Traded my CB650R for a new Hornet. I've had Ninja's Daytona's Street triple's R and RS..... I just collected my Hornet with SC can and I have to say...... It's the most fun awesome bike I have ever ridden!! If you want one I would get it now as I can see it staying at this price point. The SC Can will set you back another £900 but its well worth it. It was this review that sold me on the bike.
Did you really trade in your CB650R for the Hornet?? I am asking because I am doing my license right now on the 750 Hornet (in yellow, too) and my dream bike is a CB650R since 2020. Since I have not yet ridden a CB650R I cannot wait to test it out at the end of the month :)
Did tons of research before buying my CB500F and that little bike is so fun. Great mpg, fun to zip around town, low seat height you can manhandle it in the parking lot and around the garage. No fuss. Oil, fuel, and go. Never missing power either. That bike will do 80mph quite comfortably on the highway with minimal vibrations. Honda knows how to build these bikes and I think they've knocked it out of the park with this one.
CB500F is a great Bike the styling is very Similar the Back End in Particular The only thing I fault it on is the Dash is hard to Read on a Sunny Day This new Hornet Dash is a Beauty
I just love your reviews. You just can't fake enthusiasm. I was just entertained for 20 minutes by a review on a bike I have zero interest in. You're the best!
At 7 grand brand new - Honda have utterly nailed it imo. This is hell of a lot of bike for the money and if I didn't already have some wheels i'd be seriously looking at this - even though like you Chops, i'm not completely sold on the looks (although I think it looks pretty tidy in the black and red colour scheme)
Picked mine up last friday! Unfortunatly it started snowing here and the roads are more salty than a average LoL game lobby, so i won't be taking it out untill it rained for a good bit. Not going to glaze my sparkling new bike in a THICC coating of fresh road salt ey. It rides só good. In my opinion it also looks way better then what people give it credit for. The black paintjob looks much better than on photos aswell. This is my first bike thats newer than 2001, so its a nice refreshing feeling to ride such a nimble bike. Cheers mate!
Spot on review Chopsy, I had a Hornet out for a test ride for a couple of hours on Monday with the thought of buying one as my commuter but it's so much more than that, IMO it's like an MT-O7 that handles and is laden with electronic goodies, the only minor problem I experienced was that the throttle seemed slightly jerky in town traffic but after looking at the settings I discovered the engine braking was set to almost max, after dialling it down to low engine braking the fuelling was perfect, it reminds me of how the original Suzuki Bandit (the first one not the later 650 porker) took the biking world by surprise for a great all round bike for buttons.
If I wasn't still regularly riding my 2006 599 (the Hornet in the US), I'd really consider replacing it with the new 2023, if it's available here. But I just love my 599. It turned out to be the perfect bike for me. Honda are well built and reliable. My long distance trip bike is a 2007 VFR800 with the hard saddle bags, also a bike I'll probably never get rid of. Both have served flawlessly over many years and still ride great today.
Keep that 599! Definitely keep! Getting rid of my f6 Hornet (2006) was the biggest mistake I've made in motorbiking. The carb engine is a peach, before the fuel injected and ugly (like this 750) came to take over. It's an amazing IL4, which probably suits US roads more than it does in the UK, where the twin is likely king... I'm still pining for the old Hornet.
@@scratchnsniff7528 You are so, so correct. Fortunately I happened upon my CB600F-6 in Jan 2007 (with 128miles) so I could compare... Honda B'tardized the "Hornet" in 2007 and the bike went south from there. The new "Hornet" is NOT a Hornet, it is a CB750 TWIN. The 2007 -> are fugly, then in 2023 these became FUGLY. (And just a couple months back I managed to get a 2nd, a CB600F-5, in immaculate condition 6500miles). If I had the financial "guts", I'd replace both of my 900 Hornets headlights with the 2003->6 600 headlights...
I’ve always admired your ability to describe how a bike rides and the way it compares to other bikes and convey that to the viewers. One thing with Hondas is the renowned build quality, probably the best of all the manufacturers. Great review
@@LambChopRides call me a sceptic, great reviews give more test rides from dealers, but i don't know it all. Just when you reviewed the 3rd gen 2021 s1000r (has 2015 S1000RR chassis) you said it was a bit iffy handling wise. Felt like you were upselling the new one, Not saying it isn't a better bike though.
Love your enthusiasm Chopsy 👍 Seems punchy parallel twins might save the middleweight division and are similar to V twins in feel, which is a good thing....just cheaper and easier to package....I can live with that ! Always love your content 🙂
Nice review John. I do like that bike and its like the CB500F's bigger brother but I do agree, if Honda styled it slightly towards the CB650R, it would be the best selling bike. That being said I am sure those will fly off the shelf. That yellow really suits it as well. Typical Honda, looks good, goes well, gives great mpg. what more do you want. Be interesting to see how it compares to the Suzuki. Keep up the good videos :)
Good work chopsy I enjoyed the 600 Hornet back in the day ! It was a 1000 beater not that I ride above speed limits ! I disagree about the styling I think it's good ? I'm 5ft 8in TMF size but 11stone so the suspension will probably work for me ! The wife might give me the thumbs up this time lol keep them coming 😃
Ordered one last month, can't wait for it to arrive! I purchased it as my first bike, I think it's a great machine for that price. Hope I don't slip somewhere and ruin it :D. Really appreciate reviews like this,helped me out a lot in my decision.
i have done the same, just got my license; and decided on getting a 750 hornet. Cant wait for it to arrive, as i fell in love with it while testing one unit.
@@FantasyJota Hey, sorry for the late reply , I missed the notification bar. I love the new Hornet! I've ridden around 7,000 kilometers so far and haven't had any problems. The service center topped up the coolant during the last inspection, but otherwise, no complaints. The only thing that annoys me a bit is that while you can connect your phone to the bike, it doesn’t display visual navigation on the screen. It only communicates directions via a Bluetooth headset, telling you when and where to turn. It would be great if it showed small indicators for upcoming turns or the distance to the next turn on the screen. I've ridden in heavy rain with no issues at all. It's a fantastic bike, even for beginners like me-and I’m only 62 kilograms, lol.
@@alvarosouviron1674 Hey, congratulations! Did you already receive your bike? What color did you choose, and what extras did you add? I got the quickshifter and heated grips, and I can definitely recommend them for countries like Germany! :D
Took the hornet out on tuesday live in north wales, great bike for hooning around the twisties, coming from a v4 60kg heavier bike it felt very light and responsive. went through the gears a lot quicker and is a lot of fun with the quick shifter. Found the indicator button lacking feel if i had turned it off or on but your review was spot on how i found it for me, great review chopsy
High praise indeed. Hornet yellow, I think the bike looks good . Looks like a winner from Honda. A bike for those who know , and we do now !. Great review Chops , you obviously had a lot of fun on this bike , at the end of the day that’s what we all want.
Test ridden one of these today. Spot on with everything you say about it. I expected it to be good but even better than I hoped. So fast turning and so much in terms of features and rideability for your ££'s. I'm tempted to trade a bike (maybe two) for one. Mind you 3 months wait for one!
Thanks for the great road test, I too was a little disappointed with the styling, a round headlight would suit me better and some testers at 6'2 have said bike is a little cramped, but what you get for the money seems outstanding, that engine! And good chassis and Honda quality. Going to be hard to resist. Thanks for the test Lambchop! Loved it
Agreed, I wisht the motorcycle companies would stop making the bikes and headlights look like transformers. I wish Honda would bring back the 919 slightly updated ...and keep the round headlight it had!
Absolutely fantastic review again Chopsy, one mark down though for mentioning power/traction control.. Its a safety aid for surface issues (grease gravel, cold etc) not necessarily power issues. Full marks elsewhere, and i think it's a great bike. Oh BTW, I've never thought I wish I could adjust the engine braking, but have wondered how long I've got left in tank. Strange omission along with ambient temp.
Torque . .it's torque that is the difference with lumpy twins - it's there as soon as you twist the throttle. You have to be accelerating to generate power . .so there is a lag - and if you throttle off, you have to start the (acceleration/power) cycle again.
Lucky for me I always liked the appearance of the Honda's CB500 though I agree the CB650R is a sharper looking bike. Not sure yet if I'll end up with a Hornet, GSX 8S, or 790 Duke so your upcoming comparisons will be much anticipated and earned you another subscriber. Thanks for the great enthusiastic review!
Nice review & definitely a lot of bike for the money but like you I just can't get excited about the looks or for that matter the prospect of owning one tbh. More interested in the Suzuki GSX8S out of the Japanese offerings for sure. Will be great to see your review on the Suzuki & subsequent comparison with the Hornet & then the KTM too.
I love the way it looks! Mature, clean, purposeful. Will age very, very well. So great to see it's a great bike. Need to see how it compares to the Suzuki GSX-8S. Bunch of truly great motorbikes now in this segment. Thanks for the review!
I'm interested too. I think there are three things that seperate the two, those being looks (imo), price, and power. I much prefer the GSX-8S looks, but it is more expensive. On power, the Hornet does make slightly more but it is actually down on torque compared to the 8S, which also makes it lower in the revs. I think for that reason, the Suzuki will be more comparable to the MT07. We'll have to wait and see :D
Great review, I sold my 08 Hornet when my first child was born and have regretted it ever since. I agree the looks of the CB650R are much better, but loving the look of this new one despite that, especially being a twin as the low down grunt of my old hornet was lacking (it did love to scream though!). Will have to get my ass on one and give it a test ride!
Great package, looks like real value for the £££ And Honda quality too. I have a 1997 firestorm, literally looks like a couple of years old, love Hondas❤️
Ordered one of these after a test ride. Wife has an Mt07, which I love, I've a tracer 700, which loses all the fun of the mt07 , so it's going. Think you're wrong about the steering. The first thing I noticed was how quick it steers, almost felt unstable at first, but it handles great... Maybe it's your 20 stone that's slowing it down, I'm only 13 stone 😉 Otherwise great review of a great bike.
If it handles anything like my 650R it should feel pretty planted compared to the MT-07. I trained on one of those for my unrestricted and found it quite bouncy and twitchy. Never quite felt confident enough on it to properly power out of a roubndabout. Mind you, going low enough to scrape its pegs probably wasn't helping the matter :P Maybe it's the extra ~20kg of the 650R making all the difference, or maybe it's the tyres.
Everyone keeps referencing the MT-07 but I think I absolutely prefer my trident 660 to this especially look wise (and my trident isn't the most interesting either per se) The 5" inch TFT is surprising and I'm happy to see Honda leading the charge on getting up to speed with the rest of the world. Fine tune settings and a large display should be standard, but everything else option wise is basically the same, same options and everything, and the trident has an amazingly straight torque line. My trident absolutely does not stop until 200 km/h lol. It just doesn't wanna let go. This does have more power than the trident but yeah it's a bigger CC and idk if this has an A2 kit. They should've made this more of a looker and it would be stunning. And I will say, the price is absolutely insane. I thought triumph were mad lads with their price point but Honda beat em. Good to see good bikes being cheap
Completely different styles, but up there with Si Hargreaves as my favourite journo/bike reviewer. LCR actually gives a proper insight into the feel of a bike - warts and all, rather than just reading out a spec sheet and saying everything is 'nice'. Bravo Chopsy!
After testing one decided not to wait for the new Suzuki and bought a new hornet. Its so much fun on the road and for me the perfect second bike for weekend fun.
Thanks for this review. I did a test drive before ordering myself one, and after seeing countless videos and reading reviews I noticed a pattern of people complaining about the snatchy on/off throttle. I didn't feel such thing and I was like, did I not noticed and bought a bike with an annoying throttle problem? I could had swear it seemed fine to me. But thanks to this video I can see its a rider problem, not the bike. About the styling, not everyone likes ultra modern "transformer" looks of today's naked bikes. I would rather have a more classic style on the new Hornet, like a round headlamp. The mt07 is hideous to my eyes, one of the reasons I choose the Hornet.
Honda definitely made a great machine for the money. Having the TFT and a nice 750cc engine is just something that nowadays market really need. I think that it is gonna sell well. It is still a naked bike, we have to consider it. Now the only really rival seems to be the Suzuki GSX8S. We will see. Got my like bro.
An interesting proposition as a second bike for me for shorter fun rides out. I reckon these will sell really well and at £7k it's a lot of bike for the money. I know it's early days but you didn't mention the new Suzuki GSX8S. A rival for this however I think it's been priced a grand higher than the Hornet. Suzuki may well be kicking themselves.
I like this thing's bones but I would love if they offered a higher spec suspension and if possible a half fairing too. They have everything in place for the suspension. Though I would really love a CBR600RR replacement built off this motor pushed up to 110 or so crank HP. It has the revs and displacement to do it
Thanks for posting. Your garage (car port) looks great. At first, I thought you were at the dealer's. How did you get the image on the inside of the garage door?
Test bike was a white one, looks so much better in the flesh. Having decided already it would be the understated grey for me...The test bike changed my mind. I ordered a white one.
Keen to see how the Hornet stacks up against the 790 Duke and the new Suzi. The GSX8S doesn't sound that good on paper in the specs department, but I have this feeling it might be a good bike once aboard (and really thats all that matter). I'm hoping it's a fun bike like the Hornet sounds. Coz it looks alright and hard to beat Suzuki for ownership.
I owned a 2018 duke from new and loved it however it did have some reliability issues and and the new one has got less power and and you have to pay for all the extras which were standard on the original for only £800 less I would just look for a deal on the 890
i’ve only watched the first two minutes of this video and i had to stop to say AMEN! i wish Honda had mimicked the styling from their CB300/650/1000 neo-retros, rather than copying the 500. after all, the original Hornet, with it’s big, round, headlight, was a bit of a throwback in it’s styling. they should have embraced that to really make this version special. this was a missed opportunity. okay, now i’ll finish the video.
great review, i have been a die hard hornet fan for years, love the bike. three 600 and two 900's still got my 02 900. when Honda showed the drawings i thought great. i wasnt even to bothered about it being a parallel twin. as this is the way they are going. but you are right the 750 looks like most bikes. the hornet from day one has had a look that stands out. the new suzuki 800 looks better. at the moment i will stick with my 900. new subscriber enjoying your vids. keep it up.
I like this. Its like a Grom for adults. I have no problem with it being a twin over a four either. For the power level, tuning and so on it makes sense. What won't be so clever is when they inevitably throw some fairings on it and call it a CBR. Well unless it gets some serious mods and throws out another 35hp or so.
Great review Chopsy , for a new sub 7k bike I'm surprised at the power and what you get for your money and it being a Honda reliability I'm sure . Roads where looking a bit dodgy on your ride there 😮😮 Loving the garage mate 👍👍
Curious if you could notice any differences with the quick shifter settings? That was something I was quite interested in. Definitely with you chops, the CB 650 is a good looking motorcycle. The 790/890, GSX 8S and that Hornet share a lot of the same DNA aesthetically.
Agree with your comments about the looks, not sure why Honda are so conservative in this area Vs Kawasaki and Yamaha but as you said they’ll still sell boat loads of these. Great review!
This is the video I've been waiting for Chopsy. As a big 'ol unit like you, and one who is in the market for a back lane scratcher / work commuter, I was curious how this bike would suit a bigger rider. I need to book myself a test ride!
I feel like they could've slapped a round headlight on there, like the one on the cb300r or the cb650r but with the same body. That way it'd look similar to the older hornets
will you be doing a review on the KTM Duke 890? Would love to see if its worth spending the extra over the 790 as your review on that looks fantastic!!
Trouble is, once you get used to little touches like temp. guage, tyre pressure monitors, or, heaven forbid, mudguards, you don't want to do without them.
Replace the insectoid headlight with a CB650R style one and the aesthetics of the bike will probably improve a lot. Someone should make a conversion kit
Have to take issue with you Chopsey on the styling you wish it was more like the retro leaning 650R, not me just a little less like a KTM. It's a choice between a Tiger Sport and one of these, depends how comfortable for 6' 3" 14st me on the test ride ?
Okay, now I have actually tried it, and man that thing pulls hard! But it’s still smooth and confidence inspiring. To me a guy that have had surgery in my back, it’s nice and comfortable. And I didn’t feel any discomfort. Torque is just crazy, it pulls hard even in 6th gear at low rpm I can only find one thing, and that’s styling. I absolutely hate the styling and to me it’s so sad that Honda didn’t go more aggressive on styling. To day I’m going to try the mt07 and after trying the Hornet, it’s going to be fun to compare the two. I really like the look of the mt07 and deep down I hope I like to ride the mt07, because that’s the one I have been dreaming of. Edit I just bought a Yellow Hornet! It wins in everything compared to the bikes in its class. I hated the look of it. Now owning it, I think it looks freaking cool a little KTM wannabe 😂
Not everyone likes ultra modern "transformer" looks of today's naked bikes. I would rather have a more classic style on the new Hornet, like a round headlamp. The mto7 is hideous to my eyes, one of the reasons I choose the Hornet.
As an ex owner of a Honda 650R I hope the build quality, gearbox and suspension is better on this. I would like to see it after a year of riding during a UK winter too. I want to liker this but simply don't trust Honda since my poor experience with the 650R
My guess is the GSX8S will be a bit sportier but the Honda will be more practical and easier to live with. Looking forward to reviews of that bike as well!
Traded my CB650R for a new Hornet. I've had Ninja's Daytona's Street triple's R and RS..... I just collected my Hornet with SC can and I have to say...... It's the most fun awesome bike I have ever ridden!! If you want one I would get it now as I can see it staying at this price point. The SC Can will set you back another £900 but its well worth it. It was this review that sold me on the bike.
Did you really trade in your CB650R for the Hornet??
I am asking because I am doing my license right now on the 750 Hornet (in yellow, too) and my dream bike is a CB650R since 2020. Since I have not yet ridden a CB650R I cannot wait to test it out at the end of the month :)
Did tons of research before buying my CB500F and that little bike is so fun. Great mpg, fun to zip around town, low seat height you can manhandle it in the parking lot and around the garage. No fuss. Oil, fuel, and go. Never missing power either. That bike will do 80mph quite comfortably on the highway with minimal vibrations. Honda knows how to build these bikes and I think they've knocked it out of the park with this one.
CB500F is a great Bike the styling is very
Similar the Back End in Particular
The only thing I fault it on is the
Dash is hard to Read on a Sunny Day
This new Hornet Dash is a Beauty
@@jefflambert8603 Maybe the rider name will actually show up on the gen 2 lmao. They still haven't fixed that on my gen trident
You must weigh a lot less than me.
@@stubbingtonmarigold3032 155 lbs
So long as you're on 2 wheels , you'll enjoy
I just love your reviews. You just can't fake enthusiasm. I was just entertained for 20 minutes by a review on a bike I have zero interest in. You're the best!
At 7 grand brand new - Honda have utterly nailed it imo. This is hell of a lot of bike for the money and if I didn't already have some wheels i'd be seriously looking at this - even though like you Chops, i'm not completely sold on the looks (although I think it looks pretty tidy in the black and red colour scheme)
Ditto 👍
I paid $12550 here in Australia, that's 6906 GBP. Hows any other bike going to beat this for the money?
Look way better in person. Especially the white and red with the style and performance packs on the bike.
Picked mine up last friday! Unfortunatly it started snowing here and the roads are more salty than a average LoL game lobby, so i won't be taking it out untill it rained for a good bit.
Not going to glaze my sparkling new bike in a THICC coating of fresh road salt ey.
It rides só good. In my opinion it also looks way better then what people give it credit for. The black paintjob looks much better than on photos aswell.
This is my first bike thats newer than 2001, so its a nice refreshing feeling to ride such a nimble bike.
Cheers mate!
Spot on review Chopsy, I had a Hornet out for a test ride for a couple of hours on Monday with the thought of buying one as my commuter but it's so much more than that, IMO it's like an MT-O7 that handles and is laden with electronic goodies, the only minor problem I experienced was that the throttle seemed slightly jerky in town traffic but after looking at the settings I discovered the engine braking was set to almost max, after dialling it down to low engine braking the fuelling was perfect, it reminds me of how the original Suzuki Bandit (the first one not the later 650 porker) took the biking world by surprise for a great all round bike for buttons.
Yeah it's great fun isn't it! 👍
some say Honda played safe with the design.....i have this bike 8 months now.....its so beautiful so sexy so fast so reliable so EVERYTHING.....
If I wasn't still regularly riding my 2006 599 (the Hornet in the US), I'd really consider replacing it with the new 2023, if it's available here. But I just love my 599. It turned out to be the perfect bike for me. Honda are well built and reliable. My long distance trip bike is a 2007 VFR800 with the hard saddle bags, also a bike I'll probably never get rid of. Both have served flawlessly over many years and still ride great today.
they make a 1200 vfr btw. a buddy of mine has one. it's more comfortable than my clapped out gixxer, with lower pegs and raised clip ons.
Keep that 599! Definitely keep!
Getting rid of my f6 Hornet (2006) was the biggest mistake I've made in motorbiking. The carb engine is a peach, before the fuel injected and ugly (like this 750) came to take over. It's an amazing IL4, which probably suits US roads more than it does in the UK, where the twin is likely king... I'm still pining for the old Hornet.
@@scratchnsniff7528 You are so, so correct. Fortunately I happened upon my CB600F-6 in Jan 2007 (with 128miles) so I could compare... Honda B'tardized the "Hornet" in 2007 and the bike went south from there. The new "Hornet" is NOT a Hornet, it is a CB750 TWIN. The 2007 -> are fugly, then in 2023 these became FUGLY.
(And just a couple months back I managed to get a 2nd, a CB600F-5, in immaculate condition 6500miles). If I had the financial "guts", I'd replace both of my 900 Hornets headlights with the 2003->6 600 headlights...
I’ve always admired your ability to describe how a bike rides and the way it compares to other bikes and convey that to the viewers. One thing with Hondas is the renowned build quality, probably the best of all the manufacturers. Great review
remember, sponsored content here.
I appreciate that! 😁👍
@@vn3801 What are you on about? This is not sponsored by Honda, all my own thoughts
@@LambChopRides call me a sceptic, great reviews give more test rides from dealers, but i don't know it all.
Just when you reviewed
the 3rd gen 2021 s1000r (has 2015 S1000RR chassis) you said it was a bit iffy handling wise. Felt like you were upselling the new one, Not saying it isn't a better bike though.
Love your enthusiasm Chopsy 👍 Seems punchy parallel twins might save the middleweight division and are similar to V twins in feel, which is a good thing....just cheaper and easier to package....I can live with that !
Always love your content 🙂
Nice review John. I do like that bike and its like the CB500F's bigger brother but I do agree, if Honda styled it slightly towards the CB650R, it would be the best selling bike. That being said I am sure those will fly off the shelf. That yellow really suits it as well. Typical Honda, looks good, goes well, gives great mpg. what more do you want. Be interesting to see how it compares to the Suzuki. Keep up the good videos :)
Good work chopsy I enjoyed the 600 Hornet back in the day ! It was a 1000 beater not that I ride above speed limits ! I disagree about the styling I think it's good ? I'm 5ft 8in TMF size but 11stone so the suspension will probably work for me ! The wife might give me the thumbs up this time lol keep them coming 😃
I'm currently riding a 2013 CB600F (AKA Hornet), Its an absolute legend here where I live (Brazil). Its freaking bonkers.
Ordered one last month, can't wait for it to arrive! I purchased it as my first bike, I think it's a great machine for that price. Hope I don't slip somewhere and ruin it :D. Really appreciate reviews like this,helped me out a lot in my decision.
How is it going?
i have done the same, just got my license; and decided on getting a 750 hornet. Cant wait for it to arrive, as i fell in love with it while testing one unit.
@@FantasyJota Hey, sorry for the late reply
, I missed the notification bar. I love the new Hornet! I've ridden around 7,000 kilometers so far and haven't had any problems. The service center topped up the coolant during the last inspection, but otherwise, no complaints. The only thing that annoys me a bit is that while you can connect your phone to the bike, it doesn’t display visual navigation on the screen. It only communicates directions via a Bluetooth headset, telling you when and where to turn. It would be great if it showed small indicators for upcoming turns or the distance to the next turn on the screen.
I've ridden in heavy rain with no issues at all. It's a fantastic bike, even for beginners like me-and I’m only 62 kilograms, lol.
@@alvarosouviron1674 Hey, congratulations! Did you already receive your bike? What color did you choose, and what extras did you add?
I got the quickshifter and heated grips, and I can definitely recommend them for countries like Germany! :D
I've looked at this and even adding the heated grips and full travel packs only puts the price up to just over £8K which is very good indeed.
Took the hornet out on tuesday live in north wales, great bike for hooning around the twisties, coming from a v4 60kg heavier bike it felt very light and responsive. went through the gears a lot quicker and is a lot of fun with the quick shifter. Found the indicator button lacking feel if i had turned it off or on but your review was spot on how i found it for me, great review chopsy
Does it have self cancelling indicators?
@@lostboyneoYes it has.
High praise indeed. Hornet yellow, I think the bike looks good . Looks like a winner from Honda. A bike for those who know , and we do now !. Great review Chops , you obviously had a lot of fun on this bike , at the end of the day that’s what we all want.
Well said! 😁👍
Test ridden one of these today. Spot on with everything you say about it. I expected it to be good but even better than I hoped. So fast turning and so much in terms of features and rideability for your ££'s. I'm tempted to trade a bike (maybe two) for one. Mind you 3 months wait for one!
Thanks for the great road test, I too was a little disappointed with the styling, a round headlight would suit me better and some testers at 6'2 have said bike is a little cramped, but what you get for the money seems outstanding, that engine! And good chassis and Honda quality. Going to be hard to resist. Thanks for the test Lambchop! Loved it
Agreed, I wisht the motorcycle companies would stop making the bikes and headlights look like transformers. I wish Honda would bring back the 919 slightly updated ...and keep the round headlight it had!
Absolutely fantastic review again Chopsy, one mark down though for mentioning power/traction control.. Its a safety aid for surface issues (grease gravel, cold etc) not necessarily power issues. Full marks elsewhere, and i think it's a great bike. Oh BTW, I've never thought I wish I could adjust the engine braking, but have wondered how long I've got left in tank. Strange omission along with ambient temp.
Torque . .it's torque that is the difference with lumpy twins - it's there as soon as you twist the throttle. You have to be accelerating to generate power . .so there is a lag - and if you throttle off, you have to start the (acceleration/power) cycle again.
That garage door Chopsy 😍
Great review BTW. And what a fun bike
Lucky for me I always liked the appearance of the Honda's CB500 though I agree the CB650R is a sharper looking bike. Not sure yet if I'll end up with a Hornet, GSX 8S, or 790 Duke so your upcoming comparisons will be much anticipated and earned you another subscriber. Thanks for the great enthusiastic review!
Thanks Richard 👍
Nice review & definitely a lot of bike for the money but like you I just can't get excited about the looks or for that matter the prospect of owning one tbh. More interested in the Suzuki GSX8S out of the Japanese offerings for sure. Will be great to see your review on the Suzuki & subsequent comparison with the Hornet & then the KTM too.
I love the way it looks! Mature, clean, purposeful. Will age very, very well. So great to see it's a great bike. Need to see how it compares to the Suzuki GSX-8S. Bunch of truly great motorbikes now in this segment. Thanks for the review!
I'm interested too. I think there are three things that seperate the two, those being looks (imo), price, and power. I much prefer the GSX-8S looks, but it is more expensive. On power, the Hornet does make slightly more but it is actually down on torque compared to the 8S, which also makes it lower in the revs. I think for that reason, the Suzuki will be more comparable to the MT07. We'll have to wait and see :D
Mature? lol
Loving the garage at the start. Is it normal to have garage envy?
Dunno if it's normal.. but I have it too lol
Haha, it's rather awesome 😁👍
finally a big man review of this bike! awesome. thank you as always
Great review, I sold my 08 Hornet when my first child was born and have regretted it ever since. I agree the looks of the CB650R are much better, but loving the look of this new one despite that, especially being a twin as the low down grunt of my old hornet was lacking (it did love to scream though!). Will have to get my ass on one and give it a test ride!
Great package, looks like real value for the £££
And Honda quality too.
I have a 1997 firestorm, literally looks like a couple of years old, love Hondas❤️
Ordered one of these after a test ride. Wife has an Mt07, which I love, I've a tracer 700, which loses all the fun of the mt07 , so it's going. Think you're wrong about the steering. The first thing I noticed was how quick it steers, almost felt unstable at first, but it handles great... Maybe it's your 20 stone that's slowing it down, I'm only 13 stone 😉
Otherwise great review of a great bike.
If it handles anything like my 650R it should feel pretty planted compared to the MT-07. I trained on one of those for my unrestricted and found it quite bouncy and twitchy. Never quite felt confident enough on it to properly power out of a roubndabout. Mind you, going low enough to scrape its pegs probably wasn't helping the matter :P
Maybe it's the extra ~20kg of the 650R making all the difference, or maybe it's the tyres.
74 Torques is similar to my old R1 I think
Chopsie, you are far and away the best bike reviewer! Very entertaining :)
Wow, thanks! 😁😁👍
Everyone keeps referencing the MT-07 but I think I absolutely prefer my trident 660 to this especially look wise (and my trident isn't the most interesting either per se)
The 5" inch TFT is surprising and I'm happy to see Honda leading the charge on getting up to speed with the rest of the world. Fine tune settings and a large display should be standard, but everything else option wise is basically the same, same options and everything, and the trident has an amazingly straight torque line. My trident absolutely does not stop until 200 km/h lol. It just doesn't wanna let go. This does have more power than the trident but yeah it's a bigger CC and idk if this has an A2 kit.
They should've made this more of a looker and it would be stunning. And I will say, the price is absolutely insane. I thought triumph were mad lads with their price point but Honda beat em. Good to see good bikes being cheap
Can't wait until gen 2 of the trident although in Australia all the good bikes under 660cc are in LAMS configurations which is around 35kw.
Garage is looking good Chops , that side camera shot where you can see the forks working hard , always well done .
The garage looks great especially the inside of the garage door , thanks for the honest review Chops
Completely different styles, but up there with Si Hargreaves as my favourite journo/bike reviewer.
LCR actually gives a proper insight into the feel of a bike - warts and all, rather than just reading out a spec sheet and saying everything is 'nice'. Bravo Chopsy!
Very kind of you sir 👍
After testing one decided not to wait for the new Suzuki and bought a new hornet. Its so much fun on the road and for me the perfect second bike for weekend fun.
Thanks for this review. I did a test drive before ordering myself one, and after seeing countless videos and reading reviews I noticed a pattern of people complaining about the snatchy on/off throttle.
I didn't feel such thing and I was like, did I not noticed and bought a bike with an annoying throttle problem? I could had swear it seemed fine to me.
But thanks to this video I can see its a rider problem, not the bike.
About the styling, not everyone likes ultra modern "transformer" looks of today's naked bikes.
I would rather have a more classic style on the new Hornet, like a round headlamp.
The mt07 is hideous to my eyes, one of the reasons I choose the Hornet.
Honda definitely made a great machine for the money. Having the TFT and a nice 750cc engine is just something that nowadays market really need. I think that it is gonna sell well. It is still a naked bike, we have to consider it. Now the only really rival seems to be the Suzuki GSX8S. We will see. Got my like bro.
Thanks buddy 👍
I was looking forward to seeing your review. Perfect timing as I can relax and watch your video on my TV.
Hope you enjoyed it!
An interesting proposition as a second bike for me for shorter fun rides out. I reckon these will sell really well and at £7k it's a lot of bike for the money. I know it's early days but you didn't mention the new Suzuki GSX8S. A rival for this however I think it's been priced a grand higher than the Hornet. Suzuki may well be kicking themselves.
I’m going to test a Hornet on Tuesday and then the GSX 8S in a couple of weeks time. Whichever is best, i’ll buy.
I like this thing's bones but I would love if they offered a higher spec suspension and if possible a half fairing too. They have everything in place for the suspension.
Though I would really love a CBR600RR replacement built off this motor pushed up to 110 or so crank HP. It has the revs and displacement to do it
I can see a future race series with these like the cb500 class. I'm actually tempted to get one of these as a weekend fun bike
Thanks for posting. Your garage (car port) looks great. At first, I thought you were at the dealer's. How did you get the image on the inside of the garage door?
Test bike was a white one, looks so much better in the flesh. Having decided already it would be the understated grey for me...The test bike changed my mind. I ordered a white one.
Interesting that you call it a small capacity /middleweight machine. I guess that makes a CB500 a tiny beginner's bike.
Another great, interesting review, thanks for posting Chopsey.
Looking forward to picking mine up in a couple weeks time, in black with a quick shifter. Thanks for a great video.
Yellow looks GREAT - awesome looking hope it comes to the USA!
Hold the boat! The GARAGE DOOR, that is so cool did I miss that looks brilliant.
Details coming in the next garage build vid 👍
Garage is looking sa-weet!! 😎
Totally agree. Put the twin in the cb650r chassis
Glad we basically concur on this one Chopsy!
Yes indeed Andy great bike 👍
Nice review sir, hopefully this bike comes in my region right in time when I can finally afford one, looks like a great fun bike.
Keen to see how the Hornet stacks up against the 790 Duke and the new Suzi. The GSX8S doesn't sound that good on paper in the specs department, but I have this feeling it might be a good bike once aboard (and really thats all that matter). I'm hoping it's a fun bike like the Hornet sounds. Coz it looks alright and hard to beat Suzuki for ownership.
Nearly all modern Jap bikes are quite easy to own in my experience, especially Honda and Yamaha.
790 duke will eat this for breakfast (then be broken by dinner time)
KTM will be leaking coolant in 5 minutes
I owned a 2018 duke from new and loved it however it did have some reliability issues and and the new one has got less power and and you have to pay for all the extras which were standard on the original for only £800 less I would just look for a deal on the 890
@@nokneedownian8521 i also owned the 2018, 790 duke from new. It also had issues. Loved the bike, great to ride but it has put me off owning another
another nice bike well reviewed thanks Chopsey for making my day a better one.
One of the best moto-vloggers , I love your vids and reviews !
Wow, thanks! 😁
Sound nice! And I love the yellow! Totally agree with you on the styling! 👍
Always look forward to a fresh chops review. 👌🏽😎
Good review that. My mate had the 2000 Y plate with a bikini faring. Was a mega bike. I only had a 125 at the time! Good times 👍
i’ve only watched the first two minutes of this video and i had to stop to say AMEN! i wish Honda had mimicked the styling from their CB300/650/1000 neo-retros, rather than copying the 500. after all, the original Hornet, with it’s big, round, headlight, was a bit of a throwback in it’s styling. they should have embraced that to really make this version special. this was a missed opportunity. okay, now i’ll finish the video.
great review, i have been a die hard hornet fan for years, love the bike. three 600 and two 900's still got my 02 900. when Honda showed the drawings i thought great. i wasnt even to bothered about it being a parallel twin. as this is the way they are going. but you are right the 750 looks like most bikes. the hornet from day one has had a look that stands out. the new suzuki 800 looks better. at the moment i will stick with my 900. new subscriber enjoying your vids. keep it up.
At 6'1"or 2 you are used to cramped legs. 2" more than the 500x for leg room would be great. Whty the change?
I like this. Its like a Grom for adults. I have no problem with it being a twin over a four either. For the power level, tuning and so on it makes sense. What won't be so clever is when they inevitably throw some fairings on it and call it a CBR. Well unless it gets some serious mods and throws out another 35hp or so.
I would say the Honda CB300R is the Grom with power.
Just the review i wanted, splendid. This new Hornet will be my next bike. Can't wait, coming from an CB500F :)
Chops where did you get the roller door art done? Looks great
*Tagged in case this info comes back
I feel like this needs it's own episode in the garage build series.
Yes full details coming in the next garage episode 😁👍
Fastsigns in Portsmouth
Nice one. Make yourself a cup of tea and roll the roller door......
Honda made a winner with this one. A yellow one for me please.
Great review Chopsy , for a new sub 7k bike I'm surprised at the power and what you get for your money and it being a Honda reliability I'm sure . Roads where looking a bit dodgy on your ride there 😮😮 Loving the garage mate 👍👍
Thanks Wattie 👍
Great video.Looks like a bargain machine. Has it got a comfy seat though, that seems to be my issue with modern bikes.
Curious if you could notice any differences with the quick shifter settings? That was something I was quite interested in. Definitely with you chops, the CB 650 is a good looking motorcycle. The 790/890, GSX 8S and that Hornet share a lot of the same DNA aesthetically.
Yeah not much difference if I'm honest, think the medium setting was better for road riding
Agree with your comments about the looks, not sure why Honda are so conservative in this area Vs Kawasaki and Yamaha but as you said they’ll still sell boat loads of these. Great review!
Yes it’s dull as dishwater to look at so a non starter for me but it sounds great like an RS660. Maybe we should wait for the CBR750 version
Love your videos chopsy!
Even on bikes that are not for me, I'll watch your reviews just for the love of bikes and your enthusiasm 👍👍
🏍🏍
Thanks Ian 👍
This is the video I've been waiting for Chopsy. As a big 'ol unit like you, and one who is in the market for a back lane scratcher / work commuter, I was curious how this bike would suit a bigger rider.
I need to book myself a test ride!
These are going to sound awesome with exhausts
My local dealer has one with the akriprovic exhaust and some of the nice bits on as a demo I might book a test ride it looks nice in person
I feel like they could've slapped a round headlight on there, like the one on the cb300r or the cb650r but with the same body.
That way it'd look similar to the older hornets
will you be doing a review on the KTM Duke 890? Would love to see if its worth spending the extra over the 790 as your review on that looks fantastic!!
Great review, Chops. I'm 6' 3" and 19 stone with a 32" inside leg. Do you think I would be cramped on the Hornet?
Nice 1 again Lamb Chop
Trouble is, once you get used to little touches like temp. guage, tyre pressure monitors, or, heaven forbid, mudguards, you don't want to do without them.
Great idea with that comparison!
Looks like a lot of fun. If it's similar to the Forza 750, the ambient temperature is top right of the display
Replace the insectoid headlight with a CB650R style one and the aesthetics of the bike will probably improve a lot. Someone should make a conversion kit
Can’t you adjust the power settings for in town riding to make it a lil more relaxed?
Yes indeed you can 👍
Have to take issue with you Chopsey on the styling you wish it was more like the retro leaning 650R, not me just a little less like a KTM. It's a choice between a Tiger Sport and one of these, depends how comfortable for 6' 3" 14st me on the test ride ?
Interesting! yesterday I watched Bike Social 'choosing a bike' and the Guy went for an old cheap Hornet, cos he was blown away!!!
sounds like a great bike for 7k chopsy and i agree with you about the styling oh and your garage looks brilliant now 👍
9:49 was that the VVT/VTEC kicking in there? Sounded like it opened up valves there xD
Okay, now I have actually tried it, and man that thing pulls hard! But it’s still smooth and confidence inspiring. To me a guy that have had surgery in my back, it’s nice and comfortable. And I didn’t feel any discomfort.
Torque is just crazy, it pulls hard even in 6th gear at low rpm
I can only find one thing, and that’s styling. I absolutely hate the styling and to me it’s so sad that Honda didn’t go more aggressive on styling.
To day I’m going to try the mt07 and after trying the Hornet, it’s going to be fun to compare the two. I really like the look of the mt07 and deep down I hope I like to ride the mt07, because that’s the one I have been dreaming of.
Edit I just bought a Yellow Hornet! It wins in everything compared to the bikes in its class. I hated the look of it. Now owning it, I think it looks freaking cool a little KTM wannabe 😂
Not everyone likes ultra modern "transformer" looks of today's naked bikes.
I would rather have a more classic style on the new Hornet, like a round headlamp.
The mto7 is hideous to my eyes, one of the reasons I choose the Hornet.
Wow I wish this was in the US. Hopefully it will be eventually. Id pick this over a mt07
Seems like such a nice bike, and it felt tiny when I sat on it. Must arrange a test ride...
can't wait for the comparison video, imo the gsx-8s is nicer looking, but on paper this is the better bike
I personally like the styling,I will be buying the white one with the red frame.
The review we've been waiting for. Nice one Chops 👍
Hope you enjoyed it!
@@LambChopRides yes indeedy. Probably look better if not in Suzuki yellow 🤔
As an ex owner of a Honda 650R I hope the build quality, gearbox and suspension is better on this. I would like to see it after a year of riding during a UK winter too. I want to liker this but simply don't trust Honda since my poor experience with the 650R
Ohhhh interesting, I'm on the hunt for a new bike.
Still might go smcr though.
as a cb650r owner i´d like to admit i also love to own a hornet now
Looking forward to you riding the new Suzuki GSX 8S twin, to compare to the Hornet
My guess is the GSX8S will be a bit sportier but the Honda will be more practical and easier to live with. Looking forward to reviews of that bike as well!
I've been invited to the GSX-8S International launch so will be a video coming before the comparison 👍
@@LambChopRides when's that happening?
@@LambChopRides Excellent. Enjoy!