Interference Fit

Thanks, I think it's a lovely design and I have zero regrets buying it and would do so again if I could turn back the clock.

What model was it? - Honda CBR650R w/sport pack When did you buy it and how much did it cost? - September 2023, £9k Good points? - Build quality, fit & finish, 4 cyl engine smooth as butter, pulls clean from idle and has perfect fuelling. Comfy* and spacious* for a sports bike. Looks stunning and is great value for money. Very light clutch, very economical 60 mpg (if taking it easy), sounds great even with stock exhaust, plenty of go in the upper rev range. *Unless you're 6'4 and find it a little cramped, albeit it's one of the most spacious of the middleweight sports bikes. Bad points? - LCD display looks a little behind the times. Cable throttle is old tech, overly sensitive off-idle and means the quick shifter is up-only. There's some seat/bar vibes/buzz between 6k-7k (bar end weights and grip puppies sorted the bars, seat not really an issue). The clutch bite at the end of lever travel and needs some adjusting. The rear brake is poor and the front brake lacks initial bite but stops very well with a hard squeeze. The rear hugger offers little protection from road dirt. Would you get another? - Honda, yes. Sports bike, no. The Itch is now scratched but I want something more spacious and upright next (getting old).

Anyone on here got a Sportster S or Sport Glide?

I got cramp in my hands, especially the throttle hand as the grips are just too slim. Having the extra diameter just feels so much more comfortable, I'd not be without now.

Agreed, it was more to show a like for like comparison from a with or without perspective. As long as my fingers don't hurt with cold, we're good.

It was more to help others who may have wondered if or what the difference was. The Puppies were going back on either way as riding without them showed just how good they are.

I like the scout bobber far more but like the Sportster S HD, hear that the rear suspension is 'compromised'. A test ride is the only way I guess. I'm still drawn to the HD Sportglide, but expect the Stelvio or Multistrada to be a good Goldilocks perhaps. I wanted to ride the bike asap so didn't want to wait for collection and delivery when they're not to far away, plus I had to go into town for another errand so made sense to call past and collect. I'm looking forward to a good ride out tomorrow as the weather is nice and dry round these parts.

My motion sickness is caused by fierce acceleration and hard braking - the up and down element doesn't impact me strangely. Literally as I sored past 9k rpm and it really became to pull hard, I felt my stomach go and the dizziness kick in. I get it in a car if I have to hit the brakes hard - it's an instant reaction. The good news is that my supplying Honda dealer were straight on the phone this morning, (responding to my e-mail from last night), hugely apologetic and stated they had a full quick shifter kit in stock that I could have and either have the bike recovered to them using the breakdown cover for them to fit at once or, (knowing I'm a hobbyist engineer / mechanic) said I could call in to collect (I'm local) and fit myself, or they would post it to me. An hour later and all was fitted and right with the world - great service I must say from Bill Smith's Honda in Chester.

I fitted Grip Puppies to my CBR with the primary objective of making the grip thicker and more comfortable, with the added bonus of easier fine throttle control - they achieved both of these very well, highly recommended. As the cold weather hit us, I found myself only having short rides as my hands and fingers were just too cold to be comfortable and I guess safe due to diminished dexterity, so I installed OEM Honda heated grips - what a revelation. I then questioned whether the two could work together or whether the Grip Puppies would insulate too much of the heat, and decided to conduct an experiment to find out. I installed one Puppie and left the other grip bare and turned on the heated grips, measuring the temperature with a surface probe frequently until the temperature stabilized at the maximum temp on both sides. Here are the results.... Conclusions.... 1) Honda OEM heated grips get exceptionally hot on max setting - like holding a fresh mug of hot tea or coffee, almost too hot to hold without a glove, fair play Honda. 2) The Grip Puppies do insulate the heat by a material amount, but still let the grip get hot enough to be useful. 3) Out on the road without the puppies, the max setting is almost too hot, with the middle setting more appropriate to still feel good heat through a thick leather glove 4) With the Puppies on, max setting is required, but this is like having the middle setting without them, so still perfectly useable. Hope this is helpful to someone.

The quick shifter was a dealer fit accessory, so I think that is the smoking gun - probably not either torqued up correctly or no thread lock used - I'll ensure both. This sort of stuff is always a good barometer of how good a dealer's aftersales service and customer care is. I understand this stuff happens, it's how it's addressed that matters. I'm definitely not keeping the bike though - far to revvy and racy for me. Looks great, sounds great, feels great, box ticked, 80's/90's me satisfied, but I want something more upright with a more relaxed vibe and bank vault of torque. I wound it up in second last night and it not only scared me, but made me feel nauseous as I suffer from motion sickness, so need a bike where the fun and USP is delivered at more pedestrian speed and revs. Notwithstanding, I LOVE my CBR, just not my forever bike. When they land in the UK, I'd like to try a new Stelvio and compare with e V2S Multistrada and see how they feel. New KTM990 appeals, but maybe still a bit 'intense'.

This stuff happens I guess - I must say it felt a bit weird waggling my left foot around looking for the shift lever to find it swinging freely!

Oooh, lovely - this, the new Stelvio and the Multistrada V2S are currently top of my list so I'll be really keen to hear what you think of it?

Limped home (less than a mile thankfully) stuck in gear as my quick shifter rod and shift lever arm decided to get a divorce - the nut, bolt and collar nowhere to be found (on a Friday night, down a country lane with a torch).

I wear Hood Jeans and an Alpinestars jacket. I just took the jeans to our local alterations shop and asked them to sew the bottom half of the zip that came with the jacket to the waist band of the jeans and it works perfectly.

My answer wasn't an option, always and non-matching.

That's not to say I won't get the itch in the spring and try something else!

I bought the CBR650R as my first bike in September and I love it. I'm just a touch too tall for it at 6'4", but I have no regrets at all - looks great, sounds great, goes great, quality is great and is great value for money.

Really struggling to fit OEM heated grips to the CBR650R - my problem that I hope someone can help me with is that I cannot get the two ends of the throttle cable into the end of the throttle tube - there is not enough slack in the cable. I have wound the adjuster all the way in (and out) to create as much throttle free play (cable slack) as possible, but I just can;t get the cable into the grooves in the new throttle tube, even with the throttle tube off the bars and flopping around on the end of the cables. What is the technique as none of the youtube tutorials cover this bit, they just refit them. I'm stuck at 4m 40s on this video.... (same as CBR650R). There's no easy access to the throttle body end to create slack there and nor does any instructions or manuals suggest this is necessary. I don't want to force it over the plastic housing and logic says that if it came off, it should go back on, but 3 hours later and I'm stumped. EDIT - Had a cup of tea, went back out and it slipped straight on. Frustratingly I don't know what I did differently, but at least it's on.

E10 in the CBR - Sticker on the tank says this is okay.

Same here, T-shirt, Tech-Air, Jacket. No issue.

Nice one, safe riding.

Whilst currently scratching my high revving 4 cylinder sports bike itch (and now understanding what all the comfort compromise talk was about) I'm looking at Harley as not only the other itch that needs scratching but also one for comfort. I'm probably too tall for a Sportster S but I love the looks and accept the suspension is probably not suitable for comfort. The Fat Bob feels great to sit on but not sure on the looks. Sport Glide without the fairing and bags looks like it could be a good option. Would l love to hear from other Harley owners who own any of the above.

I can highly recommend Hood jeans. They come in long lengths and they do alterations for you. AAA rated too which is a bonus and they are fabulous quality.

CBR is great, just conscious of the bent forward riding position might not be for me long term, not for my main bike anyway. I'm also probably just on the verge of being too big for it. For here and now, no regrets at all - I just like looking forward and planning what next. I'm not one for keeping any vehicle very long - so many to enjoy!

Thanks for the reply. Touring is not on my agenda specifically and my needs (desires) out of a bike are somewhat conflicted - trying to find the right combination of cool, good looking, not retro, comfortable and the right quality/price ratio might be difficult (impossible?).