Fast Bikes magazine March 2025 issue **20 PAGE FREE PREVIEW**
TEST S
Stung by the Hornet 12
Priced affordably,styled respectably and packingamotor from thelastiteration Fireblade,you can probably understand why Big Macwas so hung by the Hornet on its recent launch.
Ready to go retro? 22
The retro seen is massive these days,and Triumph’snew additions of the Speed Twin 1200and RS have only made it bigger.The question is,should we wantone?
One last blast .................................. 30
Yamaha might have called time on the beloved R1, so when bettertogofor one last high-octane road and track ride on one?
COLUMNISTS
Christian Iddon 96 New year,new team. Iddon’sgot some exciting news for you.
FEATURES
Ducati 749 Buyer’sGuide 54
All you need to know about this muchloved V-twin of old.
Taming Tigers
60
Timmy’snot afraid of getting his hands dirty, but how would he cope in Wales’sdeepest puddles on a148bhp Triumph Tiger 1200?
Cagiva’s secret sportsbike ............. 70 Ever wondered how MV Agusta’sF4came about? Well, this is the inside story thatfew people know about.
Alternatively, scan the QR code on this page and orderyour next copy today.Wewill send it directly to you!
Whatever next?
Ifyou weretoput atheme tothis issue,itwould be one which makes you question what happens next Arguably,wehave apretty solid idea of what new metal is coming our wayin 2025, albeit thereare stillnew models in the offing that we know of but can’t yet talk about.
Some new bikes arepredictable,based on trends and the ethosofcertainbrands Forinstance,KTM has morethanmadea name for itself in the nakedbikesector above allelse,soitwould beg toreason that it will continue to plough ondown that route,doing what it doesbest in that sector. Yamaha has found ahappyplace in the last decade producing more affordable yet fulfilling motorcycles, such as the MT family and the morerecent introductions of theR7and new R9. Triumph seems to have nailedthe retro scene anddoesa pretty decent jobof reading the landscape better than most, reacting accordingly only whenitseesfit. Andasfor Honda, well, Honda seems to have aslice of all the action, delivering quality options in the process.It’sactually abrand that never seems to surpriseus, delivering new and exciting propositions such as the Hornet SP,just when you think that bikes like that simply aren’t on its radar.Itkeeps us guessing, as do the likes of Suzuki and Kawasaki… which is a good thing
I’ve said it before, but manufacturers haveamassively tough job of guessing what the likes of you want,from the spec to the performance figures,alongside factorslikethe qualityoffinishand engagement of pioneering designs or
materials. Do you need amachine with a six-axis IMU?How important is separated launch and wheelie control? Is 200bhp enough, or do people want more? And perhaps most importantly,how affordable should abike be? And so the list of unknowns goes on.
At the other end of the spectrum, they then have to ask themselves when to call time on amodel, such as the R1,which features in this issue with asend-off test by Big Mac.You can onlyimagine the internal turmoilbased around knocking such aprestigious family of motorcycles on its head. Moretothe point, was it the right move to make… and will we ever seeitback in production? Based on the reintroduction of Honda’sCBR600RRand Kawasaki’sZX-6R,itcould be argued that the R1 might reappear at some point in time,and perhaps also the likes of
Suzuki’sGSX-R1000. We can only hope, but, just like the manufacturers, we are also absent of amagicball, so we simply don’t know –and we won’t know until such abike arrives back in ourlives
Aspecial featureinthis issueisabout Cagiva’ssecret sportsbike,which some of you might know about, while for others, me included, the development and final end place of that project might prove something of asurprise.Ifthisone example is anything to go by,itjust hammers home that everythingshould be considered on the table, and that regardless of the trends of now, everything could change again quicker than we know it.
Enjoy the mag,
Some things arebetterlef t behind,but Fast Bike s isn’tone of them trustus. Fora start , we’d miss you, butit’dalso mean you’dmis sout on awhole
load of news,reviews,tech, talksand insightintopioneering protagonists.Justthink about theroad trips, theproject bike builds –and allthe excuseswe throwinwiththem. We want you on this ride,and we want your stories, your inputand guidance, so don’tbeastranger! Check
outthe cracking dealswe’ve got here andlet’s getyou settled into anotherseasonof thegoodstuff from the UK’s leadingsport sbike magazine.
A BIT OFTHIS ANDA BIT OFTHAT…
With the onset of a newyear,the pace of newmodel announcements hasfinallystarted to tail of, but we’vestill got amixed bag of greatness to talkabout this month.
DUCATIPANIGALE V4 STRICOLORE
It’safine line between genius and insanity,and in this economy,a £48,000 special-edition superbike will seemlike madness to many out there.But this trick variant of the worldconquering PanigaleV4isareally intriguing piece of design, with someunique chassis kit and a one-off asymmetrical paint job that echoes the Italian flag.Just 1000 bikes will be built, which sounds like alot for alimited-edition model, but we reckon there’ll be abig queue of well-heeled fans ready to splashthe cash.
Why? Well, the Tricolore comes with acouple of subtle yet key mods: lightweight five-spoke carbon fibre wheels,which save about akilo over the already light forged aluminium rims on the stockV4S,and anew top-end brake set-up from Brembo.The front carbon wheelwears apair of gigantic 338.5mm discs,the biggest you can get
on a17in wheel in ourworld of Euclidean geometry.You’dneed some sort of Tardis technology to get anythingbiggeronthere Bigger discsmean there’smoreleverage from the braking forceappliedbythe calipers, increasing power,and the serving-plate-sized rotors are also extrathick at 6.2mm,with cooling fins,and Brembo’sT-Drivecarrier set-up. The Brembo Front Brake Pro installation also includes apair of thefirm’s latest Hypure road-going superbike four-piston radial monobloccalipers, with aspecial titaniumanodisingfinish, and it’s rounded off by an MCS 19.21 adjustable master cylinder.Brick-wall stopping looks to beassured, andtogether with sharper steeringfromthe light carbon wheels,Ducati said these mods make a big difference to thebike’strack abilities.How manyowners will be schlepping their £48k
Tricolore round adamp UK trackday at Brands Indy or Cadwell remains to be seen…
The rest of thechassis follows the same narrative as thebase 2025 Panigale V4 –anew monocoque main framedesign, with adual-sided swingarm.It’sanother nail in the old-school Ducati chassis ethos of steel tube trellises and single-sided swingarms,but while it loses those unique charms,itgets sharper handling and lower mass in return.A fair exchange for the trackday loons and racers,but those of amore romantic bent mightbemoan theloss of ‘character’ that comes with computerengineered aluminium solutions across the board
The engine is as seen on the base bike –perhaps with 216bhp in roadtrim we’ve finally –finally! –reached the point where we have
Keep
‘enough’ power on tap.The onlymod is in the transmission, where Ducati has added adry clutch unit, complete with track-friendly open carbon clutch cover.Ditto the electronics package: you get all the good stuff from the V4 S, including the Öhlins Smart EC 3.0suspension, with semi-active control of the NPX-30 fork,TTX-36 rear shock and Öhlins steering damper.The massive new 6.9in colour dash gives access to the bleeding-edge rider aids and tech: cornering ABS and traction control slide control, wheelie control, launch control, engine brake control, power modes and the electronic suspension set-up,all adjusted with new switchgear.Cruise control, quickshifter,datalogging, phone link and lithium battery rounds off the electronics package nicely
The last part of the Tricolore story is the fancy stuff,ofwhich there is plenty.Carbon fibre front
STARKVARGEX
and rear mudguards,chain guard, heel guards,swingarm cover, exhaust guard, alternatorcover, clutch cover and brake air ducts save mass and look ace,while the usual numbered top yoke plaqueis underlined by aspecial key and
one-off startupanimation.You get anice indoor cover,a box to put it all in,and theoption to buy a matching customised leather jacket andhelmet. Lovely stuff,and all available to order from your Ducati dealer now
Convinced that there’snoscope for an electric performance bike? The off-road world begs to differ.The battery-powered dirtbike segment is growing, with the problems of range
being addressed, and other benefits like light weight, big power,plus no clutch or gears to manage appealing to many.The Stark Varg MX bike has impressed some serious riders with
its 80bhp peakpower output, and now the firmhas launched a road-legal EX enduro version. There are still limitsinterms of range, thoughthe EX has alarger 7.2kW battery (the MX bike has 6kW/h). It’s also apparently abletoberegistered as anA1learner-legal machine because its‘continuous’ power output is withinthe 15bhp limits, though peak output is still claimed as 80bhp.Whatcould gowrong there… TheVarg EX weighs just 120kg, has aclaimed runtime of up to six hours,charges in two hours,and hasatwo-year warranty.The chassis spec includes proper KYB fully-adjustable dirt suspension, steel tube frame and Brembo brakes.The price? Aserious(but not-horrendous)£10,900. Available to order nowatwww.starkfuture comfor March2025 deliveries
DUCATIMULTISTRADA V2
We raised an eyebrow when Ducati released the details of its next-generation V-twin motor a couple of months back. Okay,the purist in us appreciated the light weight and areset of the mad power escalator for what is,after all, a middleweight powerplant. But dropping the desmodromic valves,like shelving the singlesided swingarms,lost afew cool engineering points (though saves on servicing costs)
The main concern though was the power output, especially when it comes to replacing the high-performance Superquadro motor in the Panigale and Streetfighter V2 models.The 890cc
TRIUMPHBOBBER TFC
We’ll be honest, some of the limited-edition Triumphs in recent years have been abit underwhelming.A chrome tank, some pin stripe paint lines and an Elvis paint job are allpleasant enough, but we generally like abit more in a
engine makes 120bhp in itshigh-power tune, which is 35bhp down on theold Pani lump: alot of ponies to make up for with lighterweight and sharper handling
There’snosuch concernshere: the2025 Multistrada V2 also gets thenew non-desmo V-twin engine,ina 115bhp tune,and that’s much closer (almost identical, in fact) to theold 937cc Testastretta 11-degree V-twin engine used in 2024. Indeed, the new lump seemslike the ideal solution for those lower-output applications in the Multistrada, Hypermotard 950, Monster and DesertX (thoughwe’ve not
special model. Like this –the new BobberTFC (Triumph factory custom). It’sbased onthe top-selling Bonneville Bobber modern classic with its 1200 parallel twin engineand slick roadster chassis,but with some proper tasty
seen new versions of thelast three as yet). Afresh engine isn’t allweget for 2025 on the Multi V2, though. It gets anew chassis,with a monocoque aluminium mainframe and cast aluminium dual-sided swingarm. Those new parts,alongside the 54.9kg motor,makes this the lightest Multistrada ever –the base V2 is 199kg ready to ride without fuel, which is about 18kg lighter than before.The V2 Sisafew kilos heavier,which is down to extrakit likethe Ducati Skyhook electronicsuspension set-up.That system uses Marzocchi suspension parts now with 45mm USD forks and rear monoshock, with similar mechanical unitsonthe base bike There’sa 19in front wheel as befits the mild off-road pretentions of the Multistrada, with wire-spoked rims as afactory option, both wearing Pirelli Scorpion TrailIItyres in 120/70 19 front and 170/60 17 rear sizes.Standard Ducati 2025 roadbike-spec Brembo brakes round off the chassis spec: four-piston radial calipers up front with 320mm discs
There’safairly standard 2025 Ducati roadbike electronicssuite as well. It’snot as flash as the V4 rocketship,but the middleweight Multi has aproper six-axis IMU assisted ECU which controls the cornering ABSand traction control, wheelie control, and engine brake control, all accessed via the new 5in colour LCD dash and new switches.Quickshifter,cruise control, Ducati Multimedia phone link, cornering LEDheadlights and afull suite of rider and power modes rounds off the spec on the V2 S, with the V2 only missingout on the Multimedia system as standard.The V2S also has the electronic Skyhooksuspension set-up,which is integrated into the ridingsettings,and also has anew minimum preload function, dropping the bike down at astandstill foreasier loading and unloading
Atempting proposition for some 2025 touring antics then, andall priced from £13,995 (V2) or £16,390 if you must have the electronic suspension (andthe lovely green paint option) on theS
upgrades.Perhapssurprisingly,the mods primarily focus on thechassis,with quality suspension andbraking parts.For your £17,195 (£4k over thebase bike) you getsome Öhlins premiumroad suspension frontand rear,with fully-adjustable 43mm ÖhlinsNIX 30 upsidedown forks and apreload/reboundadjustable rear monoshock. High-endBremboM50 four-piston radial mount monobloccalipers clamp ontodual 310mm discs up front, operated by atasty MCS master cylinder
The SOHC eight-valve liquid-cooled motor is unchanged andmakes the same 77bhp,which is alittle disappointing.But youdoget an Akrapovic twin-silencer exhaustsystem to save some mass and add asweeter tone. There’scarbon fibre bodywork, embroidered leather seat, gold details and unique two-tone paint –and the TFCBobber is also ahefty 14kg lighter than the stock bike, which is aneat trick
KTMROUND-UP…
As we went to pressbefore Christmas,ithad become clear that the financial situation at KTM’sparent firm Pierer Mobility (which also owns GASGAS, Husqvarna and MV Agusta) was turning critical. Rumours of problems had been circulating since the summer when the firm’s share price began to fall, a situation initially put down to the collapse in the e-bike and bicycle sector post-Covid. Pierer had made several big investments in pedal power and the downturn in that sector hit it hard.
But at the end of November last year,Stefan Pierer himself announced that the firm was entering into voluntary administration. “KTM, which has grown from 160 employees and a production volume of 6000 units in 1992 to acapacity of up to 1000 motorcycles per day,isnow facing significant hurdles,” he said. “To
address these,KTM will initiate alegal restructuring proceeding with self- administration The applicationwill be submitted on Friday, November 29, with the goal of concluding the process within 90 days.”
Further announcements from the firmspoke abouta ‘high three-digit million’ figure as the debt in Euros –in other words, in the many hundreds of millions,up towards abillion. That newscameafter the firm hadalreadyannounced an operatingloss of morethan €100 millionfor 2024, andsomereports talk of a€1.7 billion debt.
The administration processgives the firm time to try and find away out of its problems through refinancing and restructuring.Inthe short term, there have been various stories –official and unofficial –regarding the end of the firm’s MotoGP,Moto2 and Moto3 projects (apparently safe for 2025 but not 2026), the sacking of celebrity race test rider Jeremy McWilliams,and factory staff inAustria not being paid. One story which seems to be fairly solid isthat Pierer issellingoff its51% share of MV Agusta, the Varese firm it took over only in May last year
There’snoshortage of possible saviours in the wings: Pierer has strong relationships with Bajaj of India and Chinese firm CFMoto,
both of whichhave deep pockets Closer to home,rumours were circulatingover Christmas about Red Bull stepping in to help its fellow Austrian firm. And the probablymore likely but less exciting optionofa rescue package and refinancingdeal from avariety of European banks and financial institutions is apossibility Current creditors have apparently been offered a30% settlementon themoney they are owed as part of an initial restructuring arrangement, butit’samassively fluid situationaswegotopress in mid-January
Forthe moment though, Pierer is looking to keep customers on side,promisingthat day-to-day operationslike parts supply and thedealer network will continue as usual. In astatement in late December,the firm said:“KTM guarantees the continuationof motorcycles being delivered through ourauthorised KTM dealer network. The same goes for our spare parts,technical accessories, customer service support and warranties whichremain unchanged, ensuringongoing and unwaveringsupportthroughout this period.”
Fast Bikes has spoken off the record to staff at KTM UK,who say they’re workingasnormal, getting the new 2025 bikes in formarket, and don’texpectanythingto change very much until after the endofthe administration period in early March. Fingers crossed for thefolks in theorange team shirts
STUN GBYTHE HO RN ET
Honda’s Hornetfamilyhas along and varied historyofhits andmisses. The question was, which category would the all-new, super afordable Blade poweredversion fall into? Therewas onlyone waytofind out…
With the big-ticket Supernaked class well and truly occupied by 200bhp fully-loaded KTMs Ducatis,Kawasakis and Aprilias, the trend towards moreaffordable,simpler naked bikes with enough powertoentertain is in full swing. Yamaha, Triumph, Ducati, BMW and Kawasaki have been right in the thick of the action, and while Honda has had the CB1000 in its range,it’snever really ticked the ‘exciting’ box, but nowit’s only goneand given the CB1000 aHornet badge,which should mean awhole different proposition.
The 2025 CB1000 Hornet, justlikethe Hornet 900, gets its engine from a discontinued Fireblade,but this time not from one that’salready outdated. Thisone comesfromthe 2017-2019Fireblade,which hasbeen slightly detuned to 154bhpinthe SP versionand 148bhp in the base version. Both fgures arebang on the moneyfor whereHonda is pitching this bike: £9999 forthe SP and £8999 for the base
Industryrumourssuggest that Honda originally wanted to use the 2008 Fireblade engine as per the CB1000, but feedback from European dealerswas lukewarm to saythe least. Honda listened and turned to
the next-generation Fireblade engine from the 2017 bike, hence the big delaybetween when the Hornet wasfrstmooted and it actually appearing. That engine had quite modest powerfgures by superbike standards at the time,but at 189bhp it’s comfortably in the ballpark for an affordable naked bikein2025, especially when getting it from its Euro4 spec to today’sEuro5+spec would conveniently just happen to takeitdowntothe 154bhp quoted for the Hornet, which is plenty This was done courtesy of narrower throttle bodies, lowercam lift and conservativecam timing with atweak to the ignition timing, anew ride-by-wireset-uptoo, plus clipping 2000rpm off the revs;it’sall helped the Fireblade engine makethe jumpin termsofemissionsand thereforeftfor modern-daypurposesquite straightforward, while also landing on just the right amountof powerand torque.Otherkey changestothe engine include cast pistonsinstead of forged onestokeep the cost down, shorter gear ratiosfromfrsttofourth, and an up and down quickshifter which curiously has adjustable cut time for both upshifts and down shifts separately,which Ithink might be afrstonany production bike.
Pick acolour, any colour... as long as it’s oneofthese
AT 212KG FULLYFUELLED, THE HORNET IS THE SAME AS THE MT-10 BUT FEELS MORE LIKE ASTREETTRIPLE AT LOW SPEED.
Both bikes get an all-newsteel twin beam frame,which is bespokefor the Hornetand haspretty aggressivegeometry. In case there was anydoubt as to what the intention is with the Hornets chassis,its rake andtrail is the same as aTriumphStreet Triple 765RS and its wheelbase is 21mm shorter than the KTM990 Duke, and it hasa180-section rear tyre–the same as aYamaha MT-09.There arekey differencesbetween the SP and the base model in addition to getting the extra power: the SP also gets BremboStylema brakecalipersinstead of Nissins, andan ÖhlinsTTX36 rear shock over the basespec which gets Showakit that only has adjustment for preload in the rear shock.
Then there’sthe price,whichatlessthan £10k for abikewith Öhlinssuspension, Brembo Stylema brakes andmorethan 150bhp is simply amazing for theSP, and just under £9000 for thebasebikecausesa real headache for the competition. For reference,aYamaha MT-10comesin at £14,000, the Öhlins-shod version is £16,000 –granted, it hasalittle bit morepower, alot
moretech, and theÖhlinsiselectronic.The 2025DucatiStreetfghter V2S with Öhlins and Stylemasis£16,000; theSuzuki GSX-S1000, which hasnobling whatsoever andabout the same powerand is therefore comparable tothe base Hornet, is £12,000 –£3000 more! The 2025 Kawasaki Z900 hasno price released at the time of writing, but the previous SE model –which hasthe bling but not quite as much powerasthe Hornet –is/ was just over £11,000.
This could be Honda’sfnest hour and on paper could be the worthiest Honda since 1969 to wear the CB badge,let alone the Hornet badge.Ifthere’sone thing that history tells us about Honda, it is that when it decidestogobig and go hard, it hasahabit of doing so with such success that it makes everyone else look abit daft. I’m thinking RC30,Fireblade,NR750, RCV213V-S, VFR750 and, yes, the CB750are just some examples of when Honda goesbig.
It’sbeen awhile –toput it mildly –since Hondahas produced agame changer,and with the Hornet’sspec sheet promising a
colossal amount for the price,Ispent agood deal of time on the journeytothe press launch wondering what thecatch was. Then we arrived at Benidorm…
Who knewthat Benidorm andHonda could deliver such unexpected surprises? In the case of Benidorm, if youhead into the surrounding hills instead of the seafront, not only will you be rewarded with better views,but youwill also fndthe most spectacularriding roads, the likes of which Ican honestly say, hand on heart, areamong the very best I’ve ever ridden on anywhereinthe world. Billiard table-smooth, virtually traffc-free,and mostly second and thirdgear cornerslinked by straight bits of tarmac rarely morethan afew hundred metres long for the whole 150km we spent riding. It wasmotorcycling nirvana.
As for the Honda, the frst thing, and I mean the very frst thing, younotice about the Hornet, beforeyou even get out of the car park of the hotel is just howlight it feels at very lowspeed, far lighter than a212kg bikehas anyright to feel. At 212kgfully fuelled, theHornet is the same as the MT-10
THEN
but feels morelikeaStreet Triple at low speed. In an instant, it became obvious that the Hornet is not likeany Hondathat’sbeen made for alongtime
When yo up ut aF ireblade into gear and pull away,you instan tly kn ow that yo u’re on something ve ry serious and ve ry capable,a nd the mess age is clear: “You had better have brought yo ur A- gam e. ”T he mess age that the Hornet screamsl oud and clear is: “You and me areg oing to have a lot of fun today, ”w hich, coming from a Honda, is ab it likeal ibrarian egging yo u on to do shots of absinth with them –i t’s
THERE’S THE PRICE, WHICH AT LESS THAN £10K FOR ABIKEWITH ÖHLINS SUSPENSION, BREMBO STYLEMA BRAKES AND MORETHAN 150BHP IS SIMPLY
AMAZING FOR THE SP.
just not the sort of mess aging yo u’reu sed to getting from aH onda. And boyo hb oy, the Hornet absolutely deliverso ni ts promise and frst impress ion.
Once youget dialled in to the Hornet’s outrageous agility and instant playfulness, moregood stuff keepsjumping out at you, with the next star of the show being the engine.It’ssimply brilliant. The combination of the deliveryofpower and torque with the shorter gearsmeansthat it puncheshardat lowRPM but doesn’t tail off as the revs climb.The result is an engine that is incredibly fexible because youcan hang onto lowergearsbetween cornersand revithard or,ifyou prefer,you can short shiftand cover the ground just as quickly
Leaving it in alowergear and using the upper thirdofthe revrange is not normally something I’d do for longperiods on the road because,typically,the higher up the revs,the moresensitivethe throttlebecomes, which can be tricky, but the wayHonda hasset up the fuel injection is so good that even at those high revs, the throttle feels really smooth and easy to control the off/on transition. It neverevenoccurred to me to try anyofthe other rider modes– the Hornet comeswith rain, standardand sport, plus a
TheHornet’ssomuchmore than aparts binspecial.
couple of programable user modes– which is something you’d usually do in the search for asmoother throttle
Idid, however, use one of the usermodesto have the traction control switchedoff in,but alasunlikepretty much every otherbike manufacturer, everytime youswitch the Hornet off,the traction control is reinstatedeveninthe programable user mode.Thismeans youmust access the settingsfor the mode and switch the traction control off everytime youcome back to the bike, which earnsthe Hornetone of very fewsmall marksagainst it.
Switching the traction control off is something really worth doing forseveral reasons, not least because there’splenty of grip from the Bridgestone S22s,but also in the event of awheelie happening,the system doesn’t have an IMU to measurewhat’s going on with the actual position ofthe bike’schassis.Instead, it usesthe same basic setofthe very earlytractioncontrol systems by measuring front and rear wheel speeds,so
THE
youinitially get lots of lift, then asudden cut in powerthat only restores when the wheel is back on the ground, and you’ve completely shut the throttle.It’sreally not great, and it’s far better to justhaveitswitched off.Withan IMU,the process would be muchsmoother, and it would evenbepossible to separate traction control from anti-wheelie
On one hand, Icouldsay that the lack of IMU and/or the ability to permanentlyswitch thetractioncontrol off via aprogramable user mode is understandable when youlook at the price of the Hornet, and it is.On refection, it occurstomethat Honda could probably do those twothings really easily and it would probably only add afew hundred quid to the price of each bikegiven that the technology is already on other models inthe range.Anyway,itiswhat it is: abasic set of rider aids which execute their tasksin abasic way, and it takes about fve seconds to deactivate the traction control, so in the grand scheme of things,it’snobig deal
LEVELSOFCOMPOSURE
–especially when the restofthe bikeisso brilliant. ABMW-style ‘fun’ button on the switchgear that youcan pressand hold to switch the traction control off without having to navigate through menus would be perfect.
One piece of techonthe Hornetthat I really did likewhen Ieventually found it (the interface with all the tech is not especially intuitive) is the ability to adjust the quickshifter’scut time independently for up shifts and down shifts.It’sveryclever, andas it turnsout, very useful, and it defnitely falls under the heading of things youneverknew would be handy until youactually had the chance to use it. There’saselection of screen layouts that youcan choose from for the new 5in colour TFT,all of which areverygood –manufacturersusually offer just one or two decent onesand aload of optionsthat are just therefor the sakeofitand so the manufacturer can claim abig number of options. Not so on the Hornet– there’s just a handful, but they’reall spot-on.
THATTHE HORNET DELIVERS AT THESAME TIME AS ITSAGILITY IS ANOTHER TRAIT THATCOMES ONLYFROM ACOMBINATION OF JUST THE RIGHT AMOUNT OF WEIGHT IN JUST THERIGHTPLACE, SUPPORTED BY SUSPENSION THAT’S SET UP JUST SO, AND GEOMETRYTHATHOLDSITALL TOGETHER.
Back on the road, and thelevels of composurethat the Hornetdeliversatthe sametime as its agility is another trait that only comesfromacombinationofjustthe right amount of weight in just the rightplace, supported by suspension that’sset upjustso, andgeometrythat holds it all together.It’s the hallmark of abikethathas been thoroughly tested and developed rightdown to component level. Thesuspension hasbeen developed bespokefor theHornet,and the result of all of that is that the Hornet has a feel and levelofcomposure in all scenarios, whether it be loading up underhigh corneringforcesand changesofdirection or brushing offbumpswitha levelofcontrol and damping that makes manybikes twice theHornet’sprice feel cheap andlackingin suspension control.
While the Hornet doesride and feellike something far moreexpensive,there arelittle cluesthat suggest howHonda hasmanaged to produce the bikefor what it has.While the
brake system hasBrembo Stylema calipers, thereisa lack of feel at the lever, which could be down to either acheaper master cylinder or,morelikely,abasic ABS pumping system is what I’d put my moneyon. It’sokay,and I’m not mentioning it as acriticismofthe bikeor its braking system; it’sreally justa point to note.Elsewhere, some of the components such as the levers,rearsets,and some of the welding on the exhaust arefrom the lowerend of the quality scale, but by no meanscheap
As arule of thumb,Iavoid thesubjective topic of whether abikelooksgood or not –that’suptoyou. However, what Idowant to commit to print is that for acompanythat’s been producing very safe/conservative/ boring looking bikes,the Hornet is abreath of freshair.It’sedgy,distinct, unashamedly Japanese,and even parked up on its
sidestand it lookslikeitmeansbusiness, which is very unlikeHonda to be so in your face.There’sbeen afew comments on the colour of the SP being abit boring, but in the fesh it looksgreat, and the gold wheels really do work with the gunmetal grey paint. It’salso nice to see atotal lack of wings or anyeffortwhatsoever towardsthe subject of aerodynamics.
BigMac wasn’t holding back on theHornet.
CH AS SIS
Besp okefor theH ornet, narrow at themiddle, wide whereit needstob e, it playsahugep ar tofthe Hornet ’s trumpc ards of agilit yand ease of us e. It hasthe same steering geometry as a TriumphStreetTriple765,a2 0mmshorter wheelb as ethana
KT MDuke9 90,and a180 -s ec tion rear ty re just like aYamaha MT-0 9. It scentreofgravity feelslikeit’sinexactly therig ht place, andthe weig ht distribution is 51%onthe frontto continue theaggressivelayout.
EL EC TR ONIC S
Basics elec tion andb asic execution, difficult to navigate to and throug h, butthe TF Tscreenispureclass.Reall yneeds a BM W-st yle‘fun’ button on thes witchgeartoeasil ydis able the trac tion control.
DE SIGN /S TY LE
Beauty is in theeye of theb eholder, butthere’s no deny ingthat theH ornets design ands ty le is bold by anys tandard, especially Honda.
EN GINE
The2 017Fireblade engine is dusted of fand up datedfor Euro 5 +emissions by gettings of terc amsw ithlower lift s, narrower throt tleb odies, andloosing 20 00 rp m. It also gets cast pistons insteadofforgedones, partiall ydue to notneeding forged ones with thep ower output down from theFireblade’s 18 9bhp to theH ornet’s155bhp, andp ar tially to keep cost sdow ntohit theaggressiveprice.It’sanengagingenginew ithplent ygoing on in themidrange, gets very spic yatthe topend,and it sounds prop erly angr ytoo
GE ARBOX
Firs tthrough to four th gear areall shor terthanthe Fireblade, w hich only adds to theurgency andeas eofuse of thebike dependingonhow much youopenthe throttle.Small amount s forp ootlingand theshorter ratiosmakes it easy to mano eu vre withoutthe need forloads of revs andclutchslipping. Op en the throttle wide andthe shor terratiosmeans theH ornet accelerates pret ty much as hard as youwant, or it will wheelie allday long to your hear t’scontent
EX TR AP OW ER
SP gets a6bhpb oost over theb as emodel cour tesy of aflap in theexhaust whichallow sH ondatow rite differentfueland ig nition maps.T hisisw hy boltingthe ex haus tofanSPontothe base mo delwon’t make ablind bitofdif ference; youneedthe maps /ECU to o.
Brembo St ylemac allipers addatouch of blingtothe SP and deliverbig on power. We didn’t ride theb as emodel so can’t co mmentiftheyare significantly more powerful than theNis sin callip ersonthe base mo del, buthis tory tellsusthatthey prob ably are. Thes ys temdoeslackultimatefeel, butthatcould be duetoab asic AB Splumbingand pumpings ys tem.
So, the Hornet is properly fast, handles likeadream, hasadecent leveloffnish, looksthe part, sounds the part, and costs a snip of what its competition does. What’s the catch? Well, if thereisone,I can’t fnd it, and Ireally, really looked. It is an undeniable fact that Ilaughed my head off morein 150km on the Hornet than Ihave done on anyHonda, probably anymotorbike, for averylong time. At its coreisabikethat is fun, and it’sfun because it’ssoeasy to get on with. Atotal novice could easily enjoythe Hornet every bit as much as aseasoned hack likeme, and all these things arequalitieswhichhave nothingtodowiththe price whatsoever, but we must talk about the price, almost reluctantly becausethere’sarisk thatthe Hornet becomesdefned by its pricetag, which while it absolutelydeserves to be, seemsalittle unfair,because it is aproperly brilliant bikeregardless
Thankstoits ludicrous price,whichever corner of themotorcycling world youlook at for acomparison to theHornet 1000, the answeralways seemstobethe same –there isn’t one.Therereallyisn’t abike, naked or otherwise,that offersso much for so little, and that puts me into uncomfortable territory when it comestocommitting profound wordstoprint for fear of overstating just how signifcantabikethe Hornet 1000 is.I’ve wracked my brainstothink of anybikethat comesevenclose to the same postcode as the Hornet for value AND ability,and I’ve got nothing.
Ireallydothink the Hornet 1000 is going to provide acomplete reset to certainly the whole naked bikesector in the same way that the Fireblade did to the superbikesector back in 1992. Everyother manufacturerof nakedbikes nowhas aserious headache to deal with, because unless youreally don’t likethe looksorcolour scheme,thereis literally no reason to not buy the Hornet 1000… apart from the factthat Honda UK maywell sell out of them –it’sonly bringing
1000 into the UK in 2025, and my guess is they’ll all be sold beforetheyevenarrive. The Hornet not only hasthe potential to reset the newnaked bike sector,but because it representssuch astonishing value for money, Ithink it also haspotential to cause a problem in the used bike market. Dealersare going to have to reassess the value of many of their used bikestock too –orsit tight until the Hornet sells out
So, thereitis. Ireally didn’t see that coming. By purechance,this was my frst everHonda presslaunch after 17 yearsof writing for magazines, and I’ll be perfectly honest,neverinmywildestdreamsdid I imagine it would be so signifcant.I will confesstoexpecting another decent,useable naked bike,and we would all be able to celebratethe expansion of thesector.I did not expecttobewriting about agenerational game changer,but that is exactly what I’ve ended up doing.
