2025 · Naked Bike · Buyer's Guide
Honda's Hornet Bites Hard
Honda's big Hornet runs a 1000 cc inline-four with Fireblade roots, making 152 hp and 77 lb-ft. What matters more than the peak figure is where the engine lives: it pulls cleanly from low revs and keeps building, so you get superbike hardware working at road speeds. The chassis is a steel twin-spar frame with adjustable suspension at both ends and a slipper clutch. ABS, traction control and ride modes are standard, as is a TFT dash with phone connectivity and navigation. For a big naked, that is a lot of machine for the asking price.
On the road it behaves the way a Honda should: unfussy at walking pace, happy to be ridden hard on a Sunday, and undramatic about either. Reliability is the real long-game strength here, the kind that keeps ownership cheap and boring in the best sense. It suits a rider who wants genuine speed and a sharp, modern-looking bike without the maintenance anxiety that usually comes attached. The honest caveat is the recall record: two safety recalls landed on 2025 bikes, one of them reaching into the engine's internals. Buy used and you check the VIN against both campaigns first. Buy new and you ask the dealer to show you the paperwork.
Spec sheets don't ride bikes, but they set the baseline.
| Power | 152 hp (112 kW) |
|---|---|
| Torque | 77 lb-ft (104 Nm) |
| Displacement | 1000 cc |
| Engine | Inline-four |
| Cooling | Liquid-cooled |
| Gearbox | 6-speed |
| Final drive | Chain |
| Fork | Upside-down (USD) |
| Front tire | 120/70-17 |
| Rear tire | 180/55-17 |
| Seat height | 31.9 in (809 mm) |
| Wet weight | 467 lb (212 kg) |
| Fuel capacity | 4.5 gal (17 L) |
Equipment check
Chassis
Connectivity
Drivetrain
Lighting
Safety
What follows is not my own test ride. It is what has come back to me over years of listening to riders: paddock conversations, owner chats, club nights, and the messages people send me directly. On this Hornet the chatter runs warm and consistent, and the criticism that does turn up comes almost entirely from track use.
Riders lead with the componentry, especially the SP's Öhlins rear shock and Brembo Stylema brakes, at a price that undercuts the European competition. Handling draws the same steady praise: a short wheelbase and narrow rear tire that let it drop into a corner quickly without feeling nervous. Owners add that the clutch is light and the bike stays manageable at low speed, which surprises people who read it as aggressive from the photos.
The complaints come from a smaller group. Riders using it on track say the suspension goes soft under hard use at both ends, even with the Öhlins shock, and wants preload and damping wound near maximum. They also find the ABS stepping in early under heavy braking. A few mention a hesitation in the optional upshift quickshifter when pushing; the blipper on downshifts draws no such complaint.
Excessive oil consumption and connecting rod bearing seizure
Out-of-spec pistons and piston rings on certain 2025 models cause high oil consumption, potentially leading to connecting rod bearing seizure and engine failure. A recall has been issued, and a stop sale was enacted in the US.
Fuel feed hose disconnect risk
Improper placement of the angle sensor coupler during assembly can cause the fuel feed hose to detach from the tank, leading to a fuel leak and potential fire hazard. A recall has been issued for certain VINs.
Where this Honda CB1000 Hornet pulls ahead of — or falls behind — its rivals on the numbers, and the typical bike in its class on character.
Power
Torque
Displacement
Wet weight
Seat height
Forget spec-sheet bragging. Here's who the CB1000 Hornet is actually built for.
If your Saturday is LA traffic out and Crest switchbacks back, this fits. It has the lean angle and the punch for canyon pace, and it does not punish you in the slog to get there.
Made for Angeles Crest Highway · Coronado Trail / US 191 · Highway 1 / Big Sur
Sharp-looking, modern in the cockpit, and easy to live with on a city commute. It holds its own on Skyline and still looks right parked outside Alice's on a Sunday morning.
Made for Bay Area Ridge Roads · San Francisco / Bay Area · Skyline Boulevard / Alice's Restaurant
Run after run on the Dragon or Cherohala, it stays predictable and leans hard without dragging hard parts. The ride in from Atlanta or Knoxville is where the missing cruise control will bug you.
Made for Back of the Dragon · Blue Ridge Parkway · Cherohala Skyway
If you're cross-shopping the older generation, here's what changed.
Previous generation · 2018–2025
Refined Power, Zero Drama
Compare to the previous model →The Honda CB1000 Hornet also comes in these variants, models and special editions. Each has its own page covering only what differs from the standard CB1000 Hornet — equipment, electronics, specs and used price.
If this one isn't quite the fit, these are the bikes worth riding back-to-back against it.
Any price note compares both bikes at the same age — the youngest age both have on the used market — against this Honda CB1000 Hornet. “cheaper/pricier” is what that bike costs second-hand, not how worn it is.
