At $19,632 Honda’s Hornet SP might just represent the best two-wheeled buying of all time. Snaggy checks it out….
What we like:
– Premium Öhlins and Brembo gear
– That price. Bloody hell, that price
– Fireblade engine
Room for improvement:
– Non-lean-sensitive ABS
– Single colour option only
– Could use cruise control
Let’s start with a little recent history. There can be no doubt that Honda has been a touch cautious since the turn of the century.
The global financial crisis sent manufacturers of all colours ducking for fiscal cover and, just as things were back on the up, good old Mister Covid kicked the bike market squarely in the plums. Honda became conservative. Prices were held steady, safe, serviceable motorcycles were the order from the Kumamoto factory.
Well, if the Hornet SP is any indication, the BIG H has thrown down the gauntlet, torn off the slippers and donned the boxing gloves here. Both on hefty upward spec and incredibly, price.
At $19,632 ride-away, it’s the clear standout in the price department while carrying the sort of kit that should have it mixing it with bikes costing ten grand more.
What we have here is the 999cc inline four from the 2017 CBR1000RR Fireblade. It’s been detuned a smidge to 115.6kW at 11,000rpm and 107Nm at 9000rpm. Big naked numbers there.
And, it works. The thing pulls hard from pretty much anywhere in the rev range, and the top end is impressive. Although, I didn’t get to really evaluate those far reaches. Licence and stuff, you know how it is. Take it from me that you ain’t gonna need more.
The now ubiquitous combination of a six-speed box and slipper clutch does the business, and there’s a two-way quick-shifter as standard.
Now, this is the stuff that will grab buyers, right here. You see, the Hornet SP gets fully-adjustable 41mm Showa USD forks up front, which is lovely gear, but the real hero of the spec sheet is the rear Öhlins TTX36 shock. Fully adjustable. On a bike under twenty grand ride-away. Let me repeat that for those in the cheap seats: Öhlins. On a sub-twenty-grand Honda.
It’s matched to a new one-piece steel twin-spar frame that’s been designed specifically for this bike, not borrowed from something else, the swingarm is a dual-sided aluminium affair, and the whole shooting match weighs in at 212kg wet.
Brembo Stylema four-piston radial calipers on 310mm discs offer everything you will need to rein in that grunt. The brakes are brilliant – powerful, progressive, and confidence-inspiring. There’s a Nissin single-piston caliper on a 240mm disc at the back doing the rear brake duties.
Now, here’s the little letdown. The ABS is two-channel but not lean-sensitive. In this day and age, on a bike with this sort of spec, that’s a bit of an oversight.
There are three default riding modes – Standard, Sport, and Rain – plus two customisable ‘user’ modes. There’s Honda’s Selectable Torque Control with four levels plus off, and it’s got integrated wheelie control.
The 5.0-inch colour TFT screen is sharp and clear, with Honda RoadSync smartphone connectivity if you’re into that sort of thing.
The riding position is spot-on for a naked bike – upright enough for comfort, aggressive enough to feel sporty. The seat height of 809mm is pretty friendly.
That Öhlins rear shock is the business. It soaks up the dog’s breakfast that passes for road surfaces in Australia while still being firm enough to offer confidence when you’re pushing on. The Showa forks do their bit up front, and the whole package feels cohesive and well-sorted.
The engine is a peach. Look, it’s out of a Blade. That’s enough said, right there. There’s enough torque down low for urban duties but get it singing up near redline and it rewards you with the sort of rush that rearranges your eyebrows.
Handling is sharp without being nervous, the front offering neat feedback and stability. It’s steep but not too flighty and mono nuts will love it. I’m shite at monos so I’ll never know, but it feels sporty. The thing tends to summon the point-to-point racer in me. – which is exactly what a good naked bike should encourage.
Fuel capacity is 17 litres, which means you’ll be visiting the servo more often than you’d like on longer rides. But this is a naked streetfighter, not a sports tourer, so that’s adequate.
Now, that price. At $19,632 ride-away, the Hornet SP undercuts most of its competition while offering kit that should embarrass bikes costing more.
The Yamaha MT-09 SP is $21,349, while the Suzuki GSX-S1000 at $18,590 is cheaper but doesn’t have the fancy bits. And the Europeans? Well, the BMW S 1000 R at $25,155 and the Triumph Speed Triple 1200 RS at $31,490 are playing in a different financial league altogether.
Too good to be true you reckon? Well, it’s good, but nothing is perfect. The non-lean-sensitive ABS is a miss, there’s no cruise control, and you get one colour choice.
So… Honda has taken a proper Fireblade engine, wrapped it in a sharp-looking package, bolted on premium Öhlins and Brembo kit, and served it up for under twenty grand ride-away. That’s not just competitive, that’s having a crack at the established order with a baseball bat.
If you’re in the market for a big naked bike and you’ve got a sensible budget, the Hornet SP should be right at the top of your list. It’s a proper motorcycle, built by people who know what they’re doing, and it delivers the goods without requiring you to take out a second mortgage.
Yeah, I like it. I like it a lot. Honda’s finally stopped playing it safe and has built something with a bit of high-end mongrel. About time.
Snag’s career in motoring journalism spans 30 years with stints at major bike mags Australian Road Rider, Motorcycle Trader and AMCN along with contributions to just about every other outlet worth a hill of beans. He was editor of Unique Cars magazine and hosts his legendary podcast ‘Snag Says’ when he gets off his date.
