Honda is going all out at this year’s Esposizione Internazionale Ciclo Motociclo e Accessori (EICMA). The Japanese motorcycle manufacturer has released four new models for the exhibition as a show of force in Europe.
We’ve already covered the NX500, the adventure-tourer that replaces the CB500X. Now, we’re looking at another Honda motorcycle that succeeds yet another model. That bike is the Honda CB1000 Hornet, and it serves as the successor to the CB1000R Naked.
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The company calls it ‘the new head of Honda’s growing Hornet family’ which now also includes the CB500 Hornet, Honda’s replacement for the CB500F naked bike. With that, it now serves as the flagship of the naked bike family. This time around, it goes for a more aggressive look, ditching the CB1000R Naked’s ‘Neo Sports’ look.
More significantly, Honda made a new frame specifically for the Hornet. The old steel backbone design has been replaced by a twin-spar frame. Its construction is similar to that of the 750 Hornet. The reason for that is to accommodate a new, more compact engine.
There are no specifics regarding the new powertrain just yet, but it is said to be derived from the Fireblade (aka the CBR 1000RR), so it’s likely a 999cc mill. The only thing Honda said out output is that it will be ‘over 148hp’ and ‘more than 100Nm of torque’.
Moving to its suspension, the CB1000 Hornet has a Showa 41mm Separate Function Fork Big Piston (SFF-BP) arrangement that can be adjustable for compression and rebound. Meanwhile the rear uses a Pro-link rear Showa shock. It’s also worth pointing out that the Hornet uses a 180-section rear tire instead of 190.
As for electronic aids, its traction control system runs via throttle by wire system. It then allows the rider to choose between 3 riding modes, displayed on the 5-inch TFT color display. Lastly, it comes with connectivity features for both Android and iOS devices that can be paired via Honda RoadSync.
