Suzuki GSX-S750 vs Honda CBR650F - Japanese inline-four showdown

The Suzuki GSX-S750 is a middleweight streetfighter and it competes against the Kawasaki Z900 and the Triumph Street Triple. But there is another Japanese middleweight lurking in the background, priced very close to it – the Honda CBR650F. It might not be a naked, but then a supersport motorcycle will always have an edge in a market like India. So how do these bikes stack up against each other? We take a look at what the spec sheets tell us -

Design and features

As mentioned earlier, both the bikes here take completely different approaches when it comes to styling. The GSX-S750 gets all the traditional streetfighter styling cues like a sharply raked headlamp, edgy tank extensions and radiator shroud, muscular fuel tank, exposed frame and a raised tail section. The styling draws inspiration from the litre-class sibling – the GSX-S1000. 

Surprisingly, that isn’t the case with the CBR650F. The styling isn’t influenced by any of the sporty CBRs, and the design firmly places the CBR650F in the category of sports tourers. The front of the CBR650F gets a single LED headlamp unit at the front flanked by position lights. It also gets a short four-into-two-into-one underbelly exhaust system, which gives the bike’s rear section a clean and minimalist look. 

Both get fully-digital instrument consoles. While the CBR650F has to make do with just ABS, the GSX-S750 further benefits from a three-level traction control system. This system can also be turned off.

Engine

Both the motorcycles here are powered by inline-four engines, although the displacements are different. The GSX-S750 has a capacity of 749cc while the CBR650F gets a smaller engine which displaces 649cc. Thanks to the higher capacity, the GSX-S750 is significantly more powerful, churning out 112bhp and 81Nm of torque. In comparison, the CBR650F puts out just 90bhp and 64Nm of torque. Both the engines are offered with six-speed transmissions.

Cycle parts

The GSX-S750 benefits from a sportier front suspension setup, consisting of KYB inverted forks. These also have the provision to adjust the preload. The CBR650F uses conventional telescopic front forks sourced from Showa. Both the motorcycles use preload-adjustable monoshock for the rear. Both the motorcycles get dual discs up front and a single disc in the rear, with the callipers sourced from Nissin. The CBR650F uses a more sophisticated die-cast swingarm whereas the GSX-S750 uses a box-section unit. 

Pricing

Both the GSX-S750 and the CBR650F are locally-assembled and benefit from tax sops. As such, they are quite competitively priced. The CBR650F retails at Rs 6.3 lakhs while the GSX-S750 is slightly more expensive, at Rs 7.45 lakhs.