Honda CB650FA
3 reviews
Great Entry level Non LAM naked bike! – After getting off my green P's I was looking for a quality made naked bike with enough power to keep me out of trouble and give me a feel of an unrestricted bike. This bike ticked all those boxes it has a great resell value and isn't too dear second hand, has a comfortable seating position, has a great sounding engine and most of all will last ages having a quality built engine. Mine is a 2014 CB650F Non LAM model which is unrestricted stock from the Honda factory. between 2014 and 2016 they made these Non LAM models recently looking you can only get LAM models in the F and R versions. Overseas (outside Australia) may be a different story.
Some positives about the bike: - Low maintenance: Oil and oil filter change every 12,000km or 1 year and valve check every 24,000km or 2 years. - Great seating position: If you have short arms handle bar risers do help but generally speaking it is a comfy seating position. - Easy to read dash and stylish look with a tacho, digital speedo, clock, fuel consumption calculator etc. - Sexy sounding 4 cylinder sound - Great 0-100km/h and beyond: it achieves a 3.8 second 0-100km/h - Loads of accessories to install and easy to get parts for - Easy smooth gear changes with a smooth braking and ABS standard! - Great leaning angle with a 180/55 R17 rear tyre! - Wind doesn't blow the bike around on the highway - Great looking rear LED brake light and LED position lights - Easy to fit top box and side panniers as well as a tank bag! - HISS (Honda Ignition Security System) is great immobilizer when parking your bike in town and leaving it for ages and not having to worry about someone stealing your bike. They need your key to start it as it matches up with the HISS. - Can be unrestricted: What I mean by this is if you buy this bike whilst on your L's or P's you can unrestrict it once getting onto your full license and save buying another unrestricted bike. How: you swap the air duct pipes for a Non LAM model giving it full air flow instead of 1/4 air flow, a Non LAM ECU swapping it with the LAM ECU and once you do this you'll get a set of blank keys with the new ECU you'll need to cut them to the old keys in order for it to register with the new ECU HISS. This is a great way to save buying another bike when you can simple unrestrict your LAM bike!
Some negatives - No gear indicator or temperature gauge installed. I feel this is necessary in this stone age of technology - Tyres can be expensive if you commute a lot and flat spot wear them out. - Is a bit heaving for a 650cc naked being 208kg it would be nice if Honda made it 20-30kg less making it more maneuverable - Seat could be a bit softer but isn't bad stock from Honda factory - Needs traction control: sometimes in the wet the rear can slip easily i feel with technology in this stone age it'd benefit with some traction control to help make the bike safer to ride in all weather conditions. - Service wise it is a bit ordinary to pull apart and can be done if you have the correct tools and patience. - Doubling a pillion may be a bit uncomfortable after longer trips but can be managed with some aftermarket accessories to the bike - Can be expensive to insure for beginner riders which is like any other 600/650cc LAM motorcycle on the market. - Needs a steering damper - seat a bit tall 810mm for short riders but can be lowered. Was expecting a 780-790mm seat.
Overall the time I've owned this bike I have not had one mechanic fault or anything he only money I've spent is on maintenance to keep it running good. This has a great power weight ratio and will surprise all riders and can be used for all types of riding like commuting, highway, city, track and weekend twistie rides. For a 4 cylinder bike it has a lot of get up and go so don't underestimate this 4 cylinder having no low end power!
I would recommend this bike to anyone as a bike to ride after getting off your restricted license. You can get LAM models but I've personally rode one and they aren't much faster than a Honda CB/CBR500F/R. Because of the restriction the bike has been restricted to comply with the LAM standards.
Hope this helps anyone looking at these bikes they may not be as popular but are just as good as its competitors!
Purchased in .
Great Bike but get the right model – I first purchased a 2016 tri colour model which I was told was NOT a Lams. Great looking bike (gold wheels a real pain to keep clean) Turned out it was, eventually it was swapped over for a new 2014 full power blue with black wheels (easier to keep clean) Watch out Honda didn't import any full power after the end of 2015 You can check this by looking on the VIN 10th character must be a G and engine number start with 22
This bike can’t be derestricted as it’s an ECU unit.
If you are after a lams bike it’s not bad handles well and goes ok (if you're not used to a full power bike)
The full power is a great bike with great bottom end power great for in traffic and commuting, keep it in the higher res and it will put a smile on your face.
Pros: -
• responsive handling
• good power delivery
• comfortable riding position
Cons: -
• gold wheels are a pain to keep clean
• Light weight bar ends give vibrations through your hands.
• Information on led cluster could do with better info. E.g. I would rather have bike temp and gear indicator then average fuel consumption
Definitely a great fun bike and if you’re after a more relaxed comfortable riding position.
- Date Purchased:
An exceptional value bike – I've been riding for just over 2 years and got my unrestricted licence so it was time to upgrade from my CB125e to something a little more serious and what a great bike the CB650FA is proving to be. I love the naked style and spent a few months test riding different ones and it came down to this or the Street Triple. I just couldn't go past the value of the Honda so the head won!
It felt comfortable from the moment I sat on it. A turn of the key and the dash comes alive, it's easy to read in all conditions and everything appears well laid out although the lack of gear indicator is a minus in my opinion. I'm 6'2 and average weight, although I don't think weight is an issue with this motor. The exhaust note is really pleasing on the ear and it's neatly tucked away under the engine. The bike is really stable on the road and comfortable at low speeds through traffic and higher speeds on the freeway. I was surprised actually how stable it was at low speeds when filtering (now legal in NSW hooray). The amount of torque lower down in the revs is something else making it perfect for getting away at the lights or zipping through traffic, you don't have to work the gears at all. The turning circle isn't great compared to my smaller bike but as I've not ridden allot of big bikes maybe this is the norm?
I like that it came with allot of kit as standard, LED running lights, LED rear lights, clear indicators, rear hugger etc. The onboard computer tells you everything you need to know, fuel consumption etc and it's easy to navigate.
After a few hundred k's it's proving to be an awesome bike and brings a grin to my face every time I start it. Do I reject not getting the Triumph? Sometimes, being English I'm naturally drawn to it but a few minutes in the seat I couldn't care less!! Value, Easy of ride Lack of gear indicator
Extra Information
ProductReview.com.au has affiliate partnerships. These do not influence our content moderation policies in any way, though ProductReview.com.au may earn commissions for products/services purchased via affiliate links.