Honda brought its popular 650cc 4-cylinder bikes back to India in January 2025. A few months later, the company also launched the CB650R and CBR650R with its E-Clutch technology for around Rs 40,000 more. Now, the company has removed the base variants from its India line-up.
- E-Clutch allows the bike to be ridden without using the clutch
- The system adds 2.8kg of weight
Honda CB650R and CBR650R standard variants discontinued
The E-Clutch system adds 2.8kg to the overall kerb weight
Less than six months after launching them, Honda India has discontinued the standard versions of both the CBR650R and the CB650R naked bike. Customers interested in these 4-cylinder Honda sportbikes can now only buy the E-Clutch versions.
The downside to this is that customers will have to shell out an additional Rs 40,000, and this system will add an extra 2.8kg to their motorcycles. However, there are some convincing upsides to this technology as well.
For starters, the Honda 650s still come with a clutch lever and can be ridden in a traditional manner if the rider wishes. This is unlike other ‘automatic’ options like Honda’s own DCT or Yamaha’s Y-AMT that we sampled in the fabulous 2024 MT-09.
Honda’s system aims to remove the clutch from the equation entirely, and it doesn’t need to be used even when the bike comes to a halt. However, gear shifts still need to be made, and it is important for the rider to ensure that the bike is in the correct gear at different speeds. For example, trying to pull away from a standstill in a high gear will not be good for the system.
Essentially, the Honda E-Clutch aims to offer you the joys of riding a normal motorcycle but without the effort and irritations that come with dealing with a clutch in heavy city traffic. On paper, this sounds excellent, but how well it functions in Indian cities is only something we can confirm after we review the motorcycles.
As with the standard versions, the E-Clutch CB650R and CBR650R are powered by a 649cc inline 4-cylinder liquid-cooled engine that produces 95hp at 12,000rpm and 63Nm at 9,500rpm. The 6-speed gearbox and its ratios are the same.
Both the CB650R and the CBR650R are available in two colour options – black and red.
Azaman Chothia
Vishal Venugopal
