Honda recently caused quite a stir in the middleweight naked bike segment thanks to the launch of the CB750 Hornet. To add to the excitement, it launched the XL750 Transalp not long after, bolstering its presence in the premium middleweight segment. Indeed, Honda has realized that mid-size parallel-twin powered machines strike a chord with today's motorcyclists, as this has been evidenced by nearly all other manufacturers in the market.
For example, the Yamaha MT-07 has been one of the most popular middleweight twin-cylinder bikes for many years now, and when KTM with its 790 Duke (now the 890), as well Aprilia with the Tuono 660 came to the scene, they enjoyed quite a lot of success, too. With that, the CB750 Hornet brings a lightweight, torquey platform to the game—a stark contrast to the rather heavyweight construction and linear powerband on the inline-four-powered CB650R.
While the Honda CB750 Hornet has yet to make its way stateside, those who have gotten their hands on the bike in other markets seem to unanimously agree that it's quite an awesome machine. That said, would Team Red's new 750 platform make for a good sportbike? Well, multiple European publications seem to think so, and if Honda's trend of launching a sportbike alongside its naked bike is any indication, the notion doesn't seem so far-fetched.
If a Honda CBR750R were to hit the scene, it would undoubtedly make for a fine addition to the growing crop of middleweight, twin-cylinder-powered sportbikes in the market today. Machines like the Aprilia RS 660, as well as the CP2-powered Yamaha YZF-R7 would certainly be given a run for their money. The Hornet's technical basis, after all, is pretty impressive, with its 755cc, fuel-injected, liquid-cooled, parallel-twin engine outputting 91.8 horsepower and 52.5 pound-feet of torque.
Apart from the engine, the lightweight frame, as well as the adjustable inverted Showa front forks make for perfect sportbike componentry. So, too, do the radially mounted dual disc brakes up front. From a styling perspective, we can expect the bike to look very similar to the already available CBR500R and CBR650R, as the CB750 Hornet bears a lot of similar styling cues to its smaller siblings, the CB500F, and the now discontinued CB650F.
