The CB Hornet 160R replaces the CB Trigger and will be priced marginally higher than the CB Unicorn as a more sporty offering.
Honda’s equivalent of Sunburn called the ‘Revfest’ will kick off tomorrow simultaneously in eight cities in the country to celebrate the launch of a slew of products in the premium segment. While the much awaited CBR650F will be the apple of everyone’s eye. It is now confirmed that the Japanese automaker will also be introducing an all-new motorcycle badged as the ‘CB Hornet 160R’ at the event. The new offering is the successor to the slow-selling CB Trigger in the automaker’s lineup.
The Honda CB Hornet 160R will be using the same underpinnings as the CB Unicorn 160 but will get fatter tyres and improved suspension setup similar to the Suzuki Gixxer and Yamaha FZ. With the CB Unicorn emerging as too commuter-ish for some, the Hornet 160R will fill in the gap in the premium end of the 150-200cc space with its sporty looks and a premium price tag. In terms of power, expect to see the 163cc single-cylinder engine from the CB Unicorn 160 powering the Hornet as well. The motor currently makes 14.5 BHP and 14 Nm of torque, paired to a 5-speed gearbox. The bike is also likely to get a midship exhaust.
The Hornet moniker has been bestowed on several of Honda’s bikes ranging from 250cc to 900cc over the years and is only for the street-fighter versions. This is probably for the first time that a low-capacity motorcycle has been given the name anywhere in the world by the company (maybe since Suzuki did the same with the Gixxer). Apart from the CB Hornet 160R and the CBR650F, the Revfest will witness the launch of the India-specific facelifted versions of the CBR150R and CBR250R with no changes in power output.
Update – Another picture of the Honda CB Hornet 160R has surfaced, showing the side profile. The bike seems to be inspired from the CX-01 concept.
