The all-new Honda CB1000 Hornet SP’s rich black paint, contrasting gold wheels and Öhlins cycle parts tweak the sporting glands just so. Its shape follows the Hornet tradition – fat at the front, thin in the middle, and fat at the rear – and profiles a hornet when viewed from above. There's a pleasant whiff of old school going on, the colour combinations a throwback to an era when black and gold stood for luxury speed. You note the odd cost saving trick such as a non-detachable sub-frame, but overall there's an undeniable top-end look and feel to what is ultimately a sub-£10,000 machine. First impressions are positive.
Honda grabbed some headlines when it revealed the final specs of the Hornet 1000, not so much for the bells and whistles but for the staggeringly low price tag. The standard version can be sat on your driveway for £8999, a 1000cc supernaked for less than a Yamaha MT-09, but we suspect the bulk of sales will be for this more upmarket SP version. It’s got better suspension and brakes, as well as a bit more power, and still undercuts a standard MT-09 on price. This is a lot of bike for the money.
Once settled into a relatively low 809mm seat, you face a clean and understated cockpit featuring uncomplicated switchgear and, by 2025 standards, a small-ish and rather modest 5” colour TFT dash, complete with Honda's RoadSync connectivity. The tank flares at the front in the Hornet tradition but is nicely waisted at the knees, the one-piece handlebars drop you into a comfortable but poised stance, Showa fork-top adjusters add an air of quality... It all checks out and continues to belie the budget price tag.
That said, the Hornet has comparatively basic rider aids and riding modes by today’s standards. Three riding modes – Standard, Sport and Rain – do the heavy lifting while two User modes are available for personalisation. There are three engine power and engine braking modes, and three levels of switchable HSTC traction control. The ABS can’t be adjusted and, like the traction control, isn’t lean-sensitive as there's no IMU on board. Stuff like launch control isn’t even an option.
In Sport mode the throttle response seemed a little snappy, but I’m unsure if that's because the fuelling is indeed slightly choppy or because the Hornet simply delivers so much low-rpm torque that it feels a tad too sharp. Either way, the softer Standard mode is preferable around town.
The SP's kerb weight is 212kg but it feels much lighter than that and makes for an agile ride in traffic. The steering is delightfully light for a 155bhp bruiser, while that narrow seat and tank mean, as a short rider, I could get two feet securely to the ground without problem.
Away from the traffic you can make more use of that old-school Fireblade motor. Predictably, the 999cc inline-four has been modified to match the needs of a naked streetfighter (and cleaned up to meet Euro 5+) and now delivers a claimed 155bhp at 11,000rpm and 76.7ft-lb at 9000rpm. In terms of peak power that is somewhat down on the 2017 Blade's 189bhp but peak power and torque arrive much lower in the rpm, making it much more usable on the road than the pure sports bike. Incidentally, the standard version, with a different exhaust system, has a peak power of 150bhp.
You immediately feel this torque and drive lower in the rpm. The mid-range drive is also strong and urgent. It wants to go, is eager to have fun and, in a rather un-Honda way, sounds raucous for a standard bike – especially a £10k naked. That said, the 2017 Fireblade (and later models) sounded great and was even too loud for the noise meters at some UK trackdays. Even so, I wasn’t expecting the naked Hornet to be this wild.
Using a ‘Blade engine was a no-brainer for Honda, but I didn’t expect this much aggression when the throttle is opened. It's hard to overstate the grunt that its torque-focused tune delivers. With the revs hovering mid-tacho it punched ferociously hard out of turns, that pipe wailing, before I shut off for the next sets of mountain esses. There's genuine character here, too – proper attitude – and any admirer of Honda's big inline four will love this kind of real-world performance.
The mountain passes so often utilised for these new-model press launch tests are typically low on traffic, which allowed the Hornet SP to shine. That easy drive and quick, accurate steering which we encountered around town, translated perfectly to the endless switchbacks in the sierras. Direction changes were rapid, the chassis composed and planted – those 212kg so well disguised that the ‘big’ Hornet felt as flickable as many a sporting middleweight. Meanwhile, the Bridgestone S22 tyres warmed up quickly and offered enough grip and confidence to knee-down levels of lean. Ground clearance is ample, and I reckon the pegs would only start to tickle the deck on a racetrack.
Such is the quality of the SP's chassis and suspension that it's as happy carrying corner speed and sports bike angles of lean as it is relying on the strong Brembo stoppers, going down a couple of ratios on the smooth quickshifter, turning hard to square-off the corner, and gunning out again. Both ways are fun.
The only downside to the fun was the overactive traction control, which can’t be deactivated on the move and, annoyingly for 2025, defaults to a saved standard setting whenever the ignition is switched off and on again. When the TC intervenes it lacks subtlety, the front goes light over a crest and the re-introduction of the power is a fraction too slow. It certainly works and will be reassuring for newer riders, but the system is nowhere near as sophisticated as you find on, say, a (much more expensive) Yamaha MT-10.
With the TC deactivated, the Hornet offers even more immature antics. Wheelies are not legal but the big naked performs the act so effortlessly maybe they should be. The slightly snatchy throttle previously mentioned at slow speeds isn’t an issue once it is opened beyond 10% and can be easily finessed.
As the pace increases, so the SP continues to deliver. Even when ridden hard it remained stable and unflappable, despite its sharp steering. The Brembo Stylema calipers and 310mm discs up front are strong and progressive but at high speed, when shaving mph rather than stopping hard, I expected more bite from a premium set up. I’ve ridden dozens of similar bikes, usually Italian, with Brembo Stylema calipers, and they perform better than these. I can only assume the lack of real bite is down to either the master cylinder, discs, pads or, perhaps, the weight of the bike – or a combination of these factors. The Stylemas are one of the key upgrades between the SP and standard model, which runs more basic Nissin calipers.
The absence of cornering ABS wasn't an issue on test but we had perfectly dry conditions. Would potential owners miss lean-sensitive ABS and other rider aids come winter at home? It’s an almost impossible to answer question given that each of us is different. And, frankly, I was having so much fun I forgot about the relatively basic rider aids and just immersed myself in the bike's performance and sense of fun. In fact, I can see some potential customers being attracted to the stripped-back nature of the new Hornet: bags of torque, uncomplicated rider aids and good handling – just jump on and have a blast.
Of course, the CB1000 Hornet SP isn’t just about chasing up mountain passes on a cloudless day, because it feels like it should work well in the everyday world of clouds and slimy surfaces too. The riding position is roomy, engine vibes are minimal at high revs, and heated grips and limited luggage are optional extras from Honda’s accessory brochure. If I was forced to be critical, the mirrors are a fraction smaller than expected and the dash lacks the ‘bling’ to some of the more expensive competition.
As mentioned at the beginning of this article, it’s hard to see where Honda have saved on costs. The finish appears to be good, with the extra-large silencer the only visual blemish on a handsome machine. Pillions are going to be brave or small (or most likely both) but, despite the obvious lack of bodywork, there’s no reason why you couldn’t rack up some miles on the Hornet all year around.
Above and beyond all this excellence, is that price. The new Hornet floats and stings in a class of its own. Unusually for today’s market, it’s hard to work out exactly what the Hornet’s competitors are. Is it more comparable to Yamaha’s MT-09 or MT-10? Would you consider a Kawasaki Z900 over the Hornet, given that the former is heavier, less powerful and more expensive? Or is the real competition Triumph’s Speed Triple 1200? Or BMW's 105bhp F900R or S1000R, with 165bhp. It might be an inbetweener in many senses, but the problem for the competition is that anyone in the market for any of those nakeds will now feel compelled to take a serious look at the Honda CB1000 Hornet SP as there is nothing even close to delivering such 155bhp thrills for and under £10,000.
Verdict
Verdicts can drag on, but not this time. The 155bhp Hornet SP screams exceptional value at under £10k. Look around and nothing else compares. Even if Honda slapped a couple more grand on the price, it’d still be a steal.
Retuning the 2017 Blade engine gives it wicked mid-range grunt, thrilling top-end power, and a soundtrack to match. The handling? Spot on – light, predictable steering with a planted chassis. That’s no small feat. Sure, the rider aids could be fancier, the Brembos a bit sharper, and Sport mode’s throttle is a tad jumpy, but it’s nitpicking.
Honda used to be the sensible one at the naked streetfighter party – leaving before the fun started. Not the Hornet. It’s here till dawn, oozing character, turning heads, and packing a serious wow factor. All that for less than £10k? Bargain.
Honda CB1000 Hornet SP specification
Price: £9,999 (UK) Ireland TBC
Engine: 999cc inline four cylinder, DOHC, four valves per cylinder, liquid cooled
Power: 155bhp @ 11,000rpm
Torque: 107Nm @ 9,000rpm
Transmission: Six-speed, chain final drive
Frame: Twin spar steel frame
Suspension: (F) Fully-adjustable 41mm USD fork, (R) Fully-adjustable mono shock.
Wheels: Cast aluminium, 17”/17”
Tyres: (F) 120/70 x 17, (R) 180/55 x 17
Brakes: (F) 2 x 310mm discs, four-piston radial calipers, (R) 240mm disc, two-piston caliper.
Weight: 212kg (without fuel)
Wheelbase: 1,455mm
Seat height: 809mm
Fuel tank: 17 litres
Warranty: 24 months unlimited mileage
Contact: www.honda.co.uk
Website www.honda.co.uk
Words: Adam Child ‘Chad’.
Photography: Motocom/Honda
