2018 Honda CB650F - Commuting with Kelly Callan | Ultimate Motorcycling

Hi this is Kelly with Ultimate Motorcycling.com. If you've got a few minutes to tag along on my ride, I'll tell you what I think of the 2018 Honda CB650F for commuting purposes. Okay first up let me tell you that the seat is just under 32 inches and I have a 30 and a half inch inseam but as you can see I am still flat-footed on this bike so it's not too tall for me though it is a little bit taller than some of the other bikes in its class. First off it's a mid-sized upright naked sport bike so mid-size that means it's going to have enough power in the freeway no problem there. Upright I'm going to have great visibility and it's really comfortable. Naked well I'm going to take on more air since there's really no wind protection at high speeds. So let's talk about the engine first. This is a 649 cc inline-four so it's got that great four-cylinder hum. I really like that and it's quite peppy. Very responsive engine the slightest crack of the throttle and this bike's ready to go. The four-cylinder doesn't have as much engine braking as a two-cylinder bike so although I'm used to just rolling off the throttle and getting a nice deceleration I need to downshift on this or actually use the brakes which I'll talk about in a minute. The brakes are terrific. So the engine is very responsive which is absolutely awesome in hills but as a commuter it's not quite as ideal because you have to be very mindful of your throttle control to get a smooth ride. Power is absolutely there at any speed when you need it so that's the good news. Okay suspension. The suspension on this bike is really great. Absolutely fabulous. The only thing that's adjustable is the spring preload in the back but I wouldn't change anything on this. For 2018 it has the Showa dual bending valves and that really fine-tunes the compression damping on this bike and when you're riding on Los Angeles freeways which are very bumpy you really appreciate how nice this this suspension is. It takes everything in strides. It's a firm suspension but it has push to it. Also the bike itself has a really nice planted feel. It's 454 pounds so it's a little bit heavier than some of the other bikes in its class but that's not a negative at all. It really makes for a solid feel on the freeway. It also has a slightly longer wheelbase at 57.1 inches and the steering angle is 25.3 degrees so it's a little bit relaxed compared to some of the other mid-size bikes and it makes for a really comfortable secure feeling ride. Okay ergonomics. I already said this is a an upright bike and a naked bike at that. Now to be fair it has but you can't see it from here but there's a tiny cowl at the front here which does direct some of the wind blast over your head so at this speed it's not bad at all but I will say if you have a fast commute or a long commute you'll notice the wind. All the controls are within easy reach. Brakes. There's some nice free play at the front lever which is really important because these brakes are these brakes are powerful. They're dual 320 millimeter discs up front and wow that's a nice stopping action and as I said you have free play. Once you start engaging though be mindful when you when you pull hard because you're going to get a big response from it. Brake is also useful. That does not engage too quickly so you're not likely to get in trouble there. There's optional abs to be had. They're cleaning the streets at this hour and finally this is a minor detail. The bike does not have a gear indicator on the dash which I find quite surprising and the mirrors are great. They don't vibrate even at a higher rpm. So there you go. Those are my thoughts on the 2018 Honda CB650F as a commuter. Thanks for coming along for the ride. I'll catch you next time.