Two Middleweight Japanese Sportsbikes Face Off

Honda launched the 2020 Africa Twin recently, but the Japanese brand is making big headlines for a bunch of other reasons too. Chief among these is its plan to launch its entire 500cc range here in India before the year is up. Now, the lineup consists of some pretty interesting bikes including the CB500X adventure tourer and the Rebel 500 cruiser. The sportiest of the lot, though, is the CBR500R. So how does it stack up against India’s favourite middleweight sportsbike, the Kawasaki Ninja 650?

Powertrain

There are some similarities but also some stark differences here. Both bikes derive power from fuel-injected, liquid-cooled DOHC parallel-twin motors. But while the Honda has to make do with just 471cc and 47.6PS, the Kawasaki trumps it by producing 68PS from its 649 cubes. Torque is a similarly dominant affair for the Ninja, with 65.7Nm compared to just 43Nm.

Since the difference in kerb weight isn’t major, we expect the Kawi to be the considerably quicker bike of the two, though the Honda being a Honda, could have an upper hand in the refinement department. Also, the Honda’s cylinder dimensions are nearly square while the green bike’s motor is massively over-square, meaning that the CBR could offer better pull in the lower rev ranges.

Underpinnings

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Can the Honda claw back some ground in this department? Well, yes and no. Suspension is nearly identical, with a 41mm telescopic fork/preload-adjustable monoshock setup on both bikes, but the CBR gets preload adjustability at the front which the Kawi misses out on. The Honda, though, has to make do with just a single 320mm front disc, while the Ninja gets twin 300mm stoppers.

Dimensions & Weight

Things are extremely close between the two bikes in this department, to the point that if they swapped spec sheets, many figures wouldn’t change at all. Among the few differences, the Honda is 4kg lighter with a 5mm lower seat, which should make it that little bit more welcoming and manageable. It’s also the better option if you’re looking to tour long distances, with its 17.1-litre fuel tank towering over the Ninja’s 15 litres.

Verdict

Though the Honda may be marginally better in a few areas, the massive performance advantage that the Kawasaki has is hard to overlook. It’s also safe to assume that spare parts availability and serviceability will be superior on the green bike since Honda’s BigWing operation is still in its infancy. That said, the Honda could make up for this deficit with better build quality and refinement, but we’ll only know once we ride the bike. For more news about when it might arrive and how much it could cost, head here.