Honda will be assembling the CBR650F in India starting from next year; however the plant at which it will be produced has not been decided yet. It will become India’s cheapest 4-cylinder bike, the current honour rests with the Kawasaki Z800.
Showcased at the Auto Expo earlier this year, Honda Motorcycle and Scooter India (HMSI) has confirmed that the company will start production of the CBR650F performance motorcycle in 2015 in the country (earlier the launch was announced to be in the first quarter of 2016). On the sidelines of laying the foundation stone for its next only scooter plant in Gujarat, Honda India spoke about how the company plans to showcase the Indian manufacturing quality standards to the world and the production of a premium motorcycle CBR650F was an ideal way to do so. However, the company is yet to finalize the facility at which the bike be assembled.
Honda India currently has three plants operational in Haryana, Rajasthan and Karnataka, either of which will take up the task of building the new CBR650F. The company further stated that the decision has been pending since the units are too small but a quick decision will be taken soon. Apart from the manufacturing prowess, Honda says the purpose of building the bike in India is to make it more affordable for customers. While the pricing has not been finalized yet, one can expect to shell out close to Rs. 7 lakhs for the CBR650F. The automaker also added that local production was in-line with the ‘Make in India’ wave started by the new government earlier this month.
The Honda CBR650F is powered by a 649cc 4-cylinder, DOHC engine that produces 86 HP of power and 63 Nm of torque, paired to a 6-speed gearbox. 0-100 km/hr can be achieved in 4 seconds, while the top speed is rated at 225 km/hr. The bike will get ABS as standard, while the claimed fuel efficiency figure is 21 km/l. The CBR650F will be competing against the Kawasaki Ninja 650, Triumph Speed Triple and the Benelli BN 600 GT in the segment. The success of the model will surely open new avenues in the middle-weight segment. With the premium motorcycle market growing, more automakers will finally start locally producing and assembling performance motorcycles in the country.
