Living with a ... Honda CB750 Hornet (final report)

It feels an age ago I was taking my first tentative wobbles onto the road on a Honda CB125R and yet here I am just four months later with a full licence in my pocket and a bright yellow CB750 Hornet with six times the power. But why the Hornet? Well, this was the bike I did my conversion course, training and Mod 1 and 2 tests on through local training school Bumpy so I’m already familiar with it. And a mid-capacity ‘naked’ of this type is a popular choice for new riders, especially for those passing on an A2 licence who can, on some models, buy with a restrictor and then upgrade the same bike when they get their full A licence, saving the faff of having to buy a new one. You can’t actually get a Hornet in A2 trim yet (Honda promises it is coming) but my age means I could do the ‘direct access’ path to an A licence to ride it straight away with the full 92 horsepower output. And power is one of the things making the Hornet stand out against rivals like the hugely popular Yamaha MT-07 and handsome looking Triumph 660 Trident, this, the range of tech included as standard and the very competitive pricing launching it to the front of the pack. In theory a perfect first proper bike, then. Time to find out if it lives up to the promise.
Skip to: Month 1 – Just got real Month 2 – Proper bike, proper roads Month 3 – ‘Ask a grown-up to help you’ Month 4 – Hornet versus Triumph Trident Month 5 – A fond farewell

Full disclosure – Honda generously offered to put me through my direct access course to a full licence and, in the build up to that, I racked up some valuable miles on the CB125R. And it did the trick, while also turning me into a bit of a Honda fanboy. Suffice to say, I couldn’t say yes fast enough when Honda then offered me a few months on the Hornet after my successful day at the test centre.
While training didn’t give me much chance to open it up I’d enjoyed my time on Bumpy’s Hornet (well, maybe not the actual test bits) and was aware this new version has been causing a bit of a stir in the fiercely competitive mid-capacity ‘naked’ bike category. These tend to range from 600cc up, are affordably priced and very attractive to new riders for their rawness and simplicity. The class benchmark appears to be the Yamaha MT-07, but this new Hornet has come out stinging thanks to a £6,999 starting price that undercuts the Yamaha and most other rivals, considerably more power from its new 755cc two-cylinder engine and an impressive range of electronic rider aids inspired by Honda’s more powerful superbike line-up. Fast, fun and accessible, the Hornet looks to have it all. Quiet bit out loud, though? If it were my money I’d have been looking at the CB650R, which is from the same Neo Sports Café family as the CB125R I’d learned on and packs a more exotic (and unusual for the class) four-cylinder engine. To my eyes the CB650R is also more faithful to the legacy of the original CB600F Hornet, which launched in 1998 and was an instant hit thanks to its bargain price, endearing simplicity and feisty 600cc four-cylinder motor. I sound like I know what I’m on about here but, really, I’m just channelling the experiences of my pal Sim, who still loves the 2005 Hornet he bought after passing his own test. He’s since gone out and acquired an utterly terrifying looking Triumph Speed Triple, meaning his Honda will be up for sale in the not too distant. I’m sure the timing of this temptingly convenient opportunity is a total coincidence… Meanwhile this new-school Hornet is the fresher product than the CB650R, seemingly lighter and easier to handle and – from what I understand – the torquier character of the new parallel twin engine is easier for a rookie rider such as myself. And, I have to say, in contrasting yellow and black it looks the business, the loud paint sparing me the indecision of whether or not to wear high-viz for the commute! The only extras on my bike are the rear seat cowl, fancier engraved footpegs and quickshifter you get in the £555 Sport Pack, which is one of three options bundles Honda offers with the Hornet. You can also add these features as individual upgrades if you prefer. But enough tyre kicking. With a fresh licence in my pocket, the Hornet at my disposal and a few precious weeks of the summer still to play for I’ve got some riding to do. Back to top

Remember that rush of freedom you got when you first passed your car test? I still do. Getting the same for the bike is just the same, but more so. Once I got the Hornet in my hands, at least. In the meantime there was no little amusement the first Honda I actually rode after passing my full test was, in fact, an electric Moped. No matter, just days later I had the keys to the Hornet in my hands and determination to take it for a proper ride.
As luck would have it my mum happens to live in Anglesey, which by the direct route is a little under three hours from my place. Or you can go the scenic way, cutting into Wales and then picking any which way you fancy across Snowdonia. Basically, once you’re past Chester you’re spoiled for choice and on the perfect roads for putting the Hornet through its paces. A bit bold for a man with a new licence in his pocket? Possibly. But nothing ventured… Riding the Hornet without the reassurance of an instructor in the mirrors and over the earpiece was certainly a big moment, much like that first unaccompanied drive in my mum’s Metro all those years ago. But having done my training on another Hornet at least I felt at home to a degree. While a ‘big bike’ to me the Hornet is actually relatively small and light, the low seat, comfy riding position and easy controls all helping my confidence. The twitchiness in the steering I’d felt at low speeds in training and on the test, and the engine’s slight grumpiness at being constantly restrained, were both quickly forgotten as the national speed limit signs appeared, the speeds increased and the roads began to really flow. In handling terms it doesn’t actually feel that much different from the 125. But the performance is something else, the parallel twin sounding enthusiastically rorty and the way the Hornet picks up speed a literal eye opener. The Hornet’s variable rider modes are one of its stand-out features compared with rivals, and here I was appreciating the fact I could move up from the Rain setting my instructors had advised through training (it helps reduce the snatchiness of the throttle at low speeds as much as anything), up through Normal and then to Sport as my confidence grew. In each the parameters for throttle, engine braking and the traction control are all different, while an individual mode lets you configure your favourite combination. You can also choose your display on the TFT screen – I’ve switched from the old-school dial type rev counter to a racier digital one on the basis it’s clearer at a glance. I’m torn on the optional quickshifter, though. In theory it’s great, on the basis you can shift up and down without having to use the clutch, which is especially when you’re accelerating through an overtake. But I’m also conscious I need to be able to do it properly, and I don’t want to get lazy and fall back on the tech at this stage in my riding journey. So, I save it as a special treat for now while dedicating myself to smoother shifting the old-fashioned way with the clutch. Which, if I may be so bold, I seem to be getting better at. That first ride to my mum’s will live with me for a long time, then. If anything the ride back was even better, the scenic route back from Ffestiniog seeing me bump into a fellow motoring journalist out roadtesting a new Porsche 911 GT3 RS. I stopped to say hello and compare notes, the Porsche suitably outrageous with its carbon bodykit and huge wing. Hand on heart? On the same day and on the same road I think the Hornet was probably even more exciting and I didn’t feel at all short-changed. Back to top

If life is short and to be enjoyed to the full the great British summer is even shorter. With that in mind, a fresh licence in my pocket and the Hornet at my disposal I took that idea and ran with it, aiming to bank as many sunny miles as possible while the weather allowed.
Having celebrated passing my test with a run across North Wales to my mum’s my next big trip out was to my dad’s in North Yorkshire, which as luck would have it is also located close to some spectacular biking roads. Packing the family off in the Transit with all the gear meant I could ride light, and while they cruised up the A1 I took a more scenic route across the Yorkshire Wolds and then along the legendary Helmsley road. Its scenic twists and turns have always been a favourite of mine in cars, so the idea of doing it on a bike was high on the to-do for once I’d passed my test. Once a playground for superbike riding fast lads in racing leathers, the riders gathered in Helmsley’s market square these days tend to be an older and more mature lot on adventure bikes and tourers. But it’s still a challenging bit of road for any biker, and given the huge increase in power over the CB125R the idea of riding the Hornet along it filled me with equal parts excitement and trepidation. Which is probably a healthy attitude! Thankfully the Hornet’s promise as a perfect first ‘big’ bike seems to be playing out. It’s intimidating in the right way, in that you respect its potency. But it also feels very easy to ride and predictable in its responses, while the configurable electronic rider aids give you the reassurance it’s not going to spit you into the scenery at the first twist of the throttle. So, confidence inspiring. Without inspiring over-confidence. Conscious I don’t want to get into any bad habits this early in my riding career I then met up with instructor pal Reg Local for an extended route home across the North Pennines and Yorkshire Dales. Having shadowed me for a bit he offered some feedback on things to work on, such as road position into corners to improve sightlines, learning to countersteer properly, correct body position to maximise grip and – crucially – how to overtake safely. He’s got some great video guides on all these topics and more on his YouTube channel that are well worth checking out, but to get this advice in person, on some amazing roads and in perfect late summer weather was a real privilege. With my head a little more dialled in and a hunger to ride as many bikes as possible while the weather holds I’m now keen to compare the Hornet against some of its competitors as well. But more on this next time… Back to top

As a rookie rider I’m right in the demographic sweetspot for bikes like the Hornet. But what else is out there that might tempt a newbie like me with a fresh licence in their pocket and dreams of a first proper motorcycle?
Well, the Moto Morini Seiemmezzo STR I tried out a few weeks back felt like a decent comparison, given it has a similar parallel-twin engine, comes in a bit cheaper and has an exotic old-school Italian vibe, even if it’s now Chinese built and owned. All of which was charming, but couldn’t really compete against the Honda’s bang-for-buck in terms of raw power or modern tech. A sterner test arrived in the shape of a Triumph 660 Trident, which has had consistently rave reviews in this very popular middleweight naked class. It’s a bit more expensive than the Honda, been around for a bit, is down on power a tad and doesn’t have the same quality of components or tech. But the brawny, retro-themed looks and creamy 660cc three-cylinder engine looked an interesting comparison. And so it proved. A break in the weather was all the opportunity pal Sim and I needed to go on an extended loop around North Yorkshire, swapping between the bikes at regular intervals to see how they compared. Straight away the Triumph felt a little shorter and more upright in terms of riding position, but also more agile and chuckable for it. Anyone much taller than my 5’ 11” would probably dwarf it, though. You certainly felt the horsepower deficit to the Honda’s bigger motor (81 horsepower against the Hornet’s 92 horsepower), and the triple was less flexible and needed winding out to keep pace. But that was no hardship, given the smoothness of its power delivery and characteristic howl of its three-cylinder engine. Whatever the Trident loses in punch and modernity to the Hornet it seemingly more than makes up for in charisma, then. Back on the Honda and the stronger bite of the bigger front brake discs was reassuring, and extra torque of the engine means you can just twist and go for overtakes rather than have to drop a gear as you might on the Triumph. I’d venture the riding position was a little more comfortable on the Hornet, and while wind protection from the little fly screen is minimal it’s better than nothing on motorway sections. The little stash space under the rear seat is enough for your wallet, phone, disc lock and a can of pop as well. Which is enough on a day out like this to keep your pockets clear and leave the bag at home. Small thing, but the kind of detail you’re thankful of day-to-day. But which would I keep, given the choice? Sim might carry a flame for the original CB600F Hornet he started out on but he’s now a Triumph owner and his allegiances clearly had him favouring the Trident. It feels disloyal to admit sympathies to that view but I must confess the smoothness of the engine was a lot easier to modulate than the rather binary throttle response on the Hornet, and it sounds better as well. But in the Honda’s favour that £900 you save over the Triumph would go a long way towards that expensive first-year rookie’s insurance bill, it's a much more modern bike and on longer runs has just that bit more space to stretch out for taller folk. Maybe I need to go on another ride on each of them to try and settle it… Back to top

Seeing the Hornet loaded into the back of a van for its return to Honda felt like a symbolic end to the opening act of my motorcycling awakening. The fire has most certainly been lit, so the story will continue. But seeing it go was definitely a ‘moment’, given the role of this and the CB125R that preceded it in igniting the passion, teaching me to ride, earning my licence and then providing opportunity to hone my new-found skills on the road. So, indulge me the reflective tone!
Specifically, what has the Hornet taught me, from those early days wobbling round in the training area at Bumpy on a sweaty summer’s day through to days out riding across Wales and commuting in all weathers over the Pennines? Well, having now ridden a few more bikes I’ve come to really appreciate the Honda’s neat balance between rookie-friendly approachability and horizon-broadening ‘proper bike’ performance. Like anything new, the learning curve at the beginning is a steep one. I’m not claiming I’m now god’s gift to motorcycling but the fact I could jump on the Hornet as my first big bike, pass my Mod 1 and Mod 2 tests on it at literally walking pace before spreading my wings on the open road underlines its huge bandwidth of ability. Even with a couple of thousand miles on it I had plenty left to unlock, and if I’d bought it with my own money I think I’d have been happy on it for a good while yet. Better yet in its quality, ease of use and performance it gives me a brilliant baseline from which to compare the other bikes I’ve been riding, and will hopefully ride in the future. At a practical level that comes from the Hornet feeling small and nimble enough to learn on but big enough to grow into, and things like the slick gearchange, predictable handling and safety net of electronic rider aids all helped me find my feet. With the latter I especially appreciated the option to turn all the support systems to maximum and cool the engine’s response to begin with, slowly reversing the process as my confidence grew. On reflection the only criticism would be that the throttle is still just a little too eager at times, the binary on/off nature making for jerky progress at low speeds. Which, I’ll admit, was more of a concern for my tests than it has been on open roads where I’ve been able to let it off the leash a little. Being a Honda I’ve had absolutely zero issues with it, too. And no reason to doubt that situation would change if I’d had it for longer. I was also proud to report it went back to Honda without a scratch and nothing more to show for its time in my hands than a few more miles on the clock. Where do I go from here, though? Well, alongside a new A2-licence friendly CB500 Hornet Honda has confirmed a CB1000 Hornet with a (slightly) detuned four-cylinder motor from the 2017 Fireblade. Which would make for an interesting next step… Back to top