November 2023 was a big month in the motorcycle world in general, and also for Honda in specific. For the first time ever, Honda showed off its new E-Clutch technology before all assembled at the world's biggest motorcycle show, Milan's EICMA.
When you consider that EICMA 2023 welcomed over 560,000 people by the official count, Honda's in-person audience for its latest development was potentially massive. That is, of course, before you even begin to think about the other ways that news spreads in 2023 and 2024, such as the RideApart website you're reading right now.
How The Honda E-Clutch Works
Honda's latest clutch system is fitted to the 2024 CBR650R and CB650R to start. It makes use of two servo motors to assist in up- and downshifting. Additionally, they've been designed to automatically actuate the clutch as the bike comes to a stop, so it won't stall.
According to Honda, this should come in especially handy for new riders who are just getting used to using a hand-operated clutch. Returning riders can also potentially benefit. The new system works with the bike's ECU, and a menu option that the rider can access through the bike's display lets them select their desired level of intervention.
This isn't a motorcycle design that completely forgoes a clutch, nor is it some type of thoroughly twist-and-go motorcycle. Instead, it's something different, and something that allows riders to have changing levels of input into how they want their clutches to behave. Allowing riders greater control while still giving them the option to accept assistance is usually helpful when you're trying to win skeptics over.
That's Great, But What's It Going To Cost?
Now that it's the first half of February 2024, Honda has finally announced pricing for its first two E-Clutch-equipped motorcycles in one market: Thailand. While that doesn't specifically tell riders in other countries what the 2024 Honda CBR650R and CB650R will cost at home, it can at least start to get us into the general ball park of what to expect.
In Thailand, the 2024 Honda CBR650R starts at an MSRP of ฿327,300. Meanwhile, the 2024 Honda CB650R starts at ฿312,100. According to conversion rates at the time of writing on February 7, 2024, that works out to about $9,189 for the CBR650R and $8,762 for the CB650R.
Jumping back to US pricing for a second, that's not far off from the current pricing for the non-E-Clutch-equipped 2023 CBR650R and the 2023 CB650R. The current US MSRP for both those bikes is $9,899 for the CBR and $9,399 for the CB.
Paddling our way back to Thailand, we can get a better overview of where the E-Clutch-equipped 2024 CBR650R and CB650R pricing sits in the broader 2024 range of bikes.
Thailand gets the updated 2024 Honda CBR600RR, and its MSRP is ฿549,000 (or about $15,413 USD). Meanwhile, the 2024 Honda CB750 Hornet's MSRP is ฿319,000 (or about $8,956 USD). The CL500 (or SCL500 on US shores) is ฿226,800 (or about $6,367 USD). For comparison purposes, the current US-market MSRP for the SCL500 is $6,799.
Honda, like other manufacturers, tends to release pricing and availability information about its bikes at different times for different geographic regions. As additional pricing information becomes available, we'll be sure to keep you updated at RideApart. Stay tuned.
