Meanwhile, the 649cc, liquid-cooled, inline-four engine has been fettled with and gets new intake and exhaust ports, updated cam timing and a higher compression ratio. This has led to a power hike of 3PS which is produced 1000rpm higher in the rev range. Torque has gone up by 1Nm and arrives 500rpm earlier than on the older motor. The rev ceiling has also been increased from the previous 11,000rpm to 12,000rpm. With these new changes, the new outputs stand at 95PS at 12,000rpm and 64Nm at 8500rpm. In the real world, this translates to a stronger mid-range and a higher revving motor.
Also new is a slipper clutch-assisted 6-speed gearbox. Complementing the increased performance is Honda’s Selectable Torque Control (HSTC), which essentially is multi-stage traction control. It can also be switched off if required.