Honda CBF 750 Hornet Is a Hooner
Honda's CB750 Hornet Naked Bike Flies.
Jeremy Webb flies around the back roads of Wiltshire and Dorset on the Honda CB750 Hornet. It is a sporty naked bike that packs a sting with punchy performance backed up with agile handling.
A serious Hooner has arrived, the revived Hornet from Honda. I enjoyed riding the 750 version around the twisties of Wiltshire and Dorset, taking in the sights and lapping up the thrill the Hornet can give you. It is versatile and can be what you want it to be: a daily commute, weekend whizz, or thrilling tourer.
The latest Hornet 750 has a parallel-twin cylinder with a 270-degree crank producing 90.5hp power output. The latest CB750 Hornet is £7300 and available in four colours: Matte Iridium Grey Metallic, Pearl Glare White, Graphite Black and anodised red forks), and Mat Goldfinch Yellow.
You can purchase accessory packs, which include a host of extras at reduced prices; one is the Sport Pack, which costs £555, excluding fittings. It consists of the Quickshifter, fly screen, rear seat cowl and rider footpegs. The Style Pack comes in at £410, excluding fitting, with a handlebar upper clamp holder, Bar end weights, tank pad, wheel stripes and crash bungs. If you want to take the Hornet Touring, the Touring Pack is £765 excluding fitting, featuring rear panniers, a tank bag and a seat bag.
For your money, you get 90.5hp, which is a punchy bike with sound, low-end output and a mid-range torque which is practical and usable. You can ride around town with no fuss, and when the speed limits change, pull away and let the revs head to the redline. In Sport mode, the delivery maybe a tad too much for new riders, but mastering the throttle overcomes this. If you want the Hornet and are worried about the 90hp, purchase an A2 47hp version to gain confidence.
The six-speed gearbox is easy to use and fluid, so changes are crisp, and you get the bonus of a slipper clutch. Another plus is the sound of the Honda CB750 Hornet's exhaust, which has a twin-pipe design, with a larger exhaust outlet for the bass and a smaller, lower pipe opening producing the mid-range and treble. You get a tuneful, fabulous-sounding exhaust.
For choice of riding style, Honda has given the CB750 Hornet four modes: Sport, Rain, Standard, and user-configurable User. Rain is the softest with the highest traction control input, and Sport is the most direct with the lowest TC input. The user mode lets you tweak the engine braking control and power delivery and turn off the traction control. The traction control and ABS are not lean-sensitive, and the wheelie control is integral to the traction control system.
The Honda CB750 Hornet is light at 190kg kerb weight, which equates to a swift turning and highly agile machine. Precise cornering at speed is a breeze, as is low-speed manoeuvring in any situation, whether in town centres or dangerous car parks, where people fight for spots rather than observe their surroundings. It has a fab turning circle, and you get excellent control from the bars.
You get a TFT dash and electronics similar to the Honda Africa Twin and Fireblade, but the CB750 Hornet is easier to use through the control buttons on the left, along with the Function and Mode buttons.
The Honda CB750 Hornet has a lovely riding position, and you sit in the bike, giving control and comfort. The low seat height of 795mm high peg position makes you feel at ease and in a race-type body profile. The ergonomics are easygoing, and you are relaxed yet engaged. On the trip down to Lulworth Cove and back to Pompey, I felt comfortable without aches and pains or needing to stretch my legs. It supports the idea that the Honda CB750 Hornet can take you on a tour, and you will thoroughly enjoy it. It is supported as you get about two hundred miles between fuel stops, which equates to around three hours of riding if you are happy to do this.
The Honda CB750 Hornet is a fantastic middleweight machine that is impressive and exciting to ride. It can compete against the Suzuki GSX-8S, Yamaha's MT-07 and even Aprilia's Tuono 660 and possibly comes out as the best all-around bike for fun, thrills, practicality and ease of riding.
Jeremy Webb has a website, www.roadtestsandreviews.co.uk, where you can read more motorcycle, car, travel and product reviews.
LSEMC the London and south east motorcycle club has weekly group riding. Join using the Meetup App and searching for LSEMC
I am running a mental health project where members work on fixing motorcycles with the view to entering them in events such as the Malle Mile and beach races.
Great to meet, talk, work on bikes, and ride. A safe environment to chat about any mental or physical health issues.
We have a crowd funding page https://www.gofundme.com/f/help-fund-project-wacky-wheels-custom-build-motorbike/donate?source=btn_donate