2025 Honda CB1000 Hornet SP
U.S. riders will be less familiar with the Hornet name than the rest of the world, in part for legal reasons and in part because this is not the first time Honda made us wait. The first Hornet was a Japan-only CB250 model that came out in 1996. The CB600F Hornet and CB900F Hornet came out in 1998 and 2002 in other markets, and while the we got the 900 right away, the 600 didn’t arrive until 2004. Having trouble remembering a Hornet model from those years? That’s because they were called the 599 and 919, because Chrysler owned rights to the Hornet name in the United States. This time around, Honda was able to negotiate use of the Hornet name. Part of that deal was letting Ram use the Rebel name on one of its pickup trucks.
The Hornet name implies a certain formula: a naked bike with broad-shouldered, narrow-waisted look that features a punchy engine, agile handling, and an attractive price. The current generation of Hornets is not as unadorned as the 599 and 919 of 20 years ago, but they carry on the same theme.
The arrival of the CB1000 Hornet SP does not quite bring us to parity with European consumers, because the U.S. market only gets the SP version, not the base CB1000 model available elsewhere. But considering the SP’s price, that’s not such a deprivation.
The SP comes with upgraded suspension in the form of a fully adjustable Öhlins TTX36 shock on the rear and a 41 mm inverted Showa Separate Function Fork Big Piston (SFF-BP) in front, both offering more than five inches of travel. Brakes are also upgraded with Brembo Stylema radial-mount four-piston calipers in front and a Nissin caliper on the back wheel.
Hornets were traditionally four-cylinder models, and while that’s no longer true with the new CB750, the CB1000 carries a classic, Japanese, inline-four engine in its steel, twin-spar frame. The engine is derived from the one that dates back to the 2017 CBR1000RR. American Honda does not typically announce power output. In Europe, the SP makes a claimed 155 horsepower, but reports here, based on regulatory documents, have speculated the U.S. model will be about 25 horsepower weaker. We won’t know the real number for sure until we see some dyno tests. Honda says differences between its European and U.S. models are due to the fact that the European standards are stricter on emissions while the U.S. standards are tighter on sound.
The Hornet comes with three preset ride modes, Standard, Sport, and Rain. The rider can set two additional customized ride modes. Three parameters change based on the ride mode: three levels of power delivery, traction control, and engine braking. For example, Standard chooses the middle level of all three parameters. Sport chooses the lower levels of traction control and engine braking and the most aggressive level of power delivery. The three “Power” settings do not change the level of maximum power, but rather the way it’s delivered, from a softer to a more abrupt response. In the two user modes, traction control can be turned off, but there’s a catch for your own safety, apparently that you would-be hooligans or track-day riders out there need to know. Say you set User 1 to the most aggressive power delivery, the lowest level of engine braking, and with traction control off. Each time the motorcycle is powered off, the user mode will reset to traction control on, but at the lowest setting, while the other settings remain the as you set them. In other words, you’ll have to go into the menu and turn off traction control every time you turn on the key, if you want to ride without the safety net.
The SP also comes stock with a quickshifter that can be adjusted to three settings independently for upshifts and downshifts.
All the information is displayed on a five-inch TFT dash that can be set to three different layouts and your choice of a light or dark background. The Hornet also comes with Honda’s RoadSync, which allows you to connect your phone to the bike for calls, music, voice directions, etc. I didn’t have a comm unit in the new helmet I took on this ride, so I wasn’t able to test the voice connections.
Riding the 2025 Honda CB1000 Hornet SP
While the Hornet’s bare-naked styling and upright ergonomics provide no wind protection, that does mean I had undisturbed air flow over my helmet with no buffeting. That, along with the lack of vibration from the inline-four engine (Honda also uses rubber mounts where the engine bolts to the frame at the rear) made for a smooth ride on the freeway. Honda also made sixth gear significantly taller for lower engine speeds when just cruising down the highway.
The slipper clutch is not as light as the CB750’s but the pull is not particularly heavy, either, and since the quickshifter on the SP works well, there’s no frequent need to use the clutch lever.
The power delivery, like the quickshifter sensitivity, is really just a matter of personal preference. The “3” setting on power gives the same total power as “2,” but the middle setting makes it easier for me to be smooth with the throttle, so I’d probably leave it there forever, except when using Rain mode. The good thing about the adjustability is you can choose what feels right to you. Whichever you choose, throttle response is refreshingly free of the undue abruptness that afflicts many other models these days.
The Brembo brakes up front provided a little less initial bite than I expected but were everything I’d ever need for street riding, for sure. Honda says the CB1000 SP weighs 465 pounds full of fuel and ready to ride, and that weight, quite competitive for its class, reduces demands on brakes and suspension.
Give the CB1000 Hornet SP a look.
| 2025 Honda CB1000 Hornet SP | |
|---|---|
| Price (MSRP) | $10,999 |
| Engine | 1,000 cc, liquid-cooled, 16-valve, inline four-cylinder |
| Transmission, final drive | Six-speed, chain |
| Claimed horsepower | N/A |
| Claimed torque | N/A |
| Frame | Steel twin-spar |
| Front suspension | 41 mm Showa Separate Function Fork Big Piston (SFF-BP), adjustable for preload, compression, and rebound damping; 5.1 inches of travel |
| Rear suspension | Öhlins TTX36 shock, adjustable for preload, compression, and rebound damping; 5.5 inches of travel |
| Front brake | Dual Brembo Stylema radial-mount four-piston calipers, 310 mm discs, with ABS |
| Rear brake | Single Nissin one-piston caliper, 240 mm disc, with ABS |
| Rake, trail | 25 degrees, 3.9 inches |
| Wheelbase | 57.3 inches |
| Seat height | 31.9 inches |
| Fuel capacity | 4.5 gallons |
| Tires | Michelin Road 6*, 120/70R17 front, 180/55R17 rear (* – as tested; some will come with Dunlop Roadsport 2 tires) |
| Claimed weight | 465 pounds wet |
| Available | Now |
| Warranty | 12 months |
