It’s October 4, 2022—and if you’ve been holding your breath waiting for the 2023 Honda CB750 Hornet to finally break cover, the wait is over. To kick off Intermot 2022 in Cologne, Germany, Honda Motor Europe finally let the hive out of the jar. It is a concept no more, and will roll into showrooms in the coming months.
After having previously piqued our interest with arresting design sketches from Honda’s Rome-based R & D department—not to mention specs of an excitingly sporty new 755cc parallel twin engine design—the full package is here at last. Is it everything we hoped for? The 2023 Honda CB750 Hornet is an all-new design, aimed at enticing the next riding generation who are ready for a naked, middleweight streetfighter with an attitude.
Let’s start with the engine. It’s an all-new, liquid-cooled, 755cc, eight-valve parallel twin unit with a 270-degree crank and Unicam. Bore and stroke is 87mm by 63.5mm. It produces a claimed 67.5 kilowatts (or about 90.5 horsepower) at 9,500 rpm, alongside 75 newton-meters (about 55.3 pound-feet) of torque at 7,250 rpm. Top speed, according to Honda, is 205 kilometers per hour (about 127.4 mph). It’s mated to a six-speed gearbox, and the CB750 Hornet also comes with an assist and slipper clutch.
That engine neatly fits inside an all-new steel diamond chassis design. Honda is particularly proud of the light weight it’s achieved here, and says the frame weighs in at just 16.6 kilograms (just a hair under 36.6 pounds). A combination of stiffening, tube thinning, and pivot shape optimization helped Honda achieve a frame with all the strength, rigidity, and appropriate flex that it wanted—all in a lighter-weight package than the CB650R’s 18.5-kilogram (approximately 40.8-pound) frame.
Suspension consists of an upside-down, 41mm Showa SFF-BP fork up front, which offers 130mm of travel. In the rear, there’s a monoshock damper and Pro-Link swingarm offering 150mm of travel. Stopping power is provided by dual radially-mounted Nissin four-piston calipers up front, with 296mm brake discs. A single-piston caliper setup with a 240mm disc stops you in the rear. The 2023 CB750 Hornet also comes with two-channel ABS, and rolls on a pair of 17-inch cast aluminum wheels.
Other features include Honda’s patented Vortex Flow Duct system, designed to funnel air more efficiently through the side scoops and into the airbox, optimizing the fuel/air mixture in the 46mm throttle bodies. The cylinders feature a nickel-silicon carbide coating, which Honda has previously used in the CBR1000RR-R Fireblade, as well as the CRF450R.
Gallery: 2023 Honda CB750 Hornet
What about electronics? The 2023 Honda CB750 Hornet is a throttle-by-wire machine, which makes it possible to offer a range of four different ride modes. Standard, Sport, Rain, and User offer different engine power, engine brake, Honda Selectable Torque Control (switchable), and integrated Wheelie Control level options.
The five-inch TFT display keeps all your information right where you want it, including a shift indicator. Additionally, the Honda Smartphone Voice Control system is compatible with both Android and iOS devices. The Hornet comes with full LED lighting all around, as well as auto-canceling turn signals.
(Incidentally, if you’re looking at closeup photos of the display, you may notice the acronym H.I.S.S. prominently displayed. Don’t worry, Honda didn’t get carried away and mix up its hornets with its snakes. Instead, it’s an acronym for Honda Ignition Security System.)
Moving on, what does the new Hornet weigh? Full curb weight is 190 kilograms—or just under 419 pounds. The wheelbase is 1,420mm (55.9 inches), and seat height is an approachable 795mm (just under 31.3 inches).
The styling is as sharp and modern as the initial design sketches promised. While the fuel tank, headlight, and cowl will likely draw most of the attention, the sharp and pointy tail is also particularly nice to look at. From the rear, the taillight’s hexagonal shape is a cheeky nod to bees (not hornets, but we’ll allow it). It would have been cool if Honda could have worked an elongated version of that shape into the mirrors as well, but the mirrors it went with certainly aren’t bad, either.
The 2023 Honda CB750 Hornet will come in four color options for the European market. Both Pearl Glare White and Graphite Black come with a Metallic Red Flame frame and anodized red forks, which look quite striking. The other two color options are Matte Iridium Gray Metallic and Mat Goldfinch Yellow.
Currently, Honda Motor Europe has only unveiled the 2023 CB750 Hornet for the European market. Pricing and availability will vary by region. According to Honda U.K., the MSRP for the 2023 CB750 Hornet starts at £6,999.00, which works out to approximately $7,985 as of October 4, 2022. As and when Honda reveals release information for other markets, we will be sure to keep you informed.
