The Honda CBR650R made Australia's top 10 best selling motorcycles in 2025 and topped the Supersport class. We look at the 2026 CBR650R E-Clutch's price, LAMS status, how E-Clutch works, warranty and how it compares with the Yamaha R7, Ninja 650 and Daytona 660.
By Varun Punyamurtula ·
The CBR650R E-Clutch is the most polished learner approved sports bike in Australia. Its four cylinder engine, six year warranty and clever automatic clutch make it easy to live with every day, and E-Clutch removes the thing new riders find hardest. It is heavier than its twin cylinder rivals, but at about $14,800 ride away it is easy to see why it is one of Australia's most popular road bikes.
About $14,799 ride away (dealer advertised, QLD and NSW, October 2026).
If you have been looking at learner approved sports bikes in Australia, the Honda CBR650R has almost certainly come up. In 2025 it made Australia's outright top 10 best selling motorcycles, with 1,222 sold, and it was the number one bike in the Supersport class. Half of that top 10 were off road and kids' dirt bikes, so the CBR650R is one of the most popular road bikes in the country, and the best selling road bike Honda sold here last year.
For 2026 the CBR650R comes to Australia in one version, the CBR650R E-Clutch. It pairs a smooth 649cc four cylinder engine with Honda's clever automatic clutch, and it is learner approved (LAMS). Here is what it costs, what the E-Clutch actually does, and how it compares with the Yamaha YZF-R7, Kawasaki Ninja 650 and Triumph Daytona 660.
Quick answer: The CBR650R E-Clutch is one of the easiest bikes to recommend to a new rider who wants a proper sports bike. You get a rare four cylinder engine, a six year warranty and a clutch you never have to touch in traffic, for about $14,800 ride away. It is heavier than its twin cylinder rivals and the LAMS version is detuned, so if you want the lightest or sharpest bike, look at the Ninja 650 or the R7.
Honda Australia sells a single 2026 model, the CBR650R E-Clutch, and it is learner approved. Honda doesn't publish a national price on its website, so these are dealer advertised prices we found in October 2026:
Grand Prix Red is the signature colour, and dealers also have black stock. Prices change by state because registration and CTP costs differ, so the same bike can be several hundred dollars cheaper or dearer depending on where you live.
Our take: the CBR650R is not the cheapest LAMS sports bike, but it is priced right in the middle of its rivals, and it is the only one with an automatic clutch.
E-Clutch is the headline feature. A small electric unit on the side of the engine works the clutch for you, so you can pull away, change gears and stop without pulling the clutch lever. It is not an automatic gearbox: you still click up and down through the six gears with your foot, just like a normal bike.
Why does this matter? Stalling, jerky take offs and fumbling the clutch in stop start traffic are the things most learners struggle with. E-Clutch takes those away without turning the bike into a scooter. Experienced riders also get quick shifts that work like a quickshifter on the way up and down the gears.
Winner: CBR650R. None of its direct rivals offer anything like it.
The CBR650R uses a 649cc liquid cooled inline four cylinder engine with 16 valves. Four cylinder engines are rare in this class. Its main rivals use twins (Yamaha and Kawasaki) or a triple (Triumph), so the Honda has a smoother, higher revving character and that classic four cylinder sound.
LAMS rules cap a learner bike at 660cc and a power to weight ratio of 150kW per tonne. Honda Australia doesn't publish the exact output of the local bike, so if you are planning to keep it after you get your full licence, ask the dealer whether it can be returned to full power and what that costs.
Honda's own description puts the focus on stronger low and mid range response for 2026, which is exactly what matters for a road bike used every day. On paper, that 15.4 litre tank should give you around 300km between fills.
The CBR650R looks like a smaller version of Honda's Fireblade superbike, with a sharp twin LED face, a full fairing and the four exhaust headers curving down the side of the engine. The 2026 bike keeps the look that was refreshed in 2024.
Front three quarter:
Side view:
The riding position is sporty but not extreme. The bars are clip ons, so you lean forward more than on a naked bike, but they sit higher than on a track focused machine like the R7. That middle ground is a big reason the CBR650R is popular with commuters as well as weekend riders.
At 211kg it is the heaviest bike in this group, mostly because of the four cylinder engine. You notice weight most when pushing the bike around a driveway or holding it up at low speed, so sit on one at a dealer if you are shorter or new to riding.
Winner: CBR650R on comfort tech, thanks to E-Clutch and RoadSync. The Daytona 660 has the edge on riding modes.
Honda backs the CBR650R with a six year, unlimited kilometre warranty (three years standard plus a three year bonus) as long as every scheduled service is done at a Honda dealer. That is one of the longest warranties on any motorcycle in Australia, and it is a strong reason to buy new rather than used.
Fuel costs are modest. At 4.9 litres per 100km and around $2 a litre for premium, you are looking at roughly $10 per 100km. Check what fuel costs near you with our live fuel prices map.
Want one? Tell us what you're after and we'll use our network to find the best deal anywhere in Australia, on a new, demo, near new or used CBR650R. Get the best deal.
Winner on sharpness: Yamaha YZF-R7. Winner on value: Kawasaki Ninja 650. Winner on character: Triumph Daytona 660. Winner on ease of use and warranty: Honda CBR650R E-Clutch.
Buy it if: you are a learner or returning rider who wants a full faired sports bike that is easy to live with every day, you ride in traffic a lot, or you want the security of a six year warranty.
Skip it if: you are short and nervous about weight (try the Ninja 650), you mainly want track days (look at the R7), or you want the most power you can get the day you finish your learner period.
Our pick: the CBR650R E-Clutch at about $14,800 ride away. It is the most polished, easiest to ride bike in its class, and E-Clutch genuinely solves the thing new riders find hardest. That is why it is one of the most popular road bikes in Australia.
Dealers advertise the 2026 CBR650R E-Clutch for about $14,799 ride away in Queensland and NSW. Some states and dealers are a little cheaper.
Yes. The CBR650R sold by Honda Australia is learner approved, with power limited to meet LAMS rules.
Yes. The lever stays, and you can use it any time. The E-Clutch system simply means you don't have to.
No. You still change gears yourself with the foot lever. E-Clutch only takes care of the clutch.
Six years with unlimited kilometres, made up of three years standard and a three year bonus, when serviced at a Honda dealer.
With a 15.4 litre tank and an official 4.9 litres per 100km, expect around 300km between fills.
Want one? Tell us what you're after and we'll use our network to find the best deal anywhere in Australia, on a new, demo, near new or used CBR650R. Get the best deal.
Thinking of selling your current bike or car first? We can help you sell it, or check what it's worth with our free value tool.
Prices and specifications checked on 12 October 2026 from Honda Motorcycles Australia, Honda's official overseas specifications and advertised Australian dealer prices. Sales figures are from Honda's 2025 FCAI sales data. Images: Honda Motor Co. (Honda Australia and American Honda press), Yamaha Motor, Kawasaki, Triumph Motorcycles, used for editorial purposes.
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