After Honda teased the CBR650R E-Clutch on its social media handle on Wednesday, it has now teased the CB650R E-Clutch as well. This heralds the imminent arrival of the E-Clutch variants of both the inline-four Honda 650s in India.
- CB650R E-Clutch can be ridden without touching the clutch lever
- E-Clutch variant weighs just 2.8kg more than the base bike
- Except for clutch, both bikes are mechanically and visually identical
Honda CB650R E-Clutch pricing details
CB650R E-Clutch will weigh a couple of kilos more than the standard model
The Honda CB650R E-Clutch is identical to the standard bike, save for its innovative clutch system, which allows the rider to make gearshifts, come to a halt, and take off from a standstill without operating the clutch. The clutch lever isn’t omitted on Honda bikes with the E-Clutch, and the rider can take manual control whenever they choose to.
At 205.8kg, the CB650R E-Clutch weighs 2.8kg more than the standard CB650R, which is a rather small increase and, realistically, should be imperceptible on the move. While both CB650R models are nearly identical in appearance, the E-Clutch variant has a slightly bigger clutch casing to accommodate the actuators and other technical bits.
The standard CB650R and the E-Clutch variant are both powered by the same liquid-cooled, 649cc inline four-cylinder engine, producing 95hp at a sky-high 12,000rpm and 63Nm at a rather heady 9,500rpm. The 6-speed gearbox is shared between the two, and the only difference is in how you operate it.
In overseas markets, the price difference between the standard CB650R and the E-Clutch variant is roughly Rs 20,000. Currently, the ‘regular’ CB650R is priced at Rs 9.20 lakh (ex-showroom, Delhi), and it remains to be seen what pricing strategy Honda adopts when it launches the E-Clutch variant here.
Vishal Venugopal
Ved Janve
Azaman Chothia
