Motorcycles are impractical. You could try to ride one in winter, but you probably won’t want to do it more than a few times. There is also the draw of the biggest, baddest motorcycles – if you’re going to get something because it is quick, then why not get the quickest? However, if seat time is something you value, you’ll want a practical motorcycle.
With motorcycles being as advanced as they are today, they are pretty good at a number of things. Sport bikes are getting less aggressive, while naked bikes are suddenly sprouting aerodynamic additions like wings, so it isn’t a surprise to discover that a motorcycle can be quick as well as practical. A lot of these motorcycles are popular, but even more fly under the radar. Here is one of them: this is the practical performance bike everyone sleeps on.
The Honda CB750 Hornet Is The Practical Performance Bike Everyone Sleeps On
The Hornet is Honda’s practical naked range. There are a few different displacements available, with the CB1000 Hornet grabbing headlines simply because of its value, especially the suspension it offers at the price. The CB750 is the middleweight. It doesn’t have the headlining features of the liter Hornet, but it definitely is worth a second look.
Honda CB750 Hornet Price: $7,999
The CB750 Hornet is priced at just under $8,000, which puts it at the budget end of the spectrum. In fact, none of the known middleweight bikes have a price as low as the Hornet’s, which is surprising considering Honda usually is the one that demands a premium over the Asian competition. Honda has done this consciously, since it has another middleweight naked in the CB650R E-Clutch at the premium end of the segment. Thus, there are two products from the same manufacturer bookending the segment, which is an interesting strategy.
Sprightly Parallel Twin Power
The CB750 Hornet uses a short-stroke 270-degree parallel twin that it shares with the XL750 Transalp. This engine uses a Unicam SOHC head that takes up less space, making it more compact. Power and torque stand at 90 horsepower for the European version and 55 pound-feet. As always, US figures are missing.
That means you get ride modes and three levels of traction control. There is wheelie control as well, but it is integrated with the traction control and cannot be adjusted independently. The CB750 Hornet has a six-speed manual gearbox with a slip and assist clutch and two-way quickshifter as a standard feature. This is the same as the Transalp once again – and a chain sends power to the rear wheel.
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Diamond Frame, Judicious Electronics
The CB750 Hornet has a steel diamond chassis, utilizing the engine as a stressed member. The suspension is provided by Showa, with a 41 mm SFF-BP inverted front fork and a Pro-link monoshock at the rear. There is only a preload adjustment at the rear, and travel is 4.7 inches at the front and 5.1 inches at the rear. Twin 296 mm petal brake discs are gripped by radial four-piston calipers at the front, and a single 240 mm disc with a single piston caliper.
ABS is standard, and can be switched off at the rear. 17-inch alloy rims are shod with tubeless tires; the rear is a slightly narrower-than-usual 160 mm wide. Again, there is no six-axis IMU, so there aren’t any cornering functions here for the ABS. The CB750 Hornet is the same size as most of its competition, with a 55.9-inch wheelbase and 31.3-inch seat height. This is a pretty light motorcycle as well, with a 422-pound wet weight. That is even after its fairly large 4-gallon fuel tank.
Enough Features, But Not Segment Leading
Honda has given the CB750 Hornet a selection of features with an eye on giving it a good price. It isn’t poverty spec, but there is enough to keep the owner happy. There is a 5-inch TFT display that is common to a lot of Honda models. This offers Bluetooth connectivity and navigation. There is all-LED lighting as well.
The accessories list has heated grips, luggage (including panniers, tank bag, and a tail bag), a tinted fly screen, a rear seat cowl, a custom rider seat, tank pads, and more aggressive rider footpegs.
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Honda CB750 Hornet Competition
Honda has made a conscious choice to target the budget end of the segment with the CB750 Hornet. As a result, it does not have a lot of features, but it is also the most affordable. The Kawasaki Z900 ($9,999), Honda CB650R E-Clutch ($9,399), and Suzuki GSX-8S ($9,249) are all well clear of the Hornet’s price, although they justify it with more displacement, power, and features. Surprisingly, the CFMoto 800NK ($8,699) is also not a value buy if low price is your priority, but it certainly has the performance to back it up.
The Triumph Trident 660 ($8,595) makes a good case for itself, and it certainly brings a unique flavor to the table with its inline triple engine. It also has a six-axis IMU, which gives it a better safety net than the Hornet. It falls a little short on the instrumentation, with the circular pod with the negative LCD at the top and the small TFT section at the bottom. It does display the same information as the Honda, but simply isn’t as legible as the Japanese bike because of its size and layout.
We’ll have to look to Japan for the CB750 Hornet’s competition: the Yamaha MT-07 recently got an update that gives it pretty much exactly the same feature set as the Honda. It is notable that the Honda has nearly 20 more horsepower than the Yamaha. The Yam is nearly 20 pounds lighter, but that is still a substantial power deficit for the blue bike.
Honda CB750 Hornet Vs Yamaha MT-07
|
Model |
Honda CB750 Hornet |
Yamaha MT-07 |
|
Price |
$7,999 |
$8,599 |
|
Displacement |
755 cc |
689 cc |
|
Power |
83 HP |
74 HP @ 8,750 RPM |
|
Torque |
55.31 LB-FT @ 7,250 RPM |
49.4 LB-FT @ 6,500 RPM |
|
Curb Weight |
422 LBs (wet) |
403 LBs (wet) |
Source: Honda Powersports