- Jun 9, 2019
Right, since getting the CB650R in June 2019, I have now done 900 miles so after todays rather dreich 100 mile ride I thought I'd give my thoughts and a bit of background as to why my thoughts are the way they are, just to give some perspective.
Me first
I am 66 and 6ft 1in tall and 17 stone, before buying the bike (PCP) I wondered if it would fit and if it would be powerful enough for me, having been riding continually since 1970 so have had a few bikes in those 49 years but this was going to be the smallest capacity I had got since my 250 SuperDream in the early 70's !
Every bike since 1979 has been at least 750 so I was apprehensive to start with, due to personal circumstances I could not afford much more than the cost of the CB650R so it was either the CB or a 700 Tracer as I had just sold a 900 Tracer which I thought was a brilliant bike (unfortunately again finances dictating the need to sell) Reading up on the Tracer 700 i decided I wanted more power than it had and it was a parallel twin and the 4 cylinder CB appealed more.
So anyway collected the bike in June and the first thoughts were how nimble it was, one of my previous bikes was the old CB1000R and it reminded me a bit of that at least riding style wise.
So onto my 900 mile thoughts.
Since we got married in 1977, my missus has always ridden pillion but on the first ride she wasn't impressed, not so much with the overall bike but with the amount (or lack) of legroom, she is only 5ft 7in and 9 stone so not too big you would have thought, but after a bit of searching I bought a Gel Pad which added about 40mm to the height of the pillion seat and also fitted a Shad rack and top box, again to make her feel more secure.
Although not massive miles (mainly due to the crap weather here) but enough to give me impressions that are relevant to me and my missus. Having run with the Gel Pad and Rack for a couple of hundred miles the original complaint that her knees were too cramped have gone, so now I know that works I will look to get the pillion seat reupholstered with more height to save having the Gel pad loose and strapped on.
As far as my impressions of the actual ride, like I say I was used to bigger bikes with more horsepower, the Tracer had lots of low down grunt but the CB needs to be ridden differently, using the revs to get that power and once you get used to that its addictive ! Rather than riding lazily, which you tend to do when you have lots of low down torque, you need to be more involved and you need to ride the bike to suit it, not you.
My other current bike is a 1998 Blackbird which I've had for 20 years and although its a carb bike, just opening the throttle in any gear propels you to naughty speeds, so now I recalibrate the brain for the CB and use the gears more, get those revs up (and when you do the exhaust sounds brilliant!).
It is a great bike for throwing around the little A roads and B roads around here, even today with soaking roads she really sings through the bends even more so when it finally dries up.
So the bottom line is that now the missus is happy (always a bonus!) we can plan trips to the West Coast (a days ride from here) and know its gonna be great on those roads, also now I am tuned into how this bike works best, I am really enjoying the involvement and the way she works when ridden correctly, after a few rides I had through of getting rid when the PCP deal is up in 30 months but now I am wanting to keep her because its really good at what it does and when we go on those 2 week summer tours, it will be the Blackbird but thats no reflection on the CB more for practicality for all the luggage we both take for our summer hols.
Always been a mainly Honda man right from the Honda 50 in the 70's through to a CD175, CB250 Superdream, CB750K7, VF1000F, Transalp and Blackbird and its now the CB650R taking on the latest mantle !
Me first
I am 66 and 6ft 1in tall and 17 stone, before buying the bike (PCP) I wondered if it would fit and if it would be powerful enough for me, having been riding continually since 1970 so have had a few bikes in those 49 years but this was going to be the smallest capacity I had got since my 250 SuperDream in the early 70's !
Every bike since 1979 has been at least 750 so I was apprehensive to start with, due to personal circumstances I could not afford much more than the cost of the CB650R so it was either the CB or a 700 Tracer as I had just sold a 900 Tracer which I thought was a brilliant bike (unfortunately again finances dictating the need to sell) Reading up on the Tracer 700 i decided I wanted more power than it had and it was a parallel twin and the 4 cylinder CB appealed more.
So anyway collected the bike in June and the first thoughts were how nimble it was, one of my previous bikes was the old CB1000R and it reminded me a bit of that at least riding style wise.
So onto my 900 mile thoughts.
Since we got married in 1977, my missus has always ridden pillion but on the first ride she wasn't impressed, not so much with the overall bike but with the amount (or lack) of legroom, she is only 5ft 7in and 9 stone so not too big you would have thought, but after a bit of searching I bought a Gel Pad which added about 40mm to the height of the pillion seat and also fitted a Shad rack and top box, again to make her feel more secure.
Although not massive miles (mainly due to the crap weather here) but enough to give me impressions that are relevant to me and my missus. Having run with the Gel Pad and Rack for a couple of hundred miles the original complaint that her knees were too cramped have gone, so now I know that works I will look to get the pillion seat reupholstered with more height to save having the Gel pad loose and strapped on.
As far as my impressions of the actual ride, like I say I was used to bigger bikes with more horsepower, the Tracer had lots of low down grunt but the CB needs to be ridden differently, using the revs to get that power and once you get used to that its addictive ! Rather than riding lazily, which you tend to do when you have lots of low down torque, you need to be more involved and you need to ride the bike to suit it, not you.
My other current bike is a 1998 Blackbird which I've had for 20 years and although its a carb bike, just opening the throttle in any gear propels you to naughty speeds, so now I recalibrate the brain for the CB and use the gears more, get those revs up (and when you do the exhaust sounds brilliant!).
It is a great bike for throwing around the little A roads and B roads around here, even today with soaking roads she really sings through the bends even more so when it finally dries up.
So the bottom line is that now the missus is happy (always a bonus!) we can plan trips to the West Coast (a days ride from here) and know its gonna be great on those roads, also now I am tuned into how this bike works best, I am really enjoying the involvement and the way she works when ridden correctly, after a few rides I had through of getting rid when the PCP deal is up in 30 months but now I am wanting to keep her because its really good at what it does and when we go on those 2 week summer tours, it will be the Blackbird but thats no reflection on the CB more for practicality for all the luggage we both take for our summer hols.
Always been a mainly Honda man right from the Honda 50 in the 70's through to a CD175, CB250 Superdream, CB750K7, VF1000F, Transalp and Blackbird and its now the CB650R taking on the latest mantle !
