I think a lot of you would agree with me when I say that Honda has sorta lost its X factor. I mean, don’t get me wrong, the bikes it currently offers are certainly competent, come with impressive spec sheets, and are hella reliable. But if you put them next to other bikes from the likes of Yamaha, Kawasaki, and the whole crop of Euro brands, I can’t help but feel that maybe Honda’s been resting on its laurels a bit.
It’s evident in nearly all categories of motorcycling. In the entry-level segment, Honda’s 500cc range has remained pretty much the same for two decades now. And the story’s pretty much the same in the middleweight segment, too, with its naked bikes and adventure bikes sort of being a response to market trends rather than being pioneers of new technology.
In the liter-bike segment—both in terms of sport and naked bikes—Honda’s 1,000cc offerings have long stood in the shadow of more dominant models such as the Yamaha MT-10, BMW S 1000 RR, and Kawasaki Z H2.
But this could soon be about to change.
Last year at EICMA, Honda unveiled a striking liter-class naked bike that put a whole new spin on the brand’s 1,000cc offerings. It was designed to be the biggest brother of the CB Hornet series, and got sharp, angular styling similar to that of the CB750 Hornet and CB500F. Dubbed the CB1000 Hornet, this bike could’ve changed the game for Honda, attracting younger, sportier riders who felt that the CB1000R was just a little too soft.
Well, since EICMA, very little has happened with the CB1000 Hornet, with Honda focusing on rolling out other innovations such as its E-Clutch systems on the CB650R and CBR650R. With all that being said, it does seem that the wheels of the CB1000 Hornet are now beginning to turn.
You see, Honda recently filed type-approval documents in Germany, hinting at the imminent launch of the CB1000 Hornet in Europe. The bike will likely follow a similar go-to-market as its smaller sibling, the CB750 Hornet, making its way to Europe first before launching in the rest of the world.
As for the bike itself, well, it seems to be at par with the rest of the liter-class naked bike offerings, with a claimed output of around 150 ponies. Even better still, there seems to be a more up-spec variant in the works, too, dubbed the CB1000 SP. This model is expected to have a little more power, and come with a bunch of performance-oriented bells and whistles—perhaps electronic suspension, fancy brakes, and a sportier exhaust system.
And while the CB1000 Hornet will surely be a welcome addition to Honda’s model range, beneath the surface, it isn’t exactly a brand-new bike—or at least it wouldn’t seem so judging from the spec sheet. It is, in essence, built on a platform that’s at least a decade old at this point, rocking a derivative of the CBR1000RR engine—the same engine found in the retro-styled CB1000R.
It’s a move we’ve seen Japanese manufacturers do for several years now—with Suzuki still making use of the updated K5 GSX-R1000 engine in the likes of the GSX-S1000, GSX-S1000GX, and Katana. Yamaha’s been doing the same thing with the YZF-R1 and MT-10, and so too has Kawasaki with its H2 line. It’s something that works, and something that makes liter bike performance accessible to a wider range of riders.
But what do you think? Is the CB1000 Hornet the game-changing liter-class naked bike we’ve been waiting for from Honda? Or is it just another response to a popular segment of motorcycling—an attempt from Honda to stay relevant in a market that’s always changing? Share your thoughts in the comments below.
