2022 Honda Hornet concept at EICMA

Submitted by Jo on Fri, 01/21/2022 - 11:37

In a space created in the EICMA Honda stand, a video is projected with the suggestion of a future Hornet, the famous naked produced from the 250 to the 900 displacement - starting from the first half of the nineties .

The Honda CB600F, better known as the Hornet, was introduced in Europe in 1998. It was based on the CB250F made and sold in Honda's home-market. It has a 599cc 4 cylinder engine derived from the CBR600F of the time, but tuned for more torque lower in the ref range.
It was considered a naked bike due to its upright riding position, lack of front fairing and delivered around 95 hp.

In 2000 the Hornet was modernized, with the biggest change being the introduction of a 17 inch front wheel instead of the 16 inch previously installed.

Also a faired version of the Hornet was made, called the CB600S.

The same can be said for the 2003 version of the Hornet, nothing really changed, except the front and rear lights, mechanical changes were almost none.

As of 2005 the Hornet got a upside-down front fork and an optional ABS system fitted.

A real overhaul came in 2007, with the introduction of electronic fuel injection, a totally newly designed frame and fairings around it and a well deserved increase in fuel capacity to 19 liters. 

Several times in the past Honda has exhibited concepts at EICMA and on several occasions these have had production evolutions.
This time at EICMA 2021 they didn't show a physical bike, but a futuristic looking virtual drawings of a bike, calling it the new Hornet concept.

Honda is developing a line of models around a new 755cc parallel twin engine, expected to use similar thinking to the 1084cc Africa Twin’s unit but downsized to suit smaller, lighter machines. 
The Hornet is likely to go by the title ‘CB750S’, while a second model with the new engine will be the long-expected XL750L Transalp.

Although it’s impossible to be certain, seen from the side, that the engine is a twin and not a four-cylinder, the current trend for parallel twins and the overall layout – which closely matches the Africa Twin engine’s – is a strong indicator that this is the expected new 755cc two-cylinder.
Once in production, such an engine could provide Honda with the basis of a whole slew of new models. 

What do you think? Is Honda taking it too far by putting a 2 cylinder in a clearly 4 cylinder concept? Or you don't mind taking into consideration another icon like the Transalp can be introduced using the same engine?