2019 Honda CBR650R vs Kawasaki Ninja 650- What to buy

Honda has launched the 2019 CBR 650R in India at Rs 7.70 lakhs and replaces the CBR650F in the country. The CBR 650R is a sports tourer and the only other motorcycle in the same segment is the Kawasaki Ninja 650 with half the cylinders and a different price. However, it is the only real competition to the 2019 CBR 650R. We find out how the two motorcycles fare against each other on paper.

Design and Features

If you feel that the 2019 CBR 650R looks familiar, you aren’t wrong. The bike derives its mean-looking styling from the bigger CBR1000RR Fireblade. So, there is a full-fairing with twin full-LED headlamps, a redesigned fuel tank and a revised seat. To complete its aggressive appeal, Honda has moved the handlebars 30mm forward and the foot pegs 6mm higher. 

The Kawasaki Ninja 650 on the other hand has a comparatively sharper styling all around. Similar to the CBR 650R, the Ninja also borrows design cues from its sibling, the Ninja 1000.  While it gets a tall windscreen, the bike uses conventional headlamps for illumination. Kawasaki offers the Ninja 650 with an analogue-digital instrument cluster which looks out dated compared to the full-colour LCD dash on the CBR 650R. Furthermore, the CBR also comes equipped with the HSTC (Honda Selectable Torque Control). The system maintains real wheel traction and can also be switched off. 

Engine

The Honda CBR 650R is powered by a 649cc, inline-four cylinder engine that produces 86bhp of power and 60.1Nm of torque. The motor is mated to a six-speed transmission along with an assist and slipper clutch. 

The Kawasaki Ninja 650 has similar displacement although with half the cylinders as compared to the CBR 650R. The 649cc, parallel-twin motor might produce lesser power at 67.2bhp although the torque figure of 65.7Nm is higher than that of the CBR 650R. The Ninja 650’s engine also comes mated to a six-speed gearbox and slipper clutch.

Cycle Parts

The Honda CBR 650R rides on 17-inch wheels on both ends with 41mm inverted forks up front and a monoshock at the rear; both sourced from Showa. Meanwhile, the Ninja 650 uses 41mm telescopic forks and monoshock for the rear. 

Braking on the Honda is done by twin 310mm discs at the front and a single 240mm disc at the rear. Kawasaki uses twin 300mm discs up front and a 220mm disc for the rear. The fuel-tank capacity on both bike are similar. While the Ninja 650 gets a 15-litre tank, the CBR 650R uses a 15.4-litre unit. 

Pricing

The 2019 Honda CBR 650R is priced at Rs 7.70 lakhs. On the other hand, the Kawasaki Ninja 650 costs Rs 5.49 lakhs for the standard version and Rs 5.69 lakhs for the KRT colours. 

Now for the Rs 2.21 lakh extra that the CBR 650R demands, it offers a bigger and more powerful engine, a modern instrument cluster, better suspension and braking hardware along with a fresh design. 

All prices ex-showroom, India