Words: Bill Hunter.
Hyper-Naked motorcycles, love them or hate them, they’re here to stay, which is wonderful news to any hard-core performance rider. A fully exposed tooth-clenching contraption that widens your eyes more than falling into a bath full of liquid cocaine could be the attraction, well maybe that’s a bit theatrical.
However, if you happen to own any of these 180 to well over 200hp projectiles you’ll understand where I’m coming from? Not only do they provide the sense of being fired from a cannon they’re also absolutely riddled with an unnecessary barrage of electronic gadgetry. Let’s be honest here, most owners never venture into this confusing array of racetrack-derived additions, right. But the down side is the stratospheric cost of these motorcycles, some tickling the million Rand cap, ridiculous I’d say.
Anyway, Honda, being Honda, saw through this expensive electronic veil and decided to offer what is a Hyper-Naked for sure, with less of the complicated wiring, great idea. Not to mention it’s a much more cost effective option, more of that later. So give a standing ovation to the all-new CB 1000SP Hornet, yippee. Honda SA chose to only import the SP Hornet variant over the stock option, well done for that we say.
So what’s different to the previous 2024 CB 1000 Hornet then, you may ask? Well everything from the ground up, we reply. The engine is poached from their 2017 CBR 1000RR Fireblade with predictable changes for more torque, more mid range, less top end, blah, blah. Still, you get a healthy 155hp@11,000rpm and 107Nm@9,000rpm of the torquey stuff. More than enough to entertain and send it north of the 250km/h mark. The only difference between the ‘basic’ 2025 Hornet is the addition of this delightful Revolutionary Controlled (RC) exhaust with some sort of fancy electronically controlled valve inside that opens after 5,700rpm, adding 5hp and 2Nm in the process. The bike we had also has an eye-catching SC Project silencer fitted, which in turn expels a stunning sound track from the new system with deep, throaty, and head turning audible glee. Combine this with the new air box induction growl and you’ll soon realise you’re riding something rather special.
And it most certainly is when you check out the top quality components festooned throughout the bike. A gold Ohlins TTX36 sits proudly at the rear with an external hydraulic knob (no giggling please), to change preload, which also has full compression and rebound facilitation. Up front are top-end Showa 41mm SFF-BB forks offering the same set up options as the Ohlins rear shock. You’ll also notice high-end Brembo, four-piston, Stylema calipers (same as found on their Fireblade). I’m quite pleased that Honda chose to use gold Showa forks and Desert Gold wheels to break up the black paintwork, called Matt Ballistic Black Metallic, which does highlight these posh bits. I think I’d prefer a full on HRC paint scheme though (white, red, blue, etc) but that’s just me, however it does look very imposing and moody and stands out from the ‘others’.
The new CB 1000SP Hornet isn’t just about slapping on these conversation pieces though because the new twin-tube frame is a massive 70% stiffer than the previous Hornet, adding to performance levels, and then some, of their new bike. Interestingly Honda say that their new hollow engine bolts add a little more flex to the chassis when pushed hard. It does raise the question of what kind of rider does Honda use who can detect if these hollow bolts DO indeed offer more flex, just a thought?
To keep the cost down of their new muscle bike Honda has chosen to emit some of those expensive electronics, and I couldn’t agree more because most of them on this type of bike are just not needed. There’s no cruise control (I hardly ever use it anyway), no cornering ABS (I don’t think I’ve ever felt that in action on any bike), and because of this there’s no need for the expensive six-axis IMU, found on their Fireblade for example. There are many things to fiddle with though, like three rider modes (Sport, Street, Rain), and two User modes for personal choices. Three power modes (P), or throttle response levels, three engine brake modes (EB), not sure why you need those, and four levels of HSTC, which I think is a form of traction control, including wheelie control. You can also select OFF for most of these, which I always did, but annoyingly they return to default settings every time you turn the bike off. Anyway, that’s still a lot of material to play with, if that’s your thing.
What is most certainly superb to ‘play’ with is when you ride the CB 1000SP Hornet. With a (wet) weight of 212kg, which includes the 17-litre tank being full to the brim, it’s remarkably easy to throw around, even though the broad shoulder stance might not at first belie that. Honda’s new chassis makes this stimulating agility possible and that terrific Ohlins rear shock is one of the best I’ve ever come across on any Hyper-Naked, which includes ‘those’ costing more than twice the price of the SP Hornet. I did find the forks a bit harsh for my liking but a few minutes with a screwdriver will easily cure that. As for those powerful Brembo Stylema brakes – well, you’ll never need more, say no more.
You will definitely appreciate the Brembo bits when one ventures towards race mode on the street with wheelies just a twist away, and the addictive forceful acceleration away from lights will quickly get illegal numbers portrayed upon the TFT. As you slip through the six gears, with revised ratios for the road, you’ll soon forget how near perfect the bi-directional quickshifter is as well, again one of the best out there.
It is quite comfortable in a naked bike kind of way and encourages a hint of madness as you lean onto the tapered ’bars. While you’re in place you’ll be staring at the 5-inch TFT display, the same one found on Honda’s Transalp. I did say some of the letters and numbers are a bit too small when I rode the Transalp and I still feel the same about the Hornet, or is it my aging eyes, you decide? You can choose from three display options though, which might help. I didn’t really get into the display modes because I rather chose to ride the CB 1000SP Hornet as it should be ridden, on the wild side. Honda says it has more mid-range, but that’s hard to detect without riding the previous model, instead ALL of the excitement is above 8,000rpm, if you’re man/woman enough to keep it up there. I sincerely doubt you’ll need more for road lunacy, but some twat will soon have a turbo slapped onto it, right?
Now onto the anticipated price, all of this top-end equipment wrapped in enviable Honda build quality for a mere R265,000 is an absolute bargain in this hyper-expensive, hyper-naked, cluttered market, don’t ya think? Not only is Honda’s CB 1000SP Hornet the best Hornet they’ve ever produced, but also in my mind, it’s currently the best bike Honda make right now. Oh yes, More for Less, couldn’t be more apt.
Images: Sudoku and Murphy van Driver.
Go to www.honda.co.za to book a highly recommended test ride today, and for more technical information, and to view their 2026 range of motorcycles.
01/28/2026
