Honda surprised a lot of people in EICMA 2021 with the unveiling of its latest concept, dubbed the Hornet. European news outlets pegged it as Honda’s next middleweight streetfighter. Autoby picked up on the concept, did a bit of research, and made a render that looks impressively close to a production model.
If you caught Honda’s presentation of the Hornet concept, you’ll find that it’s a totally computer-generated middleweight streetfighter concept with no texture. Just enough to play with your imagination and excite the senses. If you ask me, it bears a slight resemblance to the KTM 890 Duke R with all of its edges and points. It’s no final production concept, but the render reveals enough information for Autoby to play with.
A few things were inferred from Honda’s presentation that made it into the render. The model name will likely be called the CB750S Hornet. Based on that naming, the bike is likely to have Honda’s 755cc parallel-twin, and it will likely be a good foil to Yamaha’s MT-07. Autoby made good on its render by utilizing a few design features that can be found on the CB600F Hornet in Europe which includes the short underbelly muffler.
Other notable design details that were inferred by the render artist include the gold inverted forks, dual disc brakes, and the pointed LED headlight that appears to have a less aggressive angle to be more in line with the actual Honda Hornet’s design language.
More on its engine, the CB750S Hornet is rumored to get the NC750 series of Honda motors. The NC750 engine in the upcoming Hornet may come with a single overhead cam with Honda’s Unicam technology. As such, it’s also inferred that the engine isn’t a bored-up version of the CBR400R’s DOHC parallel twin, but is instead a totally new motor from the brand which could be used in the brand’s upcoming XL750L Transalp, an adventure bike that is expected to come with the same engine as the CB750S Hornet.
With all that being said, the renders look extremely close to an actual production model, which makes me even more excited. I won’t be shocked if Autoby’s render gets close to Honda’s actual production unit, either. Impressive by all accounts, even down to the details of the engine case.
