A detailed look at one of Honda’s most influential motorcycles from 1979-1985, featuring its unique design elements and mechanical specifications.
There are few motorcycle giants who have helped reshape the entire automobile sector in the past two decades. The big names Harley Davidson, Kawasaki, Suzuki etc have picked up a few of the top spots in the sector. One such company which has made its mark is the Honda Company. The company Honda was highly successful in launching many motorcycles. One such variant of it is the Honda CB650. Otherwise known as the CB650 Bobber this standard motorcycle has a cc of 627. The CB650 Bobber was seen throughout the years 1979 to 1985.
Engine and Design Heritage
The motorcycle had a four-cylinder engine which came with SOHC air-cooled wet sump. This engine contained two valves each for one cylinder. The CB650 Bobber was actually a modification of the CB550. The CB550 itself was seen to be a development of CB500. Talking about the air-cooled SOHC, four-cylinder engines, it did seem to appear last in the CB650 Bobber which was considered to be a successful series beginning in the year of 1969 with the series CB750 of Honda. The tools used in the CB650 Bobber were that of the CB550 itself. The production line was kept as the same as the predecessor. This was to reduce the production cost and support the cost-saving methods.
Technical Specifications
The cylinder block of the CB650 was a new design, though it had the similar stud holes of the earlier version. This was one reason why the motorcycle was not able to fully achieve the power of a complete 650cc machine. The speedometer along with the tachometer combined with the handlebars was also taken from the earlier models itself. An RPM of 9000 was able to produce 63 hp which is around 47 KW. The year 1980 the company decided to make some changes in the style of the CB650.
However, with these changes, there were no major mechanical changes involved. In the year 1981, the motorcycle underwent few mechanical changes. This included a change in the cylinder head along with new CV vacuum carburetors. Following this, the motorcycle became available in the market in the Standard form or with custom configurations. This model came up with a different styling factor which resembled that of the cruiser style. This version did contain a teardrop tank along with chromed air-box which came with smaller side covers too.
Model Variations
The Standard model which came in the period 1980 to 1982 had 4 into 2 exhaust pipes. This model also came up with wire-spoke wheels along with a black plastic headlight nacelle. The custom model had different variants where it included a 4 into 4 exhausts. This model also came with Comstar wheels apart from a chrome headlight nacelle. By the year 1981 few additions were made like the dual disc front brakes and air-assisted forks.
Following this, there was a second generation model which came up in the period 1982 to 1985. During the year 1982, the Custom model was replaced and a new Nighthawk was featured. In this, the tank was redesigned along with side covers.
Sources
- Honda CB650 (1979-1980) Specs - Autoevolution - Engine displacement, horsepower, and production year details
- Honda CB650 627cc Specs - J.D. Power - Official displacement and equipment specifications
- Honda CB750 Heritage - Honda Global - History of the CB750 SOHC four-cylinder series that preceded the CB650
New to the bobber world? Read our what is a bobber motorcycle primer for the geometry, the history, and what actually defines a real bobber build.
If you are deep in a build, the Bobber Brothers catalog carries gear designed by riders who actually weld their own brackets.
