The thrill you get from the chill, while riding in the winter season is an experience that gets a lot of folk ready to head out on to the highway. Honda Motorcycle and Scooter India marked the onset of this winter with a short 'Big Bike Ride' on the new CBR 650F.

The ride on Sunday morning was organised on the Delhi-Jaipur highway, starting from Naraina in New Delhi until Manesar, a short way outside Gurgaon on the highway. Members of the riding group called BROS – Brotherhood Riders Of Superbikes – took part in the ride.

Not only was the younger in-line four a part of the action, but Hondas bigger motorcycles such as the Goldwing, CBR 1000RR and CB 1000R were also a part of the ride. The main purpose of the ride was to let riders experience the capabilities of the middleweight sports tourer.

The Honda CBR 650F was launched earlier this year in the middleweight sports touring segment. It deploys a four-stroke, 648.7cc, in-line four-cylinder engine that is liquid-cooled, with fuel-injection and puts out 85.3bhp at 11,000rpm, with peak torque output 6.4kgm at 8,000rpm.

The drivetrain is backed up by a six-speed gearbox, mated to a well-weighted clutch. Suspending the motorcycle are 41mm forks on the front and a monoshock at rear. For braking, the CBR 650F has a set of 320mm front discs, and 240mm single disc at rear; ABS provided as standard.

We rode the Honda CBR 650F recently, and found it to be a robust, well-rounded performer, albeit significantly overpriced in India within its segment at Rs 7.30 lakh (ex-showroom, Delhi).

Arpit Phillips