Honda Cb650r

"The finest used middleweight naked under five grand, full stop."

The CB650R is Honda's answer to the middleweight naked question, and used examples are genuinely good value right now. That inline-four screams to 11,000rpm in a way parallel twins simply can't replicate, and the neo-retro styling has aged better than most. Check for cam chain tensioner noise on cold starts — it's a known quirk on early 2019-2020 bikes, though rarely catastrophic. Throttle response can feel slightly wooden below 4,000rpm, so don't judge it until you've properly wrung its neck. Pre-purchase, inspect the rear shock closely. It's budget-spec from the factory and takes a hammering on neglected UK roads. Budget another £300-400 for a decent aftermarket unit if the bike's done serious miles. Fairing scratches are almost universal — these get dropped at low speed. Mechanically though, Honda reliability means most used examples are solid even past 20,000 miles with basic servicing.