It’s been worth the wait for Honda’s CB1000 Hornet, promised for this year but now a 2025 model.
A higher-spec SP version will sit beside the standard version. What’s more, in the markets where they’ve been announced, the CB1000’s prices undercut all key rivals in the same way that the twin-cylinder CB750 Hornet does in a class below.
The engine is the 999cc four from the 2017-on Fireblade, with the same bore and stroke but a reduced 11.7:1 compression ratio plus new camshafts and timing to put the emphasis on midrange grunt rather than outright power. Not that it’s short of the latter, peaking at 111.6kW (150hp)and 11,000rpm and 104Nm at 9000rpm. The SP version gets a different exhaust with a servo-operated valve that opens at 5700rpm to allow gases to escape more freely. The result is 115.6kW and 107Nm.
Both models place the engine in a steel ‘diamond’ frame claimed to be 70 percent more rigid than that used in the existing CB1000R, which shares similar dimensions with the same 1455mm wheelbase and 25° rake. A dual-sided swingarm also helps, but the CB1000 Hornet is also a much more affordable proposition, despite having more outright performance.
It gets decent suspension, with both versions sharing a fully-adjustable, 41mm Showa SFF-BP upside-down fork. The SP gets a fully-adjustable Ohlins TTX36 shock. The base CB1000 Hornet’s radial brakes are from Nissin, the SP uses Brembo.
The SP has a matte-black colour option with the standard bike shown in red and white as well as grey.
Rider aids look a little lacking compared to some rivals. There’s no IMU, so while there’s ABS and traction control, they’re not lean-sensitive cornering systems. You do get multiple riding modes and a 5in TFT dash with phone connectivity. As you’d expect, there’s a wide range of options.
