Honda CB750 Hornet
There are watershed moments in motorcycling that live long in the memory. The arrival of Honda’s new Hornet is definitely a moment…
If the arrival of Triumph’s Trident 660 was an unpleasant slap in the face for Yamaha’s MT-07, Honda’s CB750 Hornet must surely be a knock-out blow to the previously dominant parallel twin. Toppling a class king is never easy but Honda have challenged their rivals with a cunning double-pronged lunge of a far better bike for considerably less coin.
Even if the Hornet were the same price as its two closest rivals, the MT-07 and Trident (£500 and £896 more expensive respectively than the £6999 CB750) Honda would still have the competition seriously tossing and turning at night.
‘I’m blown away by the Honda,’ says fellow tester Bruce Dunn after an hour aboard the new Hornet. ‘Before riding it, I couldn’t see it being as good as it is, especially compared with the MT-07. But the Hornet out-performs the Yamaha in every respect. You can feel its extra power and it’s more engaging to ride, too.’
Strong words, but what Bruce says rings true. Honda have redefined what’s possible with a middleweight streetbike, raising the bar not only in terms of performance (18bhp up on the MT, 10bhp on the Trident) but by also introducing more sophisticated electronics. All at a price that makes its rivals look wincingly expensive. What’s more, it’s not obvious to see where Honda have reined in cost. Triumph’s Trident also boasts electronics, but the 660 is restricted to just two rider modes: Road and Rain. The Hornet comes with four; Standard, Sport, Rain and User – the latter programmable for power output, traction control and engine braking intervention. In Sport – today’s default setting for both Bruce and I – the motor gives its full 90.6bhp while pegging engine braking and traction control back to minimum. Despite cold, slimy conditions the Hornet is perfectly manageable at all times. It even drifts its way out of tighter turns before the traction control cuts in and brings everything back in line. Obviously, the TC and engine braking settings are more intrusive in Standard and Rain but, as Bruce points out, having the option of both Sport and User is clever because it opens the Hornet up to a far wider audience than just new riders or those attracted to the naked middleweight vibe. ‘The Honda has the potential to be all things to all people in a way the MT-07 or Trident can’t. A good rider on this could keep up with bikes twice as powerful on most roads, no problem, because its 90bhp is so accessible. Tunable electronics will be attractive to experienced riders who see the Hornet as a second bike – something fun to ride to work.’ Like Bruce, I didn’t have particularly high expectations of this 750 before I got on with riding it: worthy, maybe; dull, possibly; sporty, never. But how wrong I was. Point this new thing at a twisty road and the urge to slide back on the seat, dip down behind the clocks and let the 755cc, eight-valve motor really stretch its legs is utterly irresistible. Even the basic Showa suspension (rear preload adjustment only) is up for the ride.
‘Honda have redefined what’s possible with a middleweight’
The engine’s 270° firing interval produces a guttural thrum that compliments its eager drive. Who wants perfect primary balance when the alternative sounds and feels this good? I love the quickshifter too, which works up and down the silky smooth ’box. It’s an option rather than standard, but at £240 it’ll still leave you quids-in against a stock MT-07.
As capable as the Hornet is at letting it all hang out, it’s just as polished at gentler everyday stuff. The riding position strikes a perfect balance for town, country and cruising. Indeed, the whole package feels more refined than its price suggests. There are niggles: the switchgear’s poor; the indicator toggle is too close to the horn and hazard button. The fuelling, while smooth and clean most of the time, can pop and bang on the over-run. A drop from top to fifth is the only way to give 50-60mph overtakes the urgency they require. And the frame looks like it’s been pinched from a first generation Suzuki Bandit 600.
But I’m nit-picking. Any issues the Hornet has can be mitigated by its considerably lower price. The fact it’s better than its rivals regardless of cost simply sweetens the deal. And that, for Yamaha, Triumph and Kawasaki, is the Hornet’s real sting in the tail.