Fast Bikes magazine March 2025 issue **20 PAGE FREE PREVIEW**

PROJECT CORNER

148BHP ON THE DIRT…

TAMING TRIUMPH’S TIGER 1200 IN WAISTHIGH MUD.

MA R ISS CH UE 202 425 5

KICKING OFF OUR NEW READER-FUELLED SECTION WITH A STUNNING RVF400 BUILD

FIRST RIDE LAST RID RIDE DE

HONDA HORNET

YAMAHA R1

FEISTY, FUN AND AFFORDABLE

ONE LAST BLAST ON AN ICON

MICHAEL RUTTER:

READY TO GO RETRO?

‘I’M NOT DONE YET’

CHECKING OUT TRIUMPH’S NEW SPEED TWIN 1200 RS

BABY BOOMER

CAGIVA’S SECRET SPORTS BIKE…

…AND HOW IT ENDED UP BEING ONE OF THE MOST ICONIC MACHINES OF THE LATE 1990S

PLUS

LADS ON TOUR: TWO MATES HIT THE ALPS AND GO SCRATCHING

No. 425 March 2025

DUCATI 749 BUYER’S GUIDE

ISSUE 425

60

70

THE KNOWLEDGE TESTS Stung by the Hornet ....................... 12

Priced affordably, styled respectably and packing a motor from the last iteration Fireblade, you can probably understand why Big Mac was so hung by the Hornet on its recent launch.

Ready to go retro? ..........................22 The retro seen is massive these days, and Triumph’s new additions of the Speed Twin 1200 and RS have only made it bigger. The question is, should we want one?

One last blast..................................30

Yamaha might have called time on the beloved R1, so when better to go for one last high-octane road and track ride on one?

BUY

MARCH 2025

GEAR

FASTBIKESMAG.COM

COLUMNISTS Christian Iddon ..............................96

New year, new team. Iddon’s got some exciting news for you.

FEATURES

Ducati 749 Buyer’s Guide ...............54 All you need to know about this much loved V-twin of old.

Taming Tigers..................................60

Timmy’s not afraid of getting his hands dirty, but how would he cope in Wales’s deepest puddles on a 148bhp Triumph Tiger 1200?

Cagiva’s secret sportsbike ............. 70 Ever wondered how MV Agusta’s F4 came about? Well, this is the inside story that few people know about.

Alternatively, scan the QR code on this page and order your next copy today. We will send it directly to you!

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30

WELCOME

Whatever next?

I

f you were to put a theme to this issue, it would be one which makes you question what happens next.

Arguably, we have a pretty solid idea of what new metal is coming our way in 2025, albeit there are still new models in the offing that we know of but can’t yet talk about.

Some new bikes are predictable, based on trends and the ethos of certain brands.

For instance, KTM has more than made a name for itself in the naked bike sector above all else, so it would beg to reason that it will continue to plough on down that route, doing what it does best in that sector. Yamaha has found a happy place in the last decade producing more affordable yet fulfilling motorcycles, such as the MT family and the more recent introductions of the R7 and new R9.

Triumph seems to have nailed the retro scene and does a pretty decent job of reading the landscape better than most, reacting accordingly only when it sees fit.

And as for Honda, well, Honda seems to have a slice of all the action, delivering quality options in the process. It’s actually a brand that never seems to surprise us, delivering new and exciting propositions such as the Hornet SP, just when you think that bikes like that simply aren’t on its radar. It keeps us guessing, as do the likes of Suzuki and Kawasaki… which is a good thing.

I’ve said it before, but manufacturers have a massively tough job of guessing what the likes of you want, from the spec to the performance figures, alongside factors like the quality of finish and engagement of pioneering designs or PROJECT CORNER

KICKING OFF OUR NEW READER-FUELLED SECTION WITH A STUNNING RVF400 BUILD

materials. Do you need a machine with a six-axis IMU? How important is separated launch and wheelie control? Is 200bhp enough, or do people want more? And perhaps most importantly, how affordable should a bike be? And so the list of unknowns goes on.

At the other end of the spectrum, they then have to ask themselves when to call time on a model, such as the R1, which features in this issue with a send-off test

by Big Mac. You can only imagine the internal turmoil based around knocking such a prestigious family of motorcycles on its head. More to the point, was it the right move to make… and will we ever see it back in production? Based on the reintroduction of Honda’s CBR600RR and Kawasaki’s ZX-6R, it could be argued that the R1 might reappear at some point in time, and perhaps also the likes of

Suzuki’s GSX-R1000. We can only hope, but, just like the manufacturers, we are also absent of a magic ball, so we simply don’t know – and we won’t know until such a bike arrives back in our lives.

A special feature in this issue is about Cagiva’s secret sportsbike, which some of you might know about, while for others, me included, the development and final end place of that project might prove something of a surprise. If this one example is anything to go by, it just hammers home that everything should be considered on the table, and that regardless of the trends of now, everything could change again quicker than we know it.

Enjoy the mag,

148BHP ON THE DIRT…

TAMING TRIUMPH’S TIGER 1200 IN WAISTHIGH MUD.

MA RC I SU H IS 02 025 E 4220 2 5 5

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MICHAEL RUTTER:

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‘I’M NOT DONE YET’

CHECKING OUT TRIUMPH’S NEW SPEED TWIN 1200 RS

BABY BOOMER

PLUS

LADS ON TOUR: TWO MATES HIT THE ALPS AND GO SCRATCHING

No. 425 March 2025

CAGIVA’S SECRET SPORTS BIKE…

…AND HOW IT ENDED UP BEING ONE OF THE MOST ICONIC MACHINES OF THE LATE 1990S

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DUCATI 749 BUYER’S GUIDE

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T… A TH F O IT B A D N A IS TH F O IT B A s has finally started e of new model announcement pac the r, yea new a of et ons the h Wit month. bag of greatness to talk about this ed mix a got ll sti ’ve we t bu , off l tai to

DUCATI PANIGALE V4 S TRICOLORE It’s a fine line between genius and insanity, and in this economy, a £48,000 special-edition superbike will seem like madness to many out there. But this trick variant of the worldconquering Panigale V4 is a really intriguing piece of design, with some unique chassis kit and a one-off asymmetrical paint job that echoes the Italian flag. Just 1000 bikes will be built, which sounds like a lot for a limited-edition model, but we reckon there’ll be a big queue of well-heeled fans ready to splash the cash.

Why? Well, the Tricolore comes with a couple of subtle yet key mods: lightweight five-spoke carbon fibre wheels, which save about a kilo over the already light forged aluminium rims on the stock V4S, and a new top-end brake set-up from Brembo. The front carbon wheel wears a pair of gigantic 338.5mm discs, the biggest you can get 8 MARCH 2025 WWW.FASTBIKESMAG.COM

on a 17in wheel in our world of Euclidean geometry. You’d need some sort of Tardis technology to get anything bigger on there.

Bigger discs mean there’s more leverage from the braking force applied by the calipers, increasing power, and the serving-plate-sized rotors are also extra thick at 6.2mm, with cooling fins, and Brembo’s T-Drive carrier set-up. The Brembo Front Brake Pro installation also includes a pair of the firm’s latest Hypure road-going superbike four-piston radial monobloc calipers, with a special titanium anodising finish, and it’s rounded off by an MCS 19.21 adjustable master cylinder. Brick-wall stopping looks to be assured, and together with sharper steering from the light carbon wheels, Ducati said these mods make a big difference to the bike’s track abilities. How many owners will be schlepping their £48k

Tricolore round a damp UK trackday at Brands Indy or Cadwell remains to be seen…

The rest of the chassis follows the same narrative as the base 2025 Panigale V4 – a new monocoque main frame design, with a dual-sided swingarm. It’s another nail in the old-school Ducati chassis ethos of steel tube trellises and single-sided swingarms, but while it loses those unique charms, it gets sharper handling and lower mass in return. A fair exchange for the trackday loons and racers, but those of a more romantic bent might bemoan the loss of ‘character’ that comes with computerengineered aluminium solutions across the board.

The engine is as seen on the base bike – perhaps with 216bhp in road trim we’ve finally – finally! – reached the point where we have

Keep an eye on our online channels – Facebook, Twitter, and the Fast Bikes website (www.fastbikesmag.com) – for news as it happens.

‘enough’ power on tap. The only mod is in the transmission, where Ducati has added a dry clutch unit, complete with track-friendly open carbon clutch cover. Ditto the electronics package: you get all the good stuff from the V4 S, including the Öhlins Smart EC 3.0 suspension, with semi-active control of the NPX-30 fork, TTX-36 rear shock and Öhlins steering damper. The massive new 6.9in colour dash gives access to the bleeding-edge rider aids and tech: cornering ABS and traction control slide control, wheelie control, launch control, engine brake control, power modes and the electronic suspension set-up, all adjusted with new switchgear. Cruise control, quickshifter, datalogging, phone link and lithium battery rounds off the electronics package nicely.

The last part of the Tricolore story is the fancy stuff, of which there is plenty. Carbon fibre front

and rear mudguards, chain guard, heel guards, swingarm cover, exhaust guard, alternator cover, clutch cover and brake air ducts save mass and look ace, while the usual numbered top yoke plaque is underlined by a special key and

one-off startup animation. You get a nice indoor cover, a box to put it all in, and the option to buy a matching customised leather jacket and helmet. Lovely stuff, and all available to order from your Ducati dealer now.

being addressed, and other benefits like light weight, big power, plus no clutch or gears to manage appealing to many. The Stark Varg MX bike has impressed some serious riders with

its 80bhp peak power output, and now the firm has launched a road-legal EX enduro version. There are still limits in terms of range, though the EX has a larger 7.2kW battery (the MX bike has 6kW/h). It’s also apparently able to be registered as an A1 learner-legal machine because its ‘continuous’ power output is within the 15bhp limits, though peak output is still claimed as 80bhp. What could go wrong there…

The Varg EX weighs just 120kg, has a claimed run time of up to six hours, charges in two hours, and has a two-year warranty. The chassis spec includes proper KYB fully-adjustable dirt suspension, steel tube frame and Brembo brakes. The price? A serious (but not-horrendous) £10,900. Available to order now at www.starkfuture. com for March 2025 deliveries.

STARK VARG EX

Convinced that there’s no scope for an electric performance bike? The off-road world begs to differ. The battery-powered dirtbike segment is growing, with the problems of range

MARCH 2025 WWW.FASTBIKESMAG.COM 9

PLANE T FAST BIKES – NEW METAL

, NEWS & REVIEW S

DUCATI MULTISTRADA V2

We raised an eyebrow when Ducati released the details of its next-generation V-twin motor a couple of months back. Okay, the purist in us appreciated the light weight and a reset of the mad power escalator for what is, after all, a middleweight powerplant. But dropping the desmodromic valves, like shelving the singlesided swingarms, lost a few cool engineering points (though saves on servicing costs).

The main concern though was the power output, especially when it comes to replacing the high-performance Superquadro motor in the Panigale and Streetfighter V2 models. The 890cc

engine makes 120bhp in its high-power tune, which is 35bhp down on the old Pani lump: a lot of ponies to make up for with lighter weight and sharper handling.

There’s no such concerns here: the 2025 Multistrada V2 also gets the new non-desmo V-twin engine, in a 115bhp tune, and that’s much closer (almost identical, in fact) to the old 937cc Testastretta 11-degree V-twin engine used in 2024. Indeed, the new lump seems like the ideal solution for those lower-output applications in the Multistrada, Hypermotard 950, Monster and DesertX (though we’ve not

seen new versions of the last three as yet).

A fresh engine isn’t all we get for 2025 on the Multi V2, though. It gets a new chassis, with a monocoque aluminium main frame and cast aluminium dual-sided swingarm. Those new parts, alongside the 54.9kg motor, makes this the lightest Multistrada ever – the base V2 is 199kg ready to ride without fuel, which is about 18kg lighter than before. The V2 S is a few kilos heavier, which is down to extra kit like the Ducati Skyhook electronic suspension set-up. That system uses Marzocchi suspension parts now with 45mm USD forks and rear monoshock, with similar mechanical units on the base bike.

There’s a 19in front wheel as befits the mild off-road pretentions of the Multistrada, with wire-spoked rims as a factory option, both wearing Pirelli Scorpion Trail II tyres in 120/70 19 front and 170/60 17 rear sizes. Standard Ducati 2025 roadbike-spec Brembo brakes round off the chassis spec: four-piston radial calipers up front with 320mm discs.

There’s a fairly standard 2025 Ducati roadbike electronics suite as well. It’s not as flash as the V4 rocketship, but the middleweight Multi has a proper six-axis IMU assisted ECU which controls the cornering ABS and traction control, wheelie control, and engine brake control, all accessed via the new 5in colour LCD dash and new switches. Quickshifter, cruise control, Ducati Multimedia phone link, cornering LED headlights and a full suite of rider and power modes rounds off the spec on the V2 S, with the V2 only missing out on the Multimedia system as standard. The V2S also has the electronic Skyhook suspension set-up, which is integrated into the riding settings, and also has a new minimum preload function, dropping the bike down at a standstill for easier loading and unloading.

A tempting proposition for some 2025 touring antics then, and all priced from £13,995 (V2) or £16,390 if you must have the electronic suspension (and the lovely green paint option) on the S.

TRIUMPH BOBBER TFC We’ll be honest, some of the limited-edition Triumphs in recent years have been a bit underwhelming. A chrome tank, some pin stripe paint lines and an Elvis paint job are all pleasant enough, but we generally like a bit more in a

10 MARCH 2025 WWW.FASTBIKESMAG.COM

special model. Like this – the new Bobber TFC (Triumph factory custom). It’s based on the top-selling Bonneville Bobber modern classic with its 1200 parallel twin engine and slick roadster chassis, but with some proper tasty

upgrades. Perhaps surprisingly, the mods primarily focus on the chassis, with quality suspension and braking parts. For your £17,195 (£4k over the base bike) you get some Öhlins premium road suspension front and rear, with fully-adjustable 43mm Öhlins NIX 30 upsidedown forks and a preload/rebound adjustable rear monoshock. High-end Brembo M50 four-piston radial mount monobloc calipers clamp onto dual 310mm discs up front, operated by a tasty MCS master cylinder.

The SOHC eight-valve liquid-cooled motor is unchanged and makes the same 77bhp, which is a little disappointing. But you do get an Akrapovic twin-silencer exhaust system to save some mass and add a sweeter tone. There’s carbon fibre bodywork, embroidered leather seat, gold details and unique two-tone paint – and the TFC Bobber is also a hefty 14kg lighter than the stock bike, which is a neat trick.

Keep an eye on our online channels – Facebook, Twitter, and the Fast Bikes website (www.fastbikesmag.com) – for news as it happens.

KTM ROUND-UP…

As we went to press before Christmas, it had become clear that the financial situation at KTM’s parent firm Pierer Mobility (which also owns GASGAS, Husqvarna and MV Agusta) was turning critical. Rumours of problems had been circulating since the summer when the firm’s share price began to fall, a situation initially put down to the collapse in the e-bike and bicycle sector post-Covid. Pierer had made several big investments in pedal power and the downturn in that sector hit it hard.

But at the end of November last year, Stefan Pierer himself announced that the firm was entering into voluntary administration. “KTM, which has grown from 160 employees and a production volume of 6000 units in 1992 to a capacity of up to 1000 motorcycles per day, is now facing significant hurdles,” he said. “To

address these, KTM will initiate a legal restructuring proceeding with self- administration.

The application will be submitted on Friday, November 29, with the goal of concluding the process within 90 days.”

Further announcements from the firm spoke about a ‘high three-digit million’ figure as the debt in Euros – in other words, in the many hundreds of millions, up towards a billion. That news came after the firm had already announced an operating loss of more than €100 million for 2024, and some reports talk of a €1.7 billion debt.

The administration process gives the firm time to try and find a way out of its problems through refinancing and restructuring. In the short term, there have been various stories – official and unofficial – regarding the end of the firm’s MotoGP, Moto2 and Moto3 projects (apparently safe for 2025 but not 2026), the sacking of celebrity race test rider Jeremy McWilliams, and factory staff in Austria not being paid. One story which seems to be fairly solid is that Pierer is selling off its 51% share of MV Agusta, the Varese firm it took over only in May last year.

There’s no shortage of possible saviours in the wings: Pierer has strong relationships with Bajaj of India and Chinese firm CFMoto,

both of which have deep pockets.

Closer to home, rumours were circulating over Christmas about Red Bull stepping in to help its fellow Austrian firm. And the probably more likely but less exciting option of a rescue package and refinancing deal from a variety of European banks and financial institutions is a possibility.

Current creditors have apparently been offered a 30% settlement on the money they are owed as part of an initial restructuring arrangement, but it’s a massively fluid situation as we go to press in mid-January.

For the moment though, Pierer is looking to keep customers on side, promising that day-to-day operations like parts supply and the dealer network will continue as usual. In a statement in late December, the firm said: “KTM guarantees the continuation of motorcycles being delivered through our authorised KTM dealer network. The same goes for our spare parts, technical accessories, customer service support and warranties which remain unchanged, ensuring ongoing and unwavering support throughout this period.”

Fast Bikes has spoken off the record to staff at KTM UK, who say they’re working as normal, getting the new 2025 bikes in for market, and don’t expect anything to change very much until after the end of the administration period in early March. Fingers crossed for the folks in the orange team shirts.

MARCH 2025 WWW.FASTBIKESMAG.COM 11

LAUNCH

STUNG BY THE

HORNET

Honda’s Hornet family has a long and varied history of hits and misses. The question was, which category would the all-new, super affordable Blade powered version fall into?

There was only one way to find out…

WORDS: BIG MAC

12 MARCH 2025 WWW.FASTBIKESMAG.COM

PICS: HONDA

HONDA CB1000 HORNET

W

ith the big-ticket Supernaked class well and truly occupied by 200bhp fully-loaded KTMs Ducatis, Kawasakis and Aprilias, the trend towards more affordable, simpler naked bikes with enough power to entertain is in full swing. Yamaha, Triumph, Ducati, BMW and Kawasaki have been right in the thick of the action, and while Honda has had the CB1000 in its range, it’s never really ticked the ‘exciting’ box, but now it’s only gone and given the CB1000 a Hornet badge, which should mean a whole different proposition.

The 2025 CB1000 Hornet, just like the Hornet 900, gets its engine from a discontinued Fireblade, but this time not from one that’s already outdated. This one comes from the 2017-2019 Fireblade, which has been slightly detuned to 154bhp in the SP version and 148bhp in the base version.

Both figures are bang on the money for where Honda is pitching this bike: £9999 for the SP and £8999 for the base.

Industry rumours suggest that Honda originally wanted to use the 2008 Fireblade engine as per the CB1000, but feedback from European dealers was lukewarm to say the least. Honda listened and turned to

the next-generation Fireblade engine from the 2017 bike, hence the big delay between when the Hornet was first mooted and it actually appearing. That engine had quite modest power figures by superbike standards at the time, but at 189bhp it’s comfortably in the ballpark for an affordable naked bike in 2025, especially when getting it from its Euro 4 spec to today’s Euro 5+ spec would conveniently just happen to take it down to the 154bhp quoted for the Hornet, which is plenty.

This was done courtesy of narrower throttle bodies, lower cam lift and conservative cam timing with a tweak to the ignition timing, a new ride-by-wire set-up too, plus clipping 2000rpm off the revs; it’s all helped the Fireblade engine make the jump in terms of emissions and therefore fit for modern-day purposes quite straightforward, while also landing on just the right amount of power and torque. Other key changes to the engine include cast pistons instead of forged ones to keep the cost down, shorter gear ratios from first to fourth, and an up and down quickshifter which curiously has adjustable cut time for both upshifts and down shifts separately, which I think might be a first on any production bike.

MARCH 2025 WWW.FASTBIKESMAG.COM 13

LAUNCH

Pick a colour, any colour... as long as it’s one of these.

AT 212KG FULLY FUELLED, THE HORNET IS THE SAME AS THE MT-10 BUT FEELS MORE LIKE A STREET TRIPLE AT LOW SPEED. Both bikes get an all-new steel twin beam frame, which is bespoke for the Hornet and has pretty aggressive geometry. In case there was any doubt as to what the intention is with the Hornets chassis, its rake and trail is the same as a Triumph Street Triple 765RS and its wheelbase is 21mm shorter than the KTM 990 Duke, and it has a 180-section rear tyre – the same as a Yamaha MT-09. There are key differences between the SP and the base model in addition to getting the extra power: the SP also gets Brembo Stylema brake calipers instead of Nissins, and an Öhlins TTX36 rear shock over the base spec which gets Showa kit that only has adjustment for preload in the rear shock.

Then there’s the price, which at less than £10k for a bike with Öhlins suspension, Brembo Stylema brakes and more than 150bhp is simply amazing for the SP, and just under £9000 for the base bike causes a real headache for the competition. For reference, a Yamaha MT-10 comes in at £14,000, the Öhlins-shod version is £16,000 – granted, it has a little bit more power, a lot

14 MARCH 2025 WWW.FASTBIKESMAG.COM

more tech, and the Öhlins is electronic. The 2025 Ducati Streetfighter V2S with Öhlins and Stylemas is £16,000; the Suzuki GSX-S1000, which has no bling whatsoever and about the same power and is therefore comparable to the base Hornet, is £12,000 – £3000 more! The 2025 Kawasaki Z900 has no price released at the time of writing, but the previous SE model – which has the bling but not quite as much power as the Hornet – is/ was just over £11,000.

This could be Honda’s finest hour and on paper could be the worthiest Honda since 1969 to wear the CB badge, let alone the Hornet badge. If there’s one thing that history tells us about Honda, it is that when it decides to go big and go hard, it has a habit of doing so with such success that it makes everyone else look a bit daft. I’m thinking RC30, Fireblade, NR750, RCV213V-S, VFR750 and, yes, the CB750 are just some examples of when Honda goes big.

It’s been a while – to put it mildly – since Honda has produced a game changer, and with the Hornet’s spec sheet promising a

colossal amount for the price, I spent a good deal of time on the journey to the press launch wondering what the catch was. Then we arrived at Benidorm…

Who knew that Benidorm and Honda could deliver such unexpected surprises? In the case of Benidorm, if you head into the surrounding hills instead of the seafront, not only will you be rewarded with better views, but you will also find the most spectacular riding roads, the likes of which I can honestly say, hand on heart, are among the very best I’ve ever ridden on anywhere in the world. Billiard table-smooth, virtually traffic-free, and mostly second and third gear corners linked by straight bits of tarmac rarely more than a few hundred metres long for the whole 150km we spent riding. It was motorcycling nirvana.

As for the Honda, the first thing, and I mean the very first thing, you notice about the Hornet, before you even get out of the car park of the hotel is just how light it feels at very low speed, far lighter than a 212kg bike has any right to feel. At 212kg fully fuelled, the Hornet is the same as the MT-10

HONDA CB1000 HORNET

but feels more like a Street Triple at low speed. In an instant, it became obvious that the Hornet is not like any Honda that’s been made for a long time.

When you put a Fireblade into gear and pull away, you instantly know that you’re on something very serious and very capable, and the message is clear: “You had better have brought your A-game.” The message that the Hornet screams loud and clear is: “You and me are going to have a lot of fun today,” which, coming from a Honda, is a bit like a librarian egging you on to do shots of absinth with them – it’s

THEN THERE’S THE PRICE, WHICH AT LESS THAN £10K FOR A BIKE WITH ÖHLINS SUSPENSION, BREMBO STYLEMA BRAKES AND MORE THAN 150BHP IS SIMPLY AMAZING FOR THE SP.

just not the sort of messaging you’re used to getting from a Honda. And boy oh boy, the Hornet absolutely delivers on its promise and first impression.

Once you get dialled in to the Hornet’s outrageous agility and instant playfulness, more good stuff keeps jumping out at you, with the next star of the show being the engine. It’s simply brilliant. The combination of the delivery of power and torque with the shorter gears means that it punches hard at low RPM but doesn’t tail off as the revs climb. The result is an engine that is incredibly flexible because you can hang onto lower gears between corners and rev it hard or, if you prefer, you can short shift and cover the ground just as quickly.

Leaving it in a lower gear and using the upper third of the rev range is not normally something I’d do for long periods on the road because, typically, the higher up the revs, the more sensitive the throttle becomes, which can be tricky, but the way Honda has set up the fuel injection is so good that even at those high revs, the throttle feels really smooth and easy to control the off/on transition. It never even occurred to me to try any of the other rider modes – the Hornet comes with rain, standard and sport, plus a

The Hornet’s so much more than a parts bin special.

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couple of programable user modes – which is something you’d usually do in the search for a smoother throttle.

I did, however, use one of the user modes to have the traction control switched off in, but alas unlike pretty much every other bike manufacturer, every time you switch the Hornet off, the traction control is reinstated even in the programable user mode. This means you must access the settings for the mode and switch the traction control off every time you come back to the bike, which earns the Hornet one of very few small marks against it.

Switching the traction control off is something really worth doing for several reasons, not least because there’s plenty of grip from the Bridgestone S22s, but also in the event of a wheelie happening, the system doesn’t have an IMU to measure what’s going on with the actual position of the bike’s chassis. Instead, it uses the same basic set of the very early traction control systems by measuring front and rear wheel speeds, so

you initially get lots of lift, then a sudden cut in power that only restores when the wheel is back on the ground, and you’ve completely shut the throttle. It’s really not great, and it’s far better to just have it switched off. With an IMU, the process would be much smoother, and it would even be possible to separate traction control from anti-wheelie.

On one hand, I could say that the lack of IMU and/or the ability to permanently switch the traction control off via a programable user mode is understandable when you look at the price of the Hornet, and it is. On reflection, it occurs to me that Honda could probably do those two things really easily and it would probably only add a few hundred quid to the price of each bike given that the technology is already on other models in the range. Anyway, it is what it is: a basic set of rider aids which execute their tasks in a basic way, and it takes about five seconds to deactivate the traction control, so in the grand scheme of things, it’s no big deal

– especially when the rest of the bike is so brilliant. A BMW-style ‘fun’ button on the switchgear that you can press and hold to switch the traction control off without having to navigate through menus would be perfect.

One piece of tech on the Hornet that I really did like when I eventually found it (the interface with all the tech is not especially intuitive) is the ability to adjust the quickshifter’s cut time independently for up shifts and down shifts. It’s very clever, and as it turns out, very useful, and it definitely falls under the heading of things you never knew would be handy until you actually had the chance to use it. There’s a selection of screen layouts that you can choose from for the new 5in colour TFT, all of which are very good – manufacturers usually offer just one or two decent ones and a load of options that are just there for the sake of it and so the manufacturer can claim a big number of options. Not so on the Hornet – there’s just a handful, but they’re all spot-on.

THE LEVELS OF COMPOSURE THAT THE HORNET DELIVERS AT THE SAME TIME AS ITS AGILITY IS ANOTHER TRAIT THAT COMES ONLY FROM A COMBINATION OF JUST THE RIGHT AMOUNT OF WEIGHT IN JUST THE RIGHT PLACE, SUPPORTED BY SUSPENSION THAT’S SET UP JUST SO, AND GEOMETRY THAT HOLDS IT ALL TOGETHER.

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HONDA CB1000 HORNET

Back on the road, and the levels of composure that the Hornet delivers at the same time as its agility is another trait that only comes from a combination of just the right amount of weight in just the right place, supported by suspension that’s set up just so, and geometry that holds it all together. It’s the hallmark of a bike that has been thoroughly tested and developed right down to component level. The suspension has been developed bespoke for the Hornet, and the result of all of that is that the Hornet has a feel and level of composure in all scenarios, whether it be loading up under high cornering forces and changes of direction or brushing off bumps with a level of control and damping that makes many bikes twice the Hornet’s price feel cheap and lacking in suspension control.

While the Hornet does ride and feel like something far more expensive, there are little clues that suggest how Honda has managed to produce the bike for what it has. While the

brake system has Brembo Stylema calipers, there is a lack of feel at the lever, which could be down to either a cheaper master cylinder or, more likely, a basic ABS pumping system is what I’d put my money on. It’s okay, and I’m not mentioning it as a criticism of the bike or its braking system; it’s really just a point to note. Elsewhere, some of the components such as the levers, rearsets, and some of the welding on the exhaust are from the lower end of the quality scale, but by no means cheap.

As a rule of thumb, I avoid the subjective topic of whether a bike looks good or not – that’s up to you. However, what I do want to commit to print is that for a company that’s been producing very safe/conservative/ boring looking bikes, the Hornet is a breath of fresh air. It’s edgy, distinct, unashamedly Japanese, and even parked up on its

sidestand it looks like it means business, which is very unlike Honda to be so in your face. There’s been a few comments on the colour of the SP being a bit boring, but in the flesh it looks great, and the gold wheels really do work with the gunmetal grey paint.

It’s also nice to see a total lack of wings or any effort whatsoever towards the subject of aerodynamics.

Big Mac wasn’t holding back on the Hornet.

The SP’s a hard bike to knock for looks, performance or value. Johnny, on the other hand...

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ELECTRONICS

CHASSIS

Basic selection and basic execution, difficult to navigate to and through, but the TFT screen is pure class. Really needs a BMW-style ‘fun’ button on the switchgear to easily disable the traction control.

Bespoke for the Hornet, narrow at the middle, wide where it needs to be, it plays a huge part of the Hornet’s trump cards of agility and ease of use. It has the same steering geometry as a Triumph Street Triple 765, a 20mm shorter wheelbase than a KTM Duke 990, and a 180-section rear tyre just like a Yamaha MT-09. Its centre of gravity feels like it’s in exactly the right place, and the weight distribution is 51% on the front to continue the aggressive layout.

DESIGN/STYLE

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, but there’s no denying that the Hornets design and style is bold by any standard, especially Honda.

ENGINE

The 2017 Fireblade engine is dusted off and updated for Euro 5+ emissions by getting softer cams with lower lifts, narrower throttle bodies, and loosing 2000rpm. It also gets cast pistons instead of forged ones, partially due to not needing forged ones with the power output down from the Fireblade’s 189bhp to the Hornet’s 155bhp, and partially to keep costs down to hit the aggressive price. It’s an engaging engine with plenty going on in the midrange, gets very spicy at the top end, and it sounds properly angry too

GEARBOX

First through to fourth gear are all shorter than the Fireblade, which only adds to the urgency and ease of use of the bike depending on how much you open the throttle. Small amounts for pootling and the shorter ratios makes it easy to manoeuvre without the need for loads of revs and clutch slipping. Open the throttle wide and the shorter ratios means the Hornet accelerates pretty much as hard as you want, or it will wheelie all day long to your heart’s content.

EXTRA POWER

SP gets a 6bhp boost over the base model courtesy of a flap in the exhaust which allows Honda to write different fuel and ignition maps. This is why bolting the exhaust of an SP onto the base model won’t make a blind bit of difference; you need the maps/ECU too.

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HONDA CB1000 HORNET

TECH DATA

SUSPENSION

Öhlins TTX36 shock in the rear was developed and spec’d bespoke for the Hornet. Front forks are Showa big piston jobs that are fully adjustable. I didn’t adjust anything all day.

Honda CB1000 Hornet SP ENGINE:

Type: Bore x stroke: Compression: Fuelling: Claimed power: Claimed torque:

1000cc, liquid-cooled, 4-cyl 76mm x 55.1mm 11.7:1 PGM FI 155bhp @11,000rpm 107Nm @ 9000rpm

CHASSIS

Frame: F suspension:

R suspension: Front brakes: Rear brake:

Twin spar steel Showa 41mm SFF-BPP upside-down forks, fully adjustable Öhlins TTX36 Monoshock, fully adjustable Brembo Stylema monobloc callipers Single-piston caliper, 245mm disc

ELECTRONICS.

Riding modes: Traction control: ABS: Quickshifter/autoblipper: Wheelie control: Launch control:

Yes Yes Yes Yes No No

DIMENSIONS:

Wheelbase: Seat height: Wet weight: Fuel capacity:

1455mm 809mm 212kg 17 litres

INFO:

Price: From:

£9999 www.honda.co.uk

BRAKES

Brembo Stylema callipers add a touch of bling to the SP and deliver big on power. We didn’t ride the base model so can’t comment if they are significantly more powerful than the Nissin callipers on the base model, but history tells us that they probably are. The system does lack ultimate feel, but that could be due to a basic ABS plumbing and pumping system.

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So, the Hornet is properly fast, handles like a dream, has a decent level of finish, looks the part, sounds the part, and costs a snip of what its competition does. What’s the catch? Well, if there is one, I can’t find it, and I really, really looked. It is an undeniable fact that I laughed my head off more in 150km on the Hornet than I have done on any Honda, probably any motorbike, for a very long time.

At its core is a bike that is fun, and it’s fun because it’s so easy to get on with. A total novice could easily enjoy the Hornet every bit as much as a seasoned hack like me, and all these things are qualities which have nothing to do with the price whatsoever, but we must talk about the price, almost reluctantly because there’s a risk that the Hornet becomes defined by its price tag, which while it absolutely deserves to be, seems a little unfair, because it is a properly brilliant bike regardless.

Thanks to its ludicrous price, whichever corner of the motorcycling world you look at for a comparison to the Hornet 1000, the answer always seems to be the same – there isn’t one. There really isn’t a bike, naked or otherwise, that offers so much for so little, and that puts me into uncomfortable territory when it comes to committing profound words to print for fear of overstating just how significant a bike the Hornet 1000 is. I’ve wracked my brains to think of any bike that comes even close to the same postcode as the Hornet for value AND ability, and I’ve got nothing.

I really do think the Hornet 1000 is going to provide a complete reset to certainly the whole naked bike sector in the same way that the Fireblade did to the superbike sector back in 1992. Every other manufacturer of naked bikes now has a serious headache to deal with, because unless you really don’t like the looks or colour scheme, there is literally no reason to not buy the Hornet 1000… apart from the fact that Honda UK may well sell out of them – it’s only bringing

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1000 into the UK in 2025, and my guess is they’ll all be sold before they even arrive.

The Hornet not only has the potential to reset the new naked bike sector, but because it represents such astonishing value for money, I think it also has potential to cause a problem in the used bike market. Dealers are going to have to reassess the value of many of their used bike stock too – or sit tight until the Hornet sells out.

So, there it is. I really didn’t see that coming. By pure chance, this was my first ever Honda press launch after 17 years of writing for magazines, and I’ll be perfectly honest, never in my wildest dreams did I imagine it would be so significant. I will confess to expecting another decent, useable naked bike, and we would all be able to celebrate the expansion of the sector. I did not expect to be writing about a generational game changer, but that is exactly what I’ve ended up doing.

Just wow!