Honda CB750 Hornet E-Clutch (2026 – ) review

Honda updated the CB750 Hornet with new twin lights for the 2025 model year and this new one sticks with the same look and mechanical foundations of a tubular steel frame, 755cc parallel-twin and fully configurable rider electronics. Styling is always a personal thing but the Hornet strikes a nice balance between the angrier aesthetics of rivals from Yamaha and Suzuki and the more retro vibe of the Trident 660, itself recently upgraded with more power and improved electronics. The main technical change for this updated Hornet is the standard-fit E-Clutch system, which operates much like a more sophisticated quickshifter on the move and offers clutch-free gears from a standstill without ditching full manual control as Yamaha has with the equivalent Y-AMT system on the Yamaha MT-07 Y-AMT. More on this in due course but the 2026 CB750 Hornet also gets a range of new colours, options and accessories as well as a standard-fit belly pan to help set it apart from the previous versions.

Mid-size nakeds like this make ideal first big bikes, a role the Hornet fulfils in fine style whether you’re buying in restricted A2 trim or the full power option tested here. Physically it feels a step up from the 125 or 500 you may be coming from without being at all intimidating in terms of seat height, size or weight, the slim waist making it easy to get your feet down. Fresh from riding the recently updated Trident 660 we’d say the Honda feels a little roomier and more stretched out, the relatively narrow bars striking a good balance between upright comfort and a sportier riding position to suit riders of all levels of experience.

You know what you’re getting of course but naked bikes don’t offer much in the way of weather or wind protection for steady motorway cruising. But that’s not really the point, the stripped-back look emphasising the agile, entertaining character and perfectly suited to city riding and weekend scratching alike. And the Hornet is practical in other ways, especially with the addition of the E-Clutch system and ability to operate in stop-start traffic without needing to operate the lever manually. That means you can stop at the lights and then pull away when they go green without having to touch the clutch lever at all, something you come to appreciate in busy traffic once your learn to trust the system. Which you do in no time. If you need to carry stuff on your Hornet there are various option bundles to suit, including a Comfort Pack with a tail and tank bag sufficient for a lock and waterproofs on the commute, kit for a longer day out or even weekend away. One of the bikes on the event had Honda’s accessory pannier set-up, which looked super neat and demonstrates you could even tour on one if you fancied it.

The 755cc parallel-twin at the heart of the CB750 offers a very different character to Hornets of old. But it’s a powerful, punchy unit with a characterful bark from the exhausts and invigorating induction howl from its patented Vortex Air Flow intake system. True, it doesn’t rev like the in-line fours used in earlier Hornets. But you can still have a taste of that in the CB650R, which also comes with the E-Clutch system. And the CB750’s punchiness and lack of weight are definitely welcome, the 92 horsepower and 75Nm of torque feeling very strong out on the road, the previously binary throttle action thankfully now a little more progressive. Once up and running the E-Clutch operates more like a conventional quickshifter, though its integration into the throttle-by-wire system means it can do a lot more, rev-matching downshifts a delight to bang through as you approach a corner. In these situations E-Clutch also helps stabilise the bike, partially opening to act like a slipper clutch to prevent wheel grab on slippery surfaces. Something we appreciated when the heavens opened on the launch event and the roads got all greasy. Braking meanwhile feels confidence-inspiringly powerful, though the Hornet lacks the IMU-controlled cornering ABS the likes of its Trident 660 and KTM 790 Duke rivals.

The Hornet’s pointy steering and sharp handling certainly deliver on the expectations of the looks and performance, Honda having sharpened the damping somewhat in a previous update for the 2025 model year. It’s a bike that begs to be ridden hard and rewards decisive inputs, but one that still feels comfortable and confidence-inspiring for those taking their first steps into more powerful machines. A neat trick. True, there’s not the adjustability in the suspension offered by some rivals and some more experienced riders may appreciate. But the stock set-up strikes a decent balance between comfort and control and, fundamentally, the Hornet remains an absolute blast to ride and right up there with the best in its class.

The CB750 Hornet’s headline-grabbing starting price has, perhaps inevitably, crept up a little since it launched. But it still looks good value, even against aspiring new arrivals to the sector like the QJ Motor SRK900 and others like it. It remains usefully cheaper than the likes of the Triumph Trident 660 and KTM 790 Duke as well, which for young riders balancing purchase price against ongoing costs like insurance may well prove decisive.

While a new platform Honda has since sold big numbers of both the Hornet and the closely related XL750 Transalp, and it would seem both live up to the brand’s strong reputation for reliability. On that score it seems to be doing better than its CB1000 Hornet big brother, which has been suffering well-publicised oil consumption issues.

Honda’s two-year standard warranty is sufficient but if you want to extend that to six years you can, assuming you’re happy sticking to main dealer servicing. 8,000-mile intervals between major services are, meanwhile, better than those on many Chinese rivals, though Triumph does go one better with its 10,000-mile schedule for the Trident 660. For most owners the Honda’s timings should be more than adequate, though.

The younger demographic the CB750 Hornet is aimed at like their tech, and Honda delivers with a combination of app-driven connectivity for communication, entertainment and navigation as well as impressive configurability for rider electronics. This equates to three regular rider modes as well as two customisable User settings, in which you can set your preferred combination of throttle map, engine braking and traction control, into which the E-Clutch system is fully integrated. This also has its own adjustment for Hard, Medium and Soft engagement, or if you want to shift yourself you can just turn it off completely and manually operate the clutch in the traditional way. You can also override in situations where it may be smoother to feather the clutch yourself, E-Clutch then switching itself back on automatically. If you want to jazz up your Hornet there are various styling and equipment packs, these adding anything from billet footpegs and handlebar clamps to stripes, seat cowls and wheel stickers. Each to theirs on that but we’d at least be ticking the box for heated grips.

There are lots of talented and tempting bikes in this mid-size sporty naked sector, all with their own appealing characters, looks and tech. E-Clutch certainly helps the CB750 Hornet stand out, and would be our pick over the push-button Y-AMT system on the equivalent Yamaha MT-07 for the option to shift manually when the mood takes. And the fact it does nothing to detract from the already appealing combination of cracking value, great performance and sharp handling the Hornet already delivered.