Man! It’s been a good time on inline four four cylinder bikes just lately. Just the other day, Honda Wing Gold Rand invited us to take a spin on their Honda 1000 Hornet SP… it took about four seconds to convince us.
You’ll have seen this model featured through our pages a lot over the last year or so. There was a bit of a delay, then our Shado got to ride it through the twisties of the Cape and finally, this model has arrived in GP.
The good guys at Honda Wing Gold Rand fitted a lekker snarly Seta aftermarket pipe…. and that’s all.
We rode the bike with very few kilometres on it, from their impressive dealership in Boksburg on a circular route via backroads, highways and byways for a 200 odd KM ride out to the republic of Bapsfontein and all the way back in again – and that was a great hour or five for sure!
By now you’ll know that the Hornet 1000 SP is Honda’s new big naked. It’s powered by a retuned 2007 CBR1000 Fireblade engine. They have mated this to a quickshiter, a host of uncomplicated electronics, excellent suspension and a comfortable rider triangle.
What more do you need?
Well, in our lives, nothing really because – we we love Japanese fours – and we also love naked bikes. We love the uncomplicated styling, the quality feel and how it goes.
Retuned is a funny word in the world of motorcycles. Sometimes it means De-tuned and that’s often not a good thing. In our opinion, they got this one right:
Less screamer, more grunter with better bottom end and midrange which is where you spend most of your time on a naked.
It really does go – not nearly as manic as – shall we say a Fireblade, but there’s more than enough grunt, oomph and top-end from the 155bhp engine through the quickshifter to make you want to ride the bike even more. She accelerates past the 200KPH mark in less time than it takes to tie one shoelace – and she does it all so smoothly.
They have mated all this goodness to suspension that is firm, without necessitating a visit to the Chiropractor after a spin out to Harties and back. Top-shelf Öhlins TTX36 rear shock, Brembo Stylema brakes, a quickshifter, auto blipper, and a full armoury of electronic rider aids keep everything in focus.
To be sure, this Hornet leans more towards fairly plush and comfortable than race stiff, without sacrificing anything through the corners and twisties.
A great choice for a “Quick” Breakfast run with your mates…
Did we say comfortable?
Honda’s Hornets in general are comfortable with upright seating and intuitive controls with a properly modern dash that tells you everything that you might need to know.
Fast or slow, Honda has built a real pearler, if you are a naked bike fan, this is one that you need to go and ride.
At the current price of R265 000 for a new inline four 1000cc Japanese naked with top shelf suspension components, it’s a good deal.
