How Long Do Honda CB650Fs Last? (5 Examples)

The Honda CB650F is a powerful mid-range naked bike combining Honda dependability with the standard bike aesthetic that’s becoming more and more popular in the States.  

The CB650F came stock with the same liquid-cooled 4-cylinder machine as the mid-sized CBR650F Fireblade, but the CB650F drops the fairing and hits the streets as a naked joyride.

This medium commuter is one of the highest-performing bikes in its class; you can find countless CB650Fs online for an easy price, but how long does a CB650F last?

Read on to find out.

Here’s the Short Answer to How Long a Honda CB650F Lasts:

A Honda CB650F will last for well over 60,000 miles, provided its owner stays on point with basic upkeep. On average, a commuter bike is ridden between 3,000 and 5,000 miles a year—a responsibly owned Honda CB650F can last for a minimum of 15 years.

How Many Miles Do You Get on a Honda CB650F?

You can hit 70,000 miles on a well-kept Honda CB650F and stored away from corrosive weather and if it was ridden and serviced per Honda’s specs. Standard bikes are popular choices for new riders; they’re sometimes ridden hard or used to stunt ride, reducing the number of miles it will last. 

But don’t listen to the rumor—below are some real-life instances of riders who’ve packed high miles on 650Fs.

1. One owner I uncovered on the forums declared 60,000 miles on the odometer of a Honda CB650F, stating they’d never undergone an engine failure.
2. Another 650F mile-packer bought their bike cheap but felt good about it because he knew the previous owner had never stunt rode their 650F. The standard medium ripper had 19,500 when they bought it; that didn’t stop them from clocking another 20k.
3. Another more mechanically inclined owner bought his 650F with 20k miles. Since then, he’s ridden it daily for over a year and hasn’t had a problem. He keeps up with the service per Honda’s spec intervals but expresses the bike was in like-new condition when he bought it despite the odometer reading.

Honda makes some of the most dependable motorcycles on the market, and we’ll get into that more in a later section. 

The fact is, these bikes will last as long as you take care of them. The modern iteration of the CB650F has only been on the streets since 2018—not long enough to see exactly how many miles it will run for before it craps the bed.

That said, the examples mentioned above are from bikes with the same motor that is a little older, giving us a better idea of how these bikes hold up long term.  

Honda habituates the annual improvements of their tech like most the big-4 Japanese brands do. Instead of prioritizing speed and RPM increases, Honda does it to focus on enhancing longevity, reliability, and the efficiency of the bike’s overall performance. 

We can only assume from this that the latest 2018-onward generation of the CB650F will outlast any version that has gone before it; 70,000 should be the bare minimum amount of miles a Honda CB650F will last if it’s well kept.  

What Is Considered High Mileage for These Models?

A naked bike like the Honda CB650F is considered high mileage after 25,000 miles; it’s usually presumed that the prior owner often rode hard and speedy, maybe even stunting it. The used market tends to see any bike as high mileage anywhere between 20,000 to 50,000 miles, depending on what type of bike it is.

Sure, naked bikes are tagged at the lower end of the spectrum when it’s considered high mileage; they’re also tagged at a lower price for that reason. 

The straightforward reality is that a CB650F’s odometer reading isn’t a uniform or firm standard for evaluating a bike’s condition.

Mileage is fine to start the assessment, but how frequently the CB650F was serviced points us towards a more accurate life span.

More than with their four-wheeled Honda counterparts, the type of bike and its owner’s riding manners weighs on how much life a motorcycle has left, affecting when the bike is considered high-mileage on an individual basis. 

For example, it’s logical to consider a CB650F that’s stunted and raced every weekend and then stored in the front yard high-mileage at 25,000 miles. On the other hand, I wouldn’t consider a CB650F that’s stored in the garage and used as a standard commuter with a typical upkeep routine that follows Honda’s suggestions to be “high-mile” until well after 50,000.

As we mentioned earlier, the newer CB650F hasn’t been around long enough to look at myriad examples of high-milers. That said, here’s an example of an older model with the same base-650F-engine that’s been considered high-mileage for over a decade and still runs excellent:

• I saw a photo online posted by the owner of an ’04 650F. It was a brag-post about his odometer reading, and with a reading of 177,428 miles, I understand the urge to boast. 
• The poster did note that he replaced the engine after around 100k, but because the engine was damaged in an accident that had nothing to do with the failure of the 650F motor.
• The rider noted that, besides the collision damage, the old motor was spotless when his mechanic tore it out. On all four cylinders, the crosshatch, bearings, crank and rod journals looked practically like you’d assumed they would on a floor model.
• Although a CB650F may be considered high mileage after 25,000 miles, a well-kept one can clearly last well over 70,000 miles.
• Ownership habits have more to do with how much life a bike has left than its mileage consideration.

Related: 4 Most-Common Problems With Honda CB650F

How Many Years Does a Honda CB650F Typically Last?

A responsibly owned CB650F can last over 18 years if serviced according to the upkeep schedule outlined in the owner’s manual. Protect it from corrosive weather and ride responsibly; it will last even longer.  

The average standard bike owner rides a commuter like the CB650F for a part of about 4,000 miles a year.

And since a well-kept CB650F endures for well over 70,000 miles, a trustworthy owner can expect their 650F’s lifespan to be between 15 and 20 years.

If you’re still not convinced, this last real-life example of an older version of the CB650F’s engine that stacked miles for years just might seal the deal.

•  I encountered a 650F rider online who posted a video of her Honda’s odometer as it clicked past the 200,000-mile reading.

Based on that 4,000-miles-a-year calculation we conducted earlier, a 650F that lasts for over 200,000 miles could last for 50 long years without so much as an engine rebuild. 

Is the Honda CB650F Reliable?

The CB650F is one of the most reliable medium standard bikes available recently. Honda pulled the CB650F’s liquid-cooled motor off the medium Fireblade sportbike, a bike modeled to be a downsized version of a liter track bike. 

• A sportbike motor is overqualified to power a commuter, meaning the Honda CB650F’s engine doesn’t have to work as hard to power the standard bike. 
• Honda uses an overqualified engine to increase efficiency, performance, longevity, and reliability. 
• Honda is celebrated as one of the most reliable motorcycle brands globally, a reputation that began because of a combination of rich history in owner satisfaction and high-reliability ratings.

The brand had only enhanced their formulae for dependability when it came time to engineer the original 650F motor; we suspect the newest rendition will supersede even Honda’s initial expectations. 

Related: 4 Most-Common Problems With Honda CBR650F

Does a Honda CB650F Last Longer Than Other Motorcycles?

The CB650F outlives most other bikes in the naked bike class due to its robust, liquid-cooled four-cylinder motor. It’s more stable and efficient than other motors, as Honda initially designed it to be a higher-revving mid-sized sport motor. 

The 650F has more capability than it needs to power a medium commuter.

Not to mention, Honda tuned the 650F engine to reserve power. 

Accessible power guarantees the bike never maxes out its pistons, which prevents overworking them, cutting back on engine components wear-and-tear and overheating. 

The 650F redlines at 11,5000 RPMs, with an output of 89 hp at 11,000, as Honda intended it to be a sportbike engine.—it generates enough power to operate smoothly and efficiently, helping it last longer than other mid-sized standard or naked motorcycles. 

What Typically Breaks First on a Honda CB650F?

The most frequently reported problem on the Honda CB650F is the powdery white substance that leaks from the rocker oil seal. 

There’s a chemical called plasticizer added into the 650F’s seals to make them pliable enough to install and seal as intended. The plasticizer leaks out of the seal as the rubber cures from engine heat and corrosive weather, manifesting as a powdery white residue.

It will stop once the seal cures, but in the meantime, it can attract road and weather debris and scorch from the heat-generating engine heads.

CB650F riders are encouraged to clean off the leakage as they notice it to prevent scorching and corrosion.

Related: How Long Do Honda CBR650Fs Last? 5 Examples

4 Great Tips to Make Sure Your Honda CB650F Will Last Long!

Here’re four excellent tips to help prolong your CB650F’s life:

1. Maintain your Honda CB650F’s tire pressure to spec. Standard bikes are built to be everyday commuters, and keeping your tires a few PSI more than Honda recommends is exemplary when it comes to maintaining reliable and consistent performance, as well as prolonging your CB650F’s lifespan.

2. Change your CB650F’s oil/replenish as needed. To keep your 650F running efficiently and stable, you’ll have to change the motor oil according to Honda’s timetable, outlined in the standard steed’s owner’s manual. Maintain the oil levels to the total recommended quantity and use Honda’s recommended oil mixtures to relish in the CB650F’s legendary reputation of lasting long. 

3. Keep your CB650F’s battery at full capacity. If you don’t ride the CB650F often, your bike’s inherent charging system doesn’t have a chance to charge the battery. Stick the battery on a tender before ditching your motorcycle for a prolonged period. Be attentive about what style of charger you’re utilizing. There are various bike batteries; using the wrong charger can overcharge your 650F’s battery.

4. Ride your Honda CB650F frequently. Keep your motorcycle’s fluids fresh and flowing to sidestep rot and gunk build-up. What’s the best way to avoid gunk in your CB650F’s fuel lines? Put your wheels to the street, crank the throttle, and let your reliable, long-lasting, and well-kept Honda CB650F rip!