Honda
When Honda stirs, the motorcycle industry takes note. On paper, the company's 2023 new model releases look set to be game-changers in two - or even three - of the key market sectors, even though none of the brand's launches boasts particularly astounding power or performance figures.
The first of Honda's 2023 offerings is the new CB750 Hornet, a bike that plunders the company's heritage for not one but two evocative names from the past. First previewed with sketches shown last year, the Hornet is the debut platform for a completely new 755 cc parallel twin engine that makes 67.5 kW (90.5 hp) - a figure that easily outguns most rivals thanks to a short-stroke, high-revving design.
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| CB750 Hornet |
It's a compact, lightweight engine, using Honda's Unicam cylinder head design, and in the Hornet it's bolted to a simple steel 'diamond' frame. Non-adjustable but name-brand Showa suspension, 41 mm USD forks and a rising-rate monoshock, Nissin radial brakes and simple but crisp styling make for an attractive package, but one that looks potentially irresistible when combined with a remarkable pricing strategy that undercuts Yamaha's MT-07 - a market leader in the middleweight roadster class - despite the Hornet offering vastly more power and higher levels of equipment.
That equipment includes multiple riding modes, ABS and traction control settings, plus a colour TFT dash that links to your smartphone for extra features, including voice operation of some when used with a Bluetooth headset. A 25-degree head angle, 1,420 mm wheelbase and 15.2-litre fuel tank are all par for the course, and the bike's 190 kg weight - including fuel - and 795 mm seat height means it should be easy to handle.
There are signs of cost-cutting, of course. The headlight is borrowed from the CB500F, for instance. But with a price strategy that bucks the trend for increases seen across rival brands, the Hornet could become a go-to bike for customers in 2023.
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| Transalp |
Honda's second new offering takes the same basic ingredients - the Hornet's 755 cc twin and steel frame - and adds long-travel suspension and adventure styling to revive another classic name: Transalp. The 2023 XL750 Transalp sits below the Africa Twin in Honda's range, but on paper could be the adventure bike of choice with only 10 hp less than the Africa Twin, but a substantial 18 kg less mass at 208 kg wet. Like the Hornet, it uses Showa suspension at each end, in this case 43 mm USD forks adjustable for preload only, and a preload-adjustable monoshock, with additional ground clearance and travel plus a longer wheelbase and a more relaxed 27-degree head angle. A combination of 21-inch front and 18-inch rear wire-spoked wheels, fitted with tubed tyres, shows that the Transalp has genuine off-road intentions.
Like the Hornet, the Transalp has clean but unexceptional styling and uses the same off-the-shelf headlight and the same colour TFT dash as the roadster while offering a strong combination of performance and equipment. A 16.9 litre tank gives a theoretical range of more than 380 km between refills, while the 850 mm seat is relatively low in the Adventure bike class to expand its appeal to a wide band of riders. Price will be key, but if Honda follows the aggressive approach it's taken with the Hornet, it's likely to be surprisingly low.
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| EM1 e |
Honda's third potential disruptor for 2023 is the EM1 e: the firm's first electric scooter aimed at the European market. Competing in the moped category, it's a short-range machine that's due at dealers in summer 2023, and full details have yet to be revealed. However, Honda says the range is 'over 40 km', which is enough for most inner-city commutes, and more importantly, it uses Honda's Mobile Power Pack e: battery, a swappable cell that the firm hopes will become something of an industry standard. In Japan and India, where models using the MPP e: battery are already on the market, the company has just started selling battery-swap stations - essentially walls of batteries that allow riders to simply pull up and swap a flat battery for a fully charged one (for a small fee, of course). The idea is to create an infrastructure where such battery swap stations are commonplace, eliminating 'range anxiety' for riders who use MPP e: batteries in their bikes. It's a formula that Gogoro has already established with huge success in Taiwan, and Honda will hope its version can become similarly dominant elsewhere in the world, including Europe.
Honda's final new models for 2023 are the CL500 - a street scrambler based on the engine and frame from the existing Rebel 500, slotting into the A2 licence class as a characterful alternative to bikes like the CB500F and the CMX1100T Rebel, which is a Bagger version of the existing CMX1100, with a batwing fairing and hard, top-hinged panniers offering 35 litres of capacity.
