[ The Verdict ]
Like cruise control, heated kit and a voice ‐controlled TV, Honda’s E-Clutch is something you never know you need until you try it. And as Paul Lang’s discovered, it makes the CBR650R truly desirable
By Paul Lang Photography Adam Shorrock, Paul Lang
If I had £1 for every time someone has asked ‘what’s an E-Clutch do?’, I’d still be skint. But I’d have enough loose change for a lamb bhuna and some keema rice, which, given the price of a takeaway these days, is not to be sniffed at. Then if I forgot my rucksack when I picked it up, I could wobble home on the Honda CBR650R with the carrier bag swinging from my sweaty grip, thanks to the genius of it.
Honda boffins have blended a quickshifter with a normal clutch operation and borrowed the actuator unit from their Dual Clutch Transmission (DCT). Small electric motors move the clutch plates based on your throttle position, wheel speed and the pressure you’re putting through your left foot, so you don’t need to use the lever. It delivers one of the smoothest gear changes I’ve ever experienced, both up and down the ’box – it’s eerily slick. The system can be activated or disengaged at a flick of a switch, or pull the clutch lever to disengage.
With over 30 years of riding that’s relied on left lever control, I still get nervous selecting first gear without using the clutch. The power delivery felt jerky at first and I was stalling like a newbie, forgetting which operation was engaged. But after a few months I’m a big fan. I still cover the rear brake for extra control, but with acclimatisation it works brilliantly. A launch from the lights feels like you’re flying off a MotoGP grid. B-road gear shifts are clean. There’s no helmet collisions with a pillion. And you can carry a takeaway home (don’t blame me if your onion bhajis end up rolling down the high street).
It costs an extra £130 – cheaper than most optional quickshifters. It also adds 2kg but no one will notice on a bike that’s way over 200kg. Oh, and it’s attached to a great bike. We’ve always liked Honda’s four-cylinder middleweight, and the latest CBR-R is perhaps the best yet. The power delivery is smooth and wide (especially next to rival twin-cylinder bikes), its handling is easy and natural yet with more than enough accuracy for Sunday morning silliness, and the 650 is so easy to live with… cliché time, but for crying out loud it’s a Honda. It isn’t perfect: the screen isn’t tall enough and there’s a lot of wind noise if you tuck in; the riding position feels a bit old-school Honda with outstretched arms and high knees (I don’t notice it during frisky antics but when crunching the miles I began to ache); and after about two hours in the saddle I start to develop a numb bum and tingly fingers. But these are minor on a bike with a compelling blend of build quality, performance, image and price. Maybe I’m not the right shape for its riding position, but the Honda is everything I want in the bike that stares back when the garage opens. E-Clutch seals the deal. PL
