The Middle weights

The Middle weights

So you have been riding for 2-3 years with a 150 cc .And then you suddenly realize that the machine which served you well all these years , Now suddenly starts to feel slow.

People start going faster than you , much quicker zips between the signals. And at some signals a superbike pulls up and even if you can’t see it , that exhaust note has got you all excited.

So when you think of getting one yourself ,  a little bit of planning and then comes the choices that you are spoilt for.

With a Budget of 6-9L at hand or with bank or with Plastic money . And that itch to be on a 600cc machine has brought you to this decision point.

Let’s look at what choices we have at this Junction. I know you may have already been looking at Power Drift videos and drooling over them scraping their knees in lavasa.

Kawasaki Ninja 650

A parallel twin 649 cc , 72 bhp , 64 Nm torque Decent looking machine that does look unique in its Trademark Green and Black.
Tried and tested machine , I have covered over 10,000 kms on its saddle the 2011 model and the 2013’s.

Both the machines have things similar between them , but the improvements are seen on the 2013 model.

This would be an ideal upgrade to someone who has been riding a Karizma or a 220 most of their time.

The Ninja 650 isn’t a thrill motorcycle . It’s a No-nonsense upgrade which makes you feel you are on a faster Karizma.

A new comer who hasn’t ridden a bike > 250 cc would be at home riding the Ninja 650 for the first time.

The comfortable saddle , the reach to the handle bar and levers , The way the knees lock with the tank ,

The saddle height which most of the people above 5’6 should be easily be able to manage and their feet would be able to reach the ground.

It’s a good saddle to be in if you are a person who likes riding the bike in everyday traffic or even pile up 1000 kms in a day.

Start the engine with a tap on the starter and the Parallel comes to life sounding weird . The firing interval makes this inline sound way more different than a Ninja 300 , If you have that exhaust or idle note on mind.

Even though both being parallel twins , both the engines have almost nothing in common.

Pull in the light clutch and with almost no throttle input , you get going. That’s when you start hearing the bike sound like a Harley in the low revs . Yes , the beat , Not the loudness. The uneven firing sequence makes it sound like a Harley in the low end.

Help it with a little throttle and you have the bike happily surge forward with all the torque in the low end. This bike is happy to potter around in town in lower gears .

The fueling is almost spot on and you can’t really feel any jerks on the throttle on off transition.

Cheap maintenance costs . Regular service costs would be about 4000-6000 .

The Bike when used for touring is where it excels. The sweet spot is between 4000-7000 rpm where the engine is really comfortable and the vibes are minimal.

The Braking department is a big letdown , they don’t really shed speed as well as it builds. The brakes are spongy and they need a little getting used to before you can be really comfortable with pushing it.

The Windscreen is decently good till about 120-140kph. After that you can feel the wind blast.

The Headlights , although two 55 w ones , aren’t really good with throw or spread or brightness. Over 100 , The lights don’t help in anyway.

The suspension setting from the factory are on the softer side and high speed runs aren’t that stable . The front is ready to nosedive at any time.

Setting it harder by 1-2 notches makes a lot of difference on the ride and handling. The Underbelly exhaust doesn’t help when you are two up .It has the tendency of scraping the unscientifically tall speed breakers.

An all-rounder if it can be described that way. Its happy to do a little with of everything.

Engine ****

NVH  ****

Brakes ***

Suspension ***

Comfort *****

Reliability *****

Value for Money ****

Re-sale Value ****

Tank Range ****

Luggage friendly ****

Kawasaki ER-6N

This one again is powered by the exact same mill as the Ninja 650 . And that’s where the similarities end.

Being lighter by 8 kilos compared to the N650 , This one handles better , changes direction better.

The intake roar is a lot different . The Fueling and response is a notch better than the N650. Being Lighter , It happier on the brakes as well

And the suspension. The Bike looks narrow without the fairings and can easily be missed in the crowd .It makes a lovely everyday bike .

The naked makes it have a windblast after a certain speed . But its quicker to get there .

The heat dissipation is a little better and the fan doesn’t come on as often .

But the cost difference of only about 60,000 rupees makes one think if they should get the naked or the Faired version.

Engine ****

NVH  ****

Brakes ****

Suspension ****

Comfort *****

Reliability *****

Value for Money ***

Re-sale Value ***

Tank Range ****

Luggage friendly ****

Hyosung GT650R

A V-twin 647cc 72 bhp 61 Nm torque , a machine inspired from the 90’s Japanese bike designs. Bulky and odd .

The motor is largely based of the SV 650 and does a decent job in propelling the machine to good highway speeds.

The DSK relationship hasn’t been really great and the after sales service also isn’t very confidence inspiring.

The seating position is very aggressive for a middle weight all-rounder. Its more sport focused and the rider comfort is very little.

The fueling on the GT650R isn’t really good , the throttle transitions are very rough and the bike is very jerky at lower rpms.

Once past the 3000 rpm , Things get better and the Bike is smoother till about 6500 rpm.

Post that the inherent V-twin vibes creep in . The surge of torque is present from as low as 2000 rpm through 6500 rpm.

The braking isn’t very impressive , but they do a decent job in slowing the bike down.

The noise from the vehicle is very mechanical and the Welding job on the chassis is very industrial and crude.

The Bike is shod with excellent tires that help with the handling , Bridgestone Battlax .

The suspension front is a USD and the rear is a link type mono shock which work quite decently over varied road conditions.

The electrical on the bike are poor and a letdown. The mechanical and the fiber parts too are more expensive than the other bikes of the same segment.

Engine ****

NVH  **

Brakes ****

Suspension ***

Comfort ***

Reliability ***

Value for Money ***

Re-sale Value **

Tank Range ****

Luggage friendly ****

Benelli 600i / Benelli 600 GT

Another Joint venture by DSK has brought this inline 4 pot motor inspired by 03 R6 to us.

The First thing that people talk about this brand is the exhaust note . Italian or Chinese , let’s not debate , the sound has people fallen for it.

And then the cheapest inline four available off the block with decent power figures to impress most buyers.

There are 2 versions of the bike , a Naked 600i and the big belly bikini faired 600GT.

These bikes are equipped with big 50mm USD forks, a rear mono shock and a 180 section tire to complement the looks ,  which the Kwacker and Hyosung miss out on.

The fit and finish of the bike are quite decent . Hopping onto the saddle on the 600i , is a very different feeling compared to the twins. Thumb the starter and the motor settles into a lovely

Soothing tone which is very mellow at idle. The clutch and the Brake levers aren’t easy to reach if one has small fingers.

Unlike the usual bike , these levers seem to be designed to accommodate XXXXL hands and fingers.

One the move the characteristics of the i-4 are instantly evident. It is a high revving mill and the low end torque takes a beating ,

The surge of power is from 6000 rpm till about 11000 rpm. Below that the motor needs to be worked through the gears to gain speed.

Once at highway speeds , the bike is really comfortable staying in the “Zone” . being a Naked , you face windblast from the word Go.

The speedometer is very basic , But does the Job of letting u know the essentials.

The suspension is set up well and it’s a balance between soft and very firm.

The exhaust note from the 600i has more treble , and is shrill . It lacks a little bit of bass , which could have made it much better.

There are heat shields to protect the pillion from the heat generated by the under seat exhaust.

Overall makes a good street bike if there is spirited riding . And for some highway runs which it can do without a sweat.

Engine ****

NVH  ****

Brakes ****

Suspension ****

Comfort ***

Reliability ***

Value for Money ****

Re-sale Value ***

Tank Range ***

Luggage friendly **

The 600 GT is quite similar , Except it has a 27 Litre tank , Added weight of about 28 kilos .

A single underbelly exhaust, A small windscreen . A projector headlamp.
A better pillion comfort. Optional Touring  ready set up with Side and Top boxes.

Braking is not as great on the 600GT with the added weight.

Kawasaki Versys 650

Another one with the Same ninja 650 engine , but this has a different state of tune. Focused more on improving the torque delivery than just the mere numbers.

The Power output has been reduced by about 4ps. Which you wouldn’t even feel the loss .

The USP on this are , it fixes almost all the things that one would miss on the Ninja 650 .

Great USD front suspension , Dedicated to take on off road. A rear Mono shock with remote adjuster.

The Brakes get an ABS . A taller windscreen. Kawasaki Panniers if you want to tour.21 liter tank which is 6 liters over its sibling.(Almost 120kms extra tank range)
What’s not for everybody. Its tall stance , making it difficult for short riders to get their foot down.

The Tires however are road tires , It should have come shod with On-off road tires.

At 1.2 Lac over the Ninja you get some good useful equipment which the ninja solely missed out on.

Engine ****

NVH  ****

Brakes ****

Suspension ****

Comfort ****

Reliability ****

Value for Money ****

Re-sale Value ****

Tank Range ****

Luggage friendly ****

Honda CBR 650 F

Latest to the party , an inline four , 86 PS . 64 Nm torque . Honda brand value. A lovely fit and finish. An inline 4 smoothness , but a quiet and mellow exhaust note.

Priced at 8.4L in Bangalore . It surely does sound very expensive. Almost eating into the Z800 category which is a notch higher in terms of segment.

A full faired bike , with not so aggressive ride stance , yet sporty enough for you to have fun on.

The bike come with Nissin Calipers for the braking , ABS . a 180 section rubber to help it grip the tarmac.

The dials looks very basic , that is a letdown for some bike which costs a bomb . It also comes with an immobilizer (H.I.S.S)

This bike too comes with an underbelly exhaust . Honda claims a FE of about 25 kmpl .I haven’t got a chance to ride this one.

The Suspension has been tuned for comfort and is on the softer side .The front suspension is  a conventional Telescopic fork.

I may be able to add some finer points when I get my hands on it.

Engine ****

NVH  ****

Brakes ****

Suspension ****

Comfort ****

Reliability ****

Value for Money ****

Re-sale Value ****

Tank Range ****

Luggage friendly ****

Honda CBR650F

There have been guys who have had the Honda 250 for a long time now and wanted an upgrade , A Happy Honda owner needs an upgrade . But the wait was too long , Some went ahead with picking up another brand motorcycle.And some had the patience .

After a Late entry , Honda has come up with an inline four to Join the battle and get a share of the segment. They have chosen to enter with a Premium Middle weight , an inline motor ABS .

Has the wait paid off? Or too little too late?

Styling

A full faired motorcycle with a play it safe styling. The Design and styling is something that not all of them may like . It does not feature twin headlights like usual 600's do . 

Instead does away with a Single headlight unit. The Fairings do not look bulky at all and go well with the overall design of the bike.

The bike gets an short length under belly exhaust which looks fairly good . The 4 header pipes of the trademark Inline design are visible.

Currently there is only a Single color scheme that is available in the Indian market. It definitely has the street presence .

Ergonomics

The Riding position on the 650F is quite similar to the CBR250R . So for riders who are hopping on from such a riding position will find this to be at home . With the "F" badge , being touted as a sports tourer, the position has to be friendly and comfortable which it perfectly does. The seat height is 810 mm and should be comfortable for anyone who is above 5'6 .You wouldn't have issues getting your feet down.The Single Seat itself is pretty soft and wide enough for the rider and provides good support .Dint have a pillion , so no comments on that. With the ride position not being very leaned forward and sporty,there is a small windscreen that shields you from the wind blast till about 110-120. Post which it is of no use. you have to crouch if you need better wind protection. Or Needs a change to a bigger , better windscreen from Puig.

Instrumentation and Switch gear

This is one area where Honda has Goofed up big time . The twin pod instrumentation cluster looks from the late 90's. The Cluster is split into two .The LHS has a digital rev counter , And speed displayed next to it which is very readable. Next to it is the center piece where the indicator symbols are place. On the RHS cluster , you have the Tell tale signs which are oil temperature , FI , ABS and etc etc. 

It lacks a digital temperature guage, which in one way is good . why ? Sometimes numbers frighten you when you dont clearly understand the principle behind it. if the temperature keeps increasing from 65 at startup and goes till 80 , and 90 -95 in traffic , you start to panic as to oh , the bike is really getting heated up. Oh y hasnt the fan switched on yet. There is a thermostat which is working in the backend and it knows when to kick in the fan. the rider can just concentrate on the Chaotic traffic instead of being bothered by the increasing numbers. There is a symbol which pops up on the console when the temperature is too high.

Another major goof up, is re inventing the wheel .. Honda has swapped the Horn and the Indicator buttons on the switch gear. Very experimental i must say. May be an idea to reduce noise pollution and save the world and all that. But when in a Situation you need it and you are new to the Bike. Happy Birthday to you:-) . Keep pressing the indicator switch back to its default position.

Engine, Gearbox and Performance - Waiting for this ?

Press the starter with minimum effort and the welcome is typical Honda . Quiet , refined and Smooth .The exhaust is really quiet . Isn't loud at idle.

Slot into first and your off . The power is low until 3k rpm , But for an inline 4 , thats very common and a design characteristics. The inline 4 , with Dohc and 4 valves generally make power up the RPM band with a Jolt at 7000 rpm. They are happy being at higher RPM's is this the Honda the same ? Well Not really.

Past 3000 rpm , the power is very linear and it revs all the way till may be 11000 rpm. 

Like other inline fours , the bikes character does not change with RPM at all. From Idle , till redline , Its Like the Best Student award winner . No change at all.That doesn't mean its slow. Its Just not exciting like an Inline four. 

The gearbox is brilliant , a soft clutch makes it really easy to work your way around the gears. there was 1-2 false neutrals . But thats ignore able.

Very prominent and Noticeable is. As the speed increases the Vibes on the Split Handle bars . It starts from 60 itself or 4000-5000 rpm and is very evident . The vibes are bullet vibes.

Its more of a tickle or a buzz letting u know the motor is spinning. This is very unlike Honda or an i-4 character and Something that really put me off. Take it to 120 odd and the Tickle from handlebar is now evident on the footpegs. and Dropping throttle , Its evident on the inner side of the thighs too.

Again let me tell you , Its not vibes . But an irritating Buzz or resonance sort . and this is not something where a software upgrade will fix it. May be honda needs to look at the rubber mounts on the engine or trace where there are from. a lovely motor , but disappoints the rider with this added feature of BuZz.. There is absolutely no panel Vibes or windscreen or mirrors.

Like i mentioned before , the windscreen upgrade is the first thing you must do if you would like to Tour.

the 0-100 150 come up in Good time.

But there is No feel of it at all from the engine . Being very linear , the sense of speed is cut off . To add to this , the exhaust is as good as it doesnt exist or rather working too well to Mute everything.

Some Noise cancellation engineer must have designed the exhaust.

Show it an open highway and the Bike can hold 130-150 all day long without a sweat. the gearing is good at does about 140 odd at 6000 rpm or a little lesser.

The torque is good once you are at good highway speeds , over takings are a breeze.

if you want some fun on an i-4, drop two gears and Shoot.Ideally when you do that , your front is happy to lift and give you a kick at 7k and the aural note , makes everyone around u aware that there is something coming..

With This bike . Dont you even expect anything. You will Just go buy and no one will even know you exist.

Does the bike get heated too much ? Not at all. riding in traffic , there is not a little heat that is blown towards the riders legs or thighs .Honda has done a commendable job in designing the fairing and the fan and her dissipation is brilliant.

Fueling- the FI unit and fueling on the bike is Just Mindblowing , Never will you ever feel a jerk at any Rpm , any gear. Yes , a lack of power is evident till 3k or in crawling speed. Thats nothing to do with fueling.

Suspension and Handling

The bike setup from the factory is very plush. Its the same as the CBR250R. Happy to go into potholes and the rider wouldn't even feel the bad roads or undulations.

The Front suspension is a Conventional Non adjustable 41mm RWU forks which looks like was designed to nose dive. Its set up very soft . If you like spirited riding and improve handling , it may need to be stiffened a little by adding a little oil.

The rear faces the same story and the preload can be adjusted . But for a regular city use or normal highway solo rides . Best to leave the set up as it is .

On two up and Unscientific speed breakers , the exhaust makes contact. So watch out .

Handling-- aah.. This bike Just doesnt like changing directions. Its happy Just going in a straight line , while riding in Silk Board traffic , it was a little difficult to change directions , and i expected it to get better with speed.

But nope , even at 130 or 160, the bike is not happy to change directions quickly , Its like the old Trucks where u need manual "power" steering to make it do what you want.

ABS .. And Braking are excellent. It is not a combined ABS. But the stopping power is defintely the best of the segment out there.

General

The tank is a 17.3 litre tank, even with 120 all day , you can expect a minimum of 22kmpl. A rider can get a good range of 300+ with ease.

The mirrors on the bike are good. Not great , But do a decent Job.

Dunlop sportmax D222 tires , last about 12-15k or even 18k depending on your riding styles.

The rear lights are Led , But the design reminds me its from the 90's like a square or a Box. was looking at it when someone else was riding.

No idea on the headlight effectiveness as it was a day time ride.

Horn , is useless. Beep beep.. road runner style.

How fast is it ? Does a 230 if you push it .

Service costs are 8800 Rs for 3 services.

on the other hand , Kawa charges that much for one service :-P

Verdict

At 8.54L on road .It surely sounds expensive and is also expensive. I have been riding Various 600's and litre bikes from over a decade , and so my opinion would be based on that.

The CBR650F is a very boring bike to ride , It has all the boxes ticked for Comfort , Power , safety , Cheap cost of service and maintenance .

Yes but it lacks an excitement factor an experienced rider would look .

if its the first inline 4 that you are riding , Trust me it is the safest bike to buy cos the chances of you doing something stupid and something going wrong is very minimal.

This seems to be designed with newbies in Mind , So that the experience of shift over from 150 to a 650 is not scary or terrible.

Its made very easy that you enjoy your experience with it.

Over time you may master it , But for a beginner in this segment . This is something you need to look at.

The Price will pay you back over time is what i feel after interactions with the long term owners and the service costs.

But wait ,

Hey , for 40000 more im getting the Z800. Magazines gave it #1 spot . isnt that more vfm ?

On paper Spec to Spec yes the Z800 is better. But lets look at your purpose.

If its a sports tourer , then the CBR for sure. The Comfort and Wind protection is enough a reason to ignore the Z.

If you are more of everyday city ride and sometimes highway. then the Z is good.The Z is a lot heavier bike but has a better suspension set up.

I re iterate , if you are Jumping from a small bike and numbers dont matter , the happy smile does , Then have a look at the CBR.The acceleration and top whack figures of both would be almost identical . 

So please do not make a decision on what to buy wrt cc or bhp . they are meaningless as the Z is a Naked , the CBR is faired. The Z needs to fight much harder against the wind to get to the same speed as what CBR would would . So the Extra BHP and Torque are used there.

https://youtu.be/_sIz31Sc36k