Honda CBR650F to be launched in India by July 2015, expected to be priced at Rs. 8 lakh

Honda Motorcycle and Scooter India Pvt Ltd (HMSI) has confirmed the launch of its faired, mid-weight performance motorcycle- CBR650F in India by July 2015. The launch has been announced by Mr. Keita Muramatsu, President and CEO, HMSI during a press conference in Chennai. In the initial phase, Honda CBR650F will be imported in India via CKD route and will be assembled here. It will make the bike around 5 percent localised, which might be increased gradually.

Propelling the Honda CBR650F is a new 649cc, liquid-cooled, inline-four engine, which comes mated to a six-speed gearbox. With 4-valves per head, the DOHC motor makes 85.8bhp of maximum power at 11,000rpm and a peak torque of 63Nm at 8,000rpm. Using a programmed fuel injection system, the bike claims to deliver a satisfactory mileage of 21kmpl. The bike comes with 41mm front telescopic forks and adjustable rear mono-shock suspension set-up. The bike runs on 17” cast wheels with 120/70 section front and 180/70 section rear radial tyres. To control the performance machine, the front and rear wheel gets dual 310mm and single 240mm disc brake units respectively.

The upcoming Honda CBR650F is expected to be priced around Rs. 8 lakh and it will compete with the other mid-weight performance motorcycles available in India. The direct competitors of the motorcycle are 650cc inline-four engine powered motorcycles like the Kawasaki Ninja ZX-6R, however, no such bikes are available in India yet. Now, the said competitors of the bike are Kawasaki Ninja 650, which stays a step behind the CBR650F and Triumph Daytona 675, which stays a step ahead.

Priced at around Rs. 5 lakh (ex-showroom, Delhi), Kawasaki Ninja 650 houses a 650cc parallel twin, making 71bhp of maximum power at 8,500rpm. The Triumph Daytona 675 sports a superior 675cc inline-three motor with an output of 116.9bhp at 12,304rpm and priced at Rs. 10.69 lakh (ex-showroom, Delhi). So, it means that the Honda CBR650F will start a new segment in the country, without any close competition.