personally believe the CB500f 2019 is much practical, better mpg, cheaper maintenance, lighter obviously and cheaper insurance 😀

[@TommyBarnezTV]

Nice, havent ridden the 500 but will give it a go at some point

[@AryanDiablo]

Beauty

[@michaellilley6725]

I've been using one leading up to my Mod2 and I'm not impressed with the throttle. At take off and slow manoeuvring, it's a bit unresponsive and snatchy. Sometimes at junctions it feels as though it's going to stall, then when you give it a little more juice it revs it's head off. At 6' with a 30" inside leg it felt a bit cramped and also quite a bit of weight transfers forward to the wrists. I noticed the throttle response when sitting my Mod1, so for confidence in slow manoeuvres, I ended up just allowing the engine to tick over then feathering the back brake, keeping my right hand at the ready in case I needed to prevent a stall. This was the only way I could tackle the U turn and slalom without a jerky throttle response. So whilst it may be a reasonable consideration as a first bike after Mod2, I think I will be sitting mine on another bike. The Honda CB650R is just a little too unpredictable for me and doesn't inspire confidence at all!!

[@TommyBarnezTV]

Thats a shame, extra pressure with a dodgy bike on mod1&2 isn't what you want. It may have some issues being a school bike? I wasn't impressed with my school bike at all, loads of issues. Good luck for mod 2! What do you think you'll go with for first bike?

[@michaellilley6725]

@@TommyBarnezTV Cheers for the reply!! The bike was brand new the day I sat my Mod 1, everything was tight but I did find the clutch easier to handle as it had an earlier bite. When trying to feather clutch its predecessor ( same model) the bite was right at full open, which is why I learned to just slow manoeuvre on idle. Perhaps because of my own weight ( 100 kilos), slow speed on the lean along with the throttle response was tricky. Now the throttle seems more unpredictable, just on that first 1/2" or so, found myself almost stalling, then over revving at junctions. Also a couple of times the gear locked in second gear, I suspect it's had some heavy use since I first rode it in spite of lockdown which saw cancellation of my test in March. I already own a Triumph Tiger 1050 Sport, which I have yet to ride. It may seem like I'm jumping the gun, but I've been riding since I was 16 and actually sat and passed my test Twenty years ago. Unfortunately the DVLA failed to endorse my licence upon receipt of the pass certificate, possibly due to a mix up as I had to upgrade to a photo licence at the same time. They returned the cheque enclosed for my new photo licence, yet supplied said licence minus Class A. The letter which accompanied it read " unable to add motorcycle to your licence, wrong fee included". At the time I was in the Philippines struggling to get a visa for my wife and living and working on a Private estate, of which the owner took umbrige with me marrying a Filipino. Upon my return I lost my job and the house and car which went with it. By the time I sorted my life out and finally got my wife over, I was told I needed to resit my test 😡. During the short time after passing I was the very proud owner of a Triumph 900 Thunderbird Sport, classic Bonnevillesk styling with a retro (70's inspired) yet also 90's influenced twist ( 3 into 2 upswept exhausts with a sound which every modern bike aspires to, but always falls way short, even with an aftermarket exhaust) It also boasted a wishbone swinging arm with mono rear shock and some wider flatter handle bars, along with I believe the same engine as was fitted to the first Speed triples which came out just after it. Quite simply this bike was most riders dream bike, it kept up with its competitors FZ1 handled so sweetly, purred like a pussycat idling and roared like a Tiger on the Twisties. I planned to keep it as I knew it would become collectable, unfortunately loosing everything including the licence to drive it, forced its sale!! Going out again tomorrow, may try the FZ 650 but I did find it cramped and it also dived the front forks during anything but moderate braking. Unfortunately examiners frown if you blame the bike, perhaps if they rode them they would understand? I'm so looking forward to trying out my Triumph and if it handles anything like my old Thunderbird Sport, I'll have a grin from ear to ear all the time I'm riding it. Sorry for the long story but I hope you understand my frustration?!! Thanks..Michael..

[@TommyBarnezTV]

@@michaellilley6725 man thats one hell of a story! I can see your frustration! Not long now hopefully. I havrnt ridden the tiger sport but I've heard great things about it. I also find that pretty much every triumph I ride is awesome. Ive been lucky and been out on quite a few of their bikes, I'm sure the sport will be awesome. With the tests I found mod 1 the more difficult of the two. My mod 2 examiner was pretty forgiving I think

[@michaellilley6725]

@@TommyBarnezTV Cheers!! I did a lot of research, watched a lot of reviews before finally pulling the trigger. I needed something that would be comfortable over distance, carry a pillion and luggage ( my wife and teenage son and daughter all want a go). It also had to be reasonably torquey, not look like something out of a Transformer movie, reliable and not overly expensive to maintain. Oh, and sound like a motorbike should ( S P engineering exhaust)!! Fingers crossed for Tuesday!!

[@dunoobyduby]

honda best bikes

[@TommyBarnezTV]

I've only ridden this and the monkey so far but looking forward to checking out the rest of the range

[@niwrad33]

what is the use of quick shifter

[@TommyBarnezTV]

With a quick shifter you dont need to use the clutch when changing gear. Its more common to have a quick shifter for going up gear but there are quick shifters for up and down. They're nice to use as they reduce fatigue on hand pulling clutch in, are quicker and I also think there is a good argument to be made for them being safer when accelerating and changing gear in a corner or coming off a roundabout

[@syamilazfar2394]

nice review 👍

[@iandavidharwin]

What fender elimination kit did you use?

[@paultanton4307]

Ive been aquainted with this bike a few weeks ago funnily enough.The lack of Engine Braking is down to it having a Slipper Clutch as standard.

[@TommyBarnezTV]

Ah I didn't know that, I ride a V Twin as my daily which has great engine breaking so I'd kinda come to the conclusion that it was related to engine configuration

[@AB-si4bg]

What is the best street bike? Fast but comfortable to commute to work everyday...

[@TommyBarnezTV]

Hard to say exactly as each individual is different. This is a good option though and worth test riding. Wouldnt work for my commute as need more upfront protection from the wind

[@grtbgf]

It's "Akrapovich" btw..

[@TommyBarnezTV]

Potato tomato

[@chewman09]

I’m 5’7” will this bike be too tall for me?

[@rasitto]

Take the db killer out👍👍👍👍

[@emily98989]

is the CAT fitted in the akra exhaust?

[@reubenchurch7737]

The akropovic is stock I've got one

[@karlosh9286]

re 11:15 ish . Yes all Hondas should be RED. I had the baby sister of this as a learner and it looked good in red. My CB125R was a good bike apart from being a 125 !! Saying that about the only bikes I believe shouldn't be red are all Norton's should be silver and Kawasakis should all be bright green. Ducatis definitely should be red !

[@TommyBarnezTV]

I kinda agree! Though I tend to lean to black as my colour of choice most of the time

[@chewman09]

Tail tidy part number?

[@michelcelulares476]

Onde comprou esse eliminador de rabeta.?

[@doubleyoudee]

Thanks for the review. Do u recommend this bike to advanced Riders? Or is it more for beginners. Hondas look is nice and I am between this and a rninet. According to Power and Speed I am not Sure if someone really needs the power of a bmw r ninet Pure. Thx

[@TommyBarnezTV]

Really hard to say as every rider is different. I'd suggest giving them a go and seeing how you feel on one.

[@Englishbikerdan]

I've been riding over 15 years and I bought this bike. It's great for seasoned riders too. Very fun and plenty of power!

[@johnDukemaster]

I went from BMW RnineT to this one and I love it! I've been riding for more than 30 years. From Honda CB500 to Harley Davidsons 1600cc. Love the Honda!

[@ianglynwilliams]

It’s Ah-crop-poe-vitch... c’mon do you know bikes? Also, engine braking is fantastic and it is definitely not a beginner bike...

[@alanhillyard1639]

-crap-o-vitch, that’s from speaking to guys that work there

[@adam123456789d]

Just a quick one regarding the upgrades to the bike. It has the rear end tidy up and the akrapovic exhaust? I can’t seem to find these in the Honda parts catalogue. I assume the dealer fitted these to their own demo bike? They’re both very good options but if they aren’t factory/dealer fit what happens with warranty etc? Thanks for any help.

[@TommyBarnezTV]

Yeah fitted to their demo bike. Unsure what happens with warranty etc in these situations. My presumption is that it wouldnt be effected. I'll ask next time I'm in honda

[@adam123456789d]

Brilliant thank you. I’m looking to get one ordered shortly but these two options along with a few other bits are top of my list! Thanks

[@niklaaasandersson]

Anyone know what rear seat cover that is?

[@brucebillb]

Is this worth 2 grand more than the sv650?

[@TommyBarnezTV]

Hard to say, havent ridden an sv650 and not sure on pricing and deals etc. My advice would always been to ride the bikes you're interested in and you'll then be able to judge it for you

[@NapoleonDeanomight]

I definitely need quick shifters on my next bike.

[@mukku36]

Starting few seconds had me tripping...

[@TommyBarnezTV]

Sorry!

[@willerneves5179]

Where can i buy this rear seat cover!??

[@TommyBarnezTV]

It's an official honda part so direct from them

[@5678-c5n]

The specs say that that the quick shifter only works up, but I've seen someone saying the quick shifter (from the launch pack) works up and down?

[@TommyBarnezTV]

Not sure about that, think they have got it wrong, others might know though

[@MissMan666]

No it does not work down shift. I own cb650r with QS.

[@5678-c5n]

@@MissMan666 Ah cool, thanks!

[@alanhillyard1639]

The QS is basically an ignition cut sensor, so all it can do is cut ignition so can only work on the up. You need a ride by wire throttle to blip to quickshift on the downshift

[@5678-c5n]

@@alanhillyard1639 Thanks Alan, makes sense 🙂

[@tonykartracer8032]

I don't believe in quick shifters. What next....... Automatic sportbikes?!! Lawd, have mercy on us all.

[@TommyBarnezTV]

Ah I love em!

[@21335186z]

Electric bikes, no shifting at all.

[@Madraxoo]

Have u seen zero sr/f?

[@weareonebrain1610]

by incoming traffic on the wrong side of the street.

[@TommyBarnezTV]

😂

[@mikeking3263]

Max wrist! Watch him lol!

[@phill5593]

Mike King he sucks

[@aticusaticus9138]

what is a quick shifter, how does it work, what are the benefits?

[@Luckys7evin]

aticus aticus you can upshift without letting off the throttle

[@weareonebrain1610]

getting shocked at every corner mate

[@TommyBarnezTV]

By?

[@ajmf-hy8qt]

THE 2019 SUZUKI GSXS750 IS A MUCH BETTER MACHINE FOR THE SAME MONEY .

[@RPNization]

Here in Holland even for less money as the CB650R. Don't understand why Honda doesn't make a bike like this with 750 cc and 10-20 more horsepower.

[@GuthixCss]

@@RPNization Because they wanted to make it available for the A2 license and ~100hp is definitely enough for street riding especially with a quickshifter.

[@RPNization]

@@GuthixCss Kawa z900, Suzuki gsx 750 s and even Triumph street triple s are also available for A2, and they have standard above 100 hp

[@DB-yi5sm]

Let's not forget the 'Honda' is made in Thailand. The Suzi in good 'ol Japan

[@RPNization]

@@DB-yi5sm my Honda was even built in Italy fourteen years ago lol !