[Acesftw]

http://www.motorcycle.com/shoot-outs/middleweight-intermediate-sportbike-shootout-video

The FZ6R, champion!

 

[Arcticsoldier]

and i was looking forward to purchasing the CBR650F over the ninja650R.
what a disappointment. read most of the articles that feature CBR650f and only some mention the vibration. I can bet that if i buy a brand new 2014 CBR or 650R a new model will come out that fixes issues. isnt the 650R due for an update?

 

[Acesftw]

That was a pretty good review on the 3 bikes. I too am surprised at how poorly the Honda was mentioned. I was expecting Honda to win since its brand new and the Yamaha and Kawa maybe a distant 2nd and 3rd. I disagree with how much praise they handed out to the FZ6R in regards to its handling. I thought the front end of that bike was numb and vague. But you know 2 riders are never the same. I do remember the FZ6R having a very smooth motor, but I did not buy it due to it being a bit vanilla to me in how it made its power.
A change of handlebars in the Ninja 650 does wonders for the bike, it does have funky ergonomics going on. I ride a 14 Ninja 650 and just swapped the handlebars to a lower one.

The talk on the Ninja 650 forums is that a update should be coming for the 2016 year.

 

[Supersport]

wonder would they have a different opinion if they swap the 180 rear for a 170

 

[Red Hat]

Saw that review, TBH it didn't come across as very objective. Seemed they were bending over backward to find praise for the old bikes and find fault with the new. Leaving price and some buzziness aside (heavier bar ends + gripping the bars lighter would probably help), the video obscures the fact the Honda has the most powerful engine and the best ergos, brakes, styling, handling, fit and finish.

 

[FreelancerMG]

This new review says the exact opposite of the Honda.

http://rideapart.com/articles/inbetweener-2014-honda-cbr650f-review

 

[Acesftw]

This new review says the exact opposite of the Honda.

http://rideapart.com/articles/inbetweener-2014-honda-cbr650f-review

That was a slam dunk review of the Honda. I'm more confused than ever.

 

[xorbe]

The "minor" buzz was reported from day one, but man they really came down hard on it. I have never been on one.

This new review says the exact opposite of the Honda.

http://rideapart.com/articles/inbetweener-2014-honda-cbr650f-review

Almost reads like a press release. Well, they ding it for a few things.

 

[Red Hat]

The "minor" buzz was reported from day one, but man they really came down hard on it.

Press releases make much of the fact the engine in the 650F is used as a stressed member i.e. as part of the frame. While this adds rigidity and can lower weight (less frame required) it can also transfer engine vibrations directly into the frame. That's why a lot of bikes have the engine mounted in rubber, to try and reduce the vibes.

I reckon this could explain the 650F's vibrations. As to how bad it really is, only a test ride will tell.

I have never been on one

Me neither, but I have ridden a mate's Ninja 650, and felt more vibrations coming through than compared to my 300. But it was bearable. So long as the 650F isn't actually worse that that, I could learn to live with it.

 

[Acesftw]

I just took a 40 mile ride on my Ninja 650. There has to be something wrong with this review. I have ridden many bikes over the last 15 years and the Ninja is one of the most character filled bikes I ever rode. Vibes, loud engine sounds, engine braking, windshield vibes. There is no way I see can how this twin can be smoother than a Honda inline 4. Got to try to believer.

 

[Acesftw]

I have moved on to the FZ6R. Got a new leftover 13 yesterday. The Ninja 650 was a bit too rough around the edges to a be ride that I could ride for hours on the weekends. It was too old school in the feel, you know it had the lumpy twin feel to me. The FZ6R is butter smooth like the review says with a very quiet exhaust that is more my style.

 

[GipsyDanger]

The CBR650F is WAAAY more smooth then the 300 or Ninja 650. It's almost too smooth. That video review liked the Honda fine...just not for the money. I love my CBR650...hate the Ninja 650 and never rode the Yamaha.

 

[Red Hat]

The CBR650F is WAAAY more smooth then the 300 or Ninja 650. It's almost too smooth.

See, this is the problem with these kind of reviews. We don't know what the motorcycle.com reviewers are using as a frame of reference. If the 650F is smoother than my 300, or the Ninja 650 I've ridden before, it is more than smooth enough for me! But the review makes the 650F sound almost un-rideable! Which I don't believe.

That video review liked the Honda fine...just not for the money.

This also annoys me. I want to know what the best bike is irrespective of price, not what the reviewers' decide based on their own perception of value for money. Bikes are not all priced the same around the world. Whilst the CBR650F might be substantially more expensive than the Ninja 650 or FZ6R in the USA, downunder all these bikes are almost the exact same amount of money. Which means, I'd like to know which is the best bike, not which bike motorcycle.com think is the best 'value for the money' based purely on USA prices (which I'm sure will fluctuate even within the USA). If they tell us what the best bike is as objectively as possible, we can then decide if any premium in pricing, if present, is worth it. If that makes sense?

 

[GipsyDanger]

yeah man it makes sense...completely. that's what I was saying.

As far as the smoothness...I mean it's an inline 4...detuned...if you watch SpaceP0ds video he uaes the word "smooth" about 50 times. It's smoooth enough

 

[Acesftw]

The FZ is so smooth as every review says it is. Its motor has a electric feel to it just like the CBR500R, I'm sure a aftermarket exhaust would let it rumble some though. Its might not be as top heavy as I wrote in a previous post. I put 125 miles on the bike today and I think it was the new tires that held it back along with the cold weather. It was warmer today and the tires are getting scrubbed in nicely so I could feel better handling. I will say the Ninja 650 feels faster, the torque is not the FZ's strong point.

If you enjoy hearing and feeling the spin of the pistons the FZ6R is for you. Its spins for a bit than the kick of power comes in unlike twin motors that romp you foward. I could ride longer on this smooth Inline 4 compared to the Ninja 650. The CBR500R was about the same for how it felt during long rides, comfy and quiet and a excellent long distance bike. The R3 would be best for tight urban areas I would think.

Anyway if you can de restrict the FZ6R for a good price later on, I think that would be the bike to get. The suspension is utter smooth and takes bumps and jolts better than a lot of bikes priced more. Its a jack of all trades sportbikes.

 

[Lusiphur]

All Honda's Buzz.

It's why I sold my CBR600F2
and why I sold my CBR600RR

Both bikes would numb my hands and elbows

 

[Pavel]

It's been a long time but in the late 80's and all through the nineties I owned four honda's and rode a few more.The honda's were nice in many ways but every last one made my hands feel like I was holding a badly tuned electric razor. After an hour I could hardly feel my hands sometimes. It made otherwise great bikes second best for me. The Kawi's I've had ( five of them before this 300 I'm waiting delivery on) were more coarse, also vibrated but in a different way, and somehow kept me comfortable for longer in the saddle.

All through those days, I kept reading how smooth the Hondas were. Yeah, sure. There is a lot of very shoddy partizan reviewing going on, always has been. Either that, or perhaps there is a tremendous degree of bike to bike, same model, variation. I'd say that lousy reviewing is more likely.