The 2025 Honda CB1000 Hornet SP doesn't enter the ring with bombastic air-punching or wild claims about being the best, spitting in the face of its enemies. No - with a sub-$20,000 price tag, a liberal dose of quality components, and a penchant for the highest form of naked-bike shenanigans, the Hornet is the two-wheeled equivalent of an undetected uppercut in a back alley.
The heart of the beast is a 999.8cc inline-four, lifted straight from the Fireblade's gene pool. Honda claims 116kW at 11,000rpm and 107Nm of torque at 9,000rpm, which isn't headline-grabbing these days, but the delivery is what matters. It's strong and linear right off the bottom, pulling like a… no, I'm not going to go there - through the mid-range. You can short shift through the box, roll out of corners, and the thing just pulls without demanding you wring its neck. Smooth, predictable, and fast in that deceptive way where you suddenly realise, you're going much quicker than you planned or probably should. The gearbox is Honda-refined, as is the rest of the Hornet, for that matter.
Chassis-wise, Honda has cooked up something beautifully balanced. Steering is light and flickable but maintains its composure at speed. Even on battered tarmac at slap-on-the-wrist speeds, the Hornet felt planted. It's this neutral handling - "I can get away with anything" - trait that has characterised Hondas for years, and the Hornet is no different. I would like to regale you with a short story, if you will indulge me: I'm fanging up through the hills of the Gold Coast Hinterland, capturing footage for my video review (see below), giving the Hornet the berries and looking all majestic and purposeful. Next minute, I'm in a right-hand hairpin, carrying way more speed than is advisable - a proper hot mess of a situation.
I've been doing this riding stuff for a while, so I bury the fear and get on with the business of getting the Hornet through the turn rather than spearing through a guardrail and plummeting to my death. I drop the shoulder, dab the right-hand bar, my knee ever so slightly kisses the tarmac, and wallah - I'm out the other side without so much as a twitch, although my Kevlar slacks have seen better days. That was a very long, and hopefully entertaining, way of explaining just how good the Hornet is when it's called upon to perform - rock solid, ready, and reliable.
The suspension comes courtesy of a Showa fork up front and an Öhlins shock out back, both firm in their stock settings but fully adjustable for your tuning pleasure. It's quality gear, and you can feel it, and it has a good deal to do with the Hornet's impeccable cornering manners. Braking is courtesy of Brembo on the front, with a set of Stylema calipers offering masses of stopping power and heaps of feel. You don't need more brake kung-fu on a road bike! As Forrest Gump said, "That's all I have to say about that."
If there's one area where the SP shows its restraint, it's in the electronics department. Forget cornering ABS or IMU-driven wizardry - you won't find it here. What you get is a straightforward traction control system with three levels, plus the ability to switch it and ABS off if you're feeling saucy. There are three riding modes (Road, Rain, Sport) and a couple of custom slots so you can mix-and-match. Simple, intuitive, no hidden menus. It's enough to keep you out of trouble without turning the ride into a PlayStation game.
That's the Hornet SP's real charm: it doesn't try to dazzle you with unnecessary flash. It gives you what you need - proper suspension, proper brakes, a strong engine - and leaves the frills for someone else. While rivals chase ever-more electronics and price tags that could finance a small house deposit, Honda has built a bike that undercuts them without feeling cheap; in fact, it feels anything but.
It might not be able to go toe to toe with the top of the naked bike class at every level, but it's coming for them on the showroom floor - this thing is going to sell its head off.
The Hornet is a tough-looking naked, with superb build quality, plenty of fruit, and performance that belies its kick-arse price tag.
