2024 Honda CB650R/CBR650R Introduce New E-Clutch Tech
Honda recently announced its returning lineup for the 2025 model year, but that’s not the only card the Japanese company has up its sleeve. Even 2024-designated bikes are getting something new—namely, the Honda E-Clutch technology.
The E-Clutch promises to be essentially a Quickshifter Plus. It allows the rider to shift up or down without using the clutch, but if you’d like to pull the lever, the tech accommodates your preferences.
Honda will first introduce the E-Clutch technology in the new 2024 CB650R and CBR650R. Here’s a closer look at what the E-Clutch is, alongside the first motorcycles to feature it.
The E-Clutch
The E-Clutch system builds on Honda’s earlier Dual Clutch Transmission (DCT) technology, combining elements of quickshifters and manual clutches. Short of a fully automatic transmission, Honda claims this to be the simplest way to shift gears on a motorcycle
With E-Clutch, the rider has the choice of whether to use the clutch lever. The E-Clutch system activates immediately when the motorcycle is switched on, making it possible to shift up and down only with the shift pedal.
An actuator unit with two motors, housed within the right-side engine cover, is responsible for the physical aspects of clutchless shifting. On the tech side, the E-Clutch system monitors a multitude of parameters to ensure smooth shifting, including speed, throttle opening angle, rpm, shift pedal pressure, and more. The system uses this info to flash a warning light on the dash if it believes the rider is in too high of a gear.
Riders are able to adjust the shift feel of the E-Clutch system independently for both up- and downshifts. With three levels of adjustment (Soft, Medium, and Hard), you can tailor the stiffness to suit your riding style.
But if you’d prefer to pull the clutch lever, you can. When the E-Clutch detects clutch lever pull, it turns itself off. The system then reactivates after one second at higher rpm or after five seconds at lower speeds. It’s also possible to switch the E-Clutch off altogether through the switchgear.
2024 Honda CB650R
The most immediate change to the CB650R from its 2023 iteration is naturally the E-Clutch. With it, the system brings a redesigned left-hand switch cluster to accommodate the new buttons, and it adds backlighting too.
Another new addition is a five-inch full-color TFT screen, which is larger than the previous model’s. The bike has also received a light style change, mostly due to the new LED headlight.
Otherwise, the bike remains mechanically largely unchanged. It’s still powered by the same 649cc in-line four engine.
To smooth out the ride, we still have a 43mm Showa big piston fork in the front and a Showa shock in the back. Curiously, the front fork’s travel has decreased by 0.4 inches to 4.3 inches.
For braking, we have the same dual 310mm discs with radial-mount four-piston calipers in the front. In the rear lives a single 240mm disc.
The new E-Clutch has also added a bit of heft to the bike. In 2024, the CB650R weighs 456 pounds, compared to last year’s 445.
The 2024 Honda CB650R comes in a Pearl Smoky Gray colorway. The MSRP is $9,399.
2024 Honda CBR650R
The track-oriented 2024 CBR650R has undergone the exact same changes as its street sibling. It has received the E-Clutch system, LED headlight, five-inch TFT screen, and streamlined left-hand switches.
The bike now weighs 21 pounds more at 466 pounds. Meanwhile, the accents colors of the Grand Prix Red color scheme have switched from black to blue and white.
The CBR650R shares its engine with the CB650R, so there’s nothing new there. The 41mm Showa big piston fork still offers the same 4.3 inches of travel and the rear shock 5.1 inches (same as the CB650R).
Slowing the bike down are dual 310mm discs with radial-mount four-piston calipers, and a 240mm disc in the back.
The 2024 Honda CBR650R is available for $9,899.