Honda plans to make a big impact in the middle-weight motorcycle segment of India with the launch of the CBR650F. This 4-cylinder bike will be priced aggressively thanks to CKD assembly.
Honda shocked everyone when they announced at the 2014 Auto Expo about their plans to launch the CBR650F in India as a locally assembled model. Honda currently doesn’t do CKD operations for even a single bike in the country although their 4-wheeler division has been extensively involved in CKD activities with the Civic, Accord and CR-V being locally assembled. Honda currently either locally manufacturers or completely imports bikes with all products till the CBR250R being locally produced while all superbikes come via the CBU route.
Honda isn’t just planning to locally assemble the CBR650F via the CKD route, the company also plans to use local content on the bike which will help them price it aggressively. The CBR650F will indirectly compete with the Kawasaki Ninja 650 and the Z800, the former being a 650cc bike while the latter having a 4-cylinder layout. This Honda will become the cheapest 4-cylinder bike in the country and is expected to be priced under Rs. 7 lakhs (on-road). The launch will take place in early 2016 (before March) and only one variant will be offered, with ABS as standard.
The Honda CBR650F employs a 649cc, 4-pot mill that generates 86 HP of power and 63 Nm of torque. It runs on wide 120 and 180 section tyres at the front and rear respectively. The bike has a claimed mileage of 21 km/l and the 0-100 km/hr time is under 4 seconds. Top speed of this 208 kg Honda is rated at 225 km/hr. Remember, Honda was the bike manufacturer to kick start the 250cc segment in India and with the CBR650F, the company is likely to give a huge push to the middle-weight segment. Honda’s fellow countryman could contemplate the launch of the MT-07 if the CBR650F finds success in our country.
