Honda yesterday announced their plans to launch the new CBR650R sports tourer in the Indian market. Paired with a lovely 4-cylinder motor, the bike will be priced below INR 8 lakh. Now for that money, one would also want to explore and take a look at other options at this price point. What works in the CBR650R’s favour is that it is the only fully-faired motorcycle in the price range that it’s on offer. Other bikes that come with a 4 cylinder motor in a similar price bracket are the Suzuki GSX-S750 and the Kawasaki Z900, both naked street bikes with some serious potential. Moreover, KTM is rumoured to launch the Duke 790 in our market, which may lack 2 cylinders, but generates enough power to keep up with these three. So here is a spec comparison of these four bikes.
Honda CBR650R Dimensions Compared With Rivals
If you were to exclude the KTM Duke 790, even with all that bodywork, the Honda CBR650R happens to be the lightest bike here and being longer than the rest would mean that your pillion too would be able to sit in comfort when you carry one. The Honda, however, has the second smallest fuel tank after the Duke. With its 14-litre tank, the KTM carries less fuel than the other three.
| Length (mm) | Width (mm) | Height (mm) | Weight (kg) | Front tyres | Rear tyres | Fuel Tank Capacity (litres) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Honda CBR650R | 2,130 | 750 | 1,150 | 207 | 120/70-ZR17 | 180/55-ZR17 | 15.4 |
| Suzuki GSX-S750 | 2,125 | 785 | 1,055 | 215 | 120/70-ZR17 | 180/55-ZR17 | 16 |
| Kawasaki Z900 | 2,065 | 825 | 1,065 | 210 | 120/70-ZR17 | 180/55-ZR17 | 17 |
| KTM Duke 790 | 2,062 | 904 | 1,059 | 174 | 110/70-ZR17 | 150/60-ZR17 | 14 |
Honda CBR650R Engine Compared With Rivals
Powered by 4-cylinder engines, all the three bikes more substantial than the Duke, which gets a raspy parallel twin. Talking strictly about numbers, the Z900 happens to be the most powerful bike here but ironically, is the only one that does not offer traction control. The Honda may seem a bit low on power here, but also comes with the smallest engine and remember the slight weight advantage it has?
| Displacement (cc) | Piston Arrangement | Maximum Power (hp) | Maximum Torque (Nm) | Transmission | Clutch | Traction Control | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Honda CBR650R | 649 | Inline-4 | 95 | 64 | 6-speed | Assist + slipper | Yes |
| Suzuki GSX-S750 | 749 | Inline-4 | 112 | 81 | 6-speed | Not available | Yes |
| Kawasaki Z900 | 948 | Inline-4 | 123 | 98.6 | 6-speed | Assist + slipper | No |
| KTM Duke 790 | 799 | Parallel-2 | 103 | 86 | 6-speed | Assist + slipper | Yes |
Honda CBR650R Brakes and Suspension Compared With Rivals
With so much power in hand, you need a set of pretty solid brakes to keep you in check. The good thing here is that all bikes in this category come with dual channel ABS. In terms of suspension duties, the Suzuki uses a conventional USD fork while the others have some fancy tricks up their sleeve, have a look.
| Front Suspension | Rear Suspension | Front Brake | Rear Brake | ABS | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Honda CBR650R | Showa separate function USD fork | Mono-shock | 310 mm, twin discs | 240 mm, single disc | Dual channel |
| Suzuki GSX-S750 | USD fork | Mono-shock | 310 mm, dual discs | 240 mm | Dual channel |
| Kawasaki Z900 | Adjustable USD fork | Mono-shock | 300 mm, twin discs | 250 mm, single disc | Dual channel |
| KTM Duke 790 | WP USD fork | Mono-shock | 300 mm, twin discs | 240 mm, single disc | Dual channel, switchable |
Also Read: Bookings Open For The Honda CBR650R In India, To Be Priced Under INR 8 Lakh
So here is how these three stack up against each other on paper. Now let us discuss the prices of these beautiful machines. The Kwacker, the most powerful bike here comes in at an ex-showroom price of INR 7.68 Lakh. The Suzuki, on the other hand, is priced at INR 7.51 Lakh. The Duke 790 is rumoured to be priced in the INR 7-8 Lakh price bracket, and Honda has confirmed the CBR650R would not cost more than INR 8 Lakh.
Despite being so different on paper and in terms of looks, these bikes come too close in terms of pricing. Now it is a choice that you have to make, depending on what your requirements are because all 4 bikes are beautiful machines and you really can not go wrong buying any one of them. What would your pick be? Let us know through comments on our social media pages.