Honda CB1000 Hornet
By Ben Purvis
The upcoming CB1000 Hornet will be available early in 2025, and pricing will be aggressive. It will be joined by a higher-spec additional 'SP' version with Brembo and Öhlins parts.
The formula here is a tried and tested one. Take a previous-generation superbike engine, detuned a little to keep pace with emissions rules, and bolt it to a lower-cost steel chassis to create a fast, affordable roadster. The idea was implemented on the original Hornet 900 back in the late 90s, has lived on through generations of CB1000R, and now returns to its Hornet roots with the CB1000 Hornet.
In this case, the engine in question is a Fireblade 999 cc four from 2017-up, with the same 76 mm bore and 55.1 mm stroke, but a reduced 11.7:1 compression ratio (from 13:1), along with revised camshafts and valve timing.
The result is Euro5+ compliant and peaks at 150 hp (111.6 kW) at 11,000 rpm with max. torque of 104 Nm at 9,000 rpm. On the higher-spec SP model, Honda adds a different exhaust muffler with a servo-operated valve that opens at 5,700 rpm to increase gas flow, boosting peak power to 155 hp and torque to 107 Nm.
Those numbers might not quite match the likes of BMW's S1000R or Ducati's Streetfighter V4, but the Honda is a much cheaper bike and manages to outperform Japanese rivals, including the Suzuki GSX-S1000, while also undercutting them on price in the markets where we've seen figures announced.
