Road test of HondaCB 750 Hornet 2023 test

so , do we kill the suspense right away, or do we try to stall for time for the competition to recover? No need, just 200 meters is enough to make the difference. Let's be as ruthless as the new 750 Hornet: it didn't give its rivals a chance!
Put to the test against market icons such as the Yamaha MT-07 and Kawasaki Z 650, the result was indisputable. The Yam lasted half a round in the ring; the Kawa barely more, as it was less conspicuous in the spats. But what happened?

they're all under the Castellant sun, waiting in the cold for the vibrators' fiery spirit. The circuit isn't the favorite place for our riders of the day. In fact, it's highly unlikely that they'll ever set foot on it. But here's an excellent (and small) arena for pushing the breeds to their limits, putting a bit of strain on them and banging away at them in maximum safety.
Above all, in this little game, the differences and shortcomings quickly become apparent - even instantly, in some respects.
Let's not denigrate the MT-07, especially since its ten-year success is quite a line on its CV. But here, under the clement skies of Paul Ricard, it's getting its ass kicked by the Hornet on any track. It's neither a slap nor a cuff; it's a complete knockout. A Mot'Mot' confrere was absolutely right when he spoke of a killer contract from one to the other.

<img style="width: 700px; height: 501px; display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" alt="Honda CB 750 Hornet 2023 test ride" "="" class="lazy" data-src="https://www.motoplanete.us/newsmpb/images/Essai-Honda-CB-750-Hornet-2023-1.webp" loading="lazy"><span><br> </span>I'm at one-third throttle on a long, not very technical straight and yet the Yam is wiggling noticeably. A good acceleration at the exit makes it waddle from behind before setting off to tackle a short straight. I shift into 3rd gear, try to engage the next gear... No way. The gearbox is reluctant to shift under full load. A few curses escape from the helmet as the ignition switch screeches to life. I grab the brakes, whose bite calms the twin's agony. The clamps bite back with vigor, bringing a smile to the face... and highlighting the fork's lack of restraint.<br> By contrast, in the same passage, the Honda is perfectly at ease. Passing faster, calmly poised on its suspates, it waits wisely for a volley of throttle to exit the corner with ease. We open earlier, with an engine that gives voice as well as power. Gears fly by without restraint. With a little jerk without the shifter / all smoothness with it. Now it's Nissin's turn to attack the 296 mm discs. This is where we'd appreciate a little more gniak in the jaws. The feel, very good without being excellent, reminds us that this is a dynamic but not bleeding mid-size roadster. If you insist, you'll feel the ABS wake up on the front, with a certain restraint and good sensitivity, allowing you to curb its intervention while keeping the brake and entering the corner. The anti-dribble keeps the bike in line, and already, we're diving nicely into the right without a second thought.</p> <p><span> </span>Playing judge of the peace,<a href="https://www.motoplanete.us/kawasaki/9548/Z-650-2023/contact.html">the Z 650</a> seems unwilling to clash between our two protagonists. Its engine is far less expressive, with a sound that doesn't make you want to go looking for watts. The chassis allows us to enter corners with a certain neutrality, but the Kawa systematically widens out in the middle and at the end of corners. Whereas the Honda remains confident and the Yam hesitant. It's quite simple: on the track, <a href="https://www.motoplanete.us/yamaha/9614/MT-07-700-2023/contact.html">the MT-07</a> looks for what it needs to do, the Z does the job willy-nilly, and the Hornet cruises along with gusto, without the rider at any point asking questions. You can ask it whatever you want, take it to any corner, whisper a change of trajectory to it without it even flinching.<br> The Honda isn't a scalpel either. Its front end waddles a little when entering pif-pafs, the cornering is very even (even obvious) without being incisive, and its shock absorber tends to pump over small bumps when (hard) throttle back.<br> But here, we're already in a rhythm for which the machine wasn't intended.</p> <p><img style="width: 700px; height: 436px; display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" alt="Testing the Honda CB 750 Hornet 2023" "="" class="lazy" data-src="https://www.motoplanete.us/newsmpb/images/Essai-Honda-CB-750-Hornet-2023-2.webp" loading="lazy">

the game seems decided. Stunned, panting, dazed, the MT-07 clings to perhaps its only trump card: braking. It's clearly the most expressive of the lot. Its bite is much more direct than on the Hornet. Not necessarily more powerful, but the discs attack cleanly, with gniak and a more marked sensation of vigor. But after that, it's all over. The Hornet has already come out of the corner faster, and smokes it on re-acceleration. As it had done from the start, the Z slipped between the two on the curve, then didn't seek confrontation when it came time to put the watts back on. " I'll keep you close behind

after this little cockfight, let's enjoy a ray of warmth and a cup of coffee. Settling down, smelling the delicate aroma of warm pads, taking a fresh look at the bike.
After discovering the 750 Hornet in Cologne and Milan, we don't need to go back over its design, which is the subject of many opinions, but nobody finds it ugly or impersonal. Let's just say we expected it to be sharper. It lacks a "face", a style that stands out, a sparkle to tackle the passer-by. Take a look at the MT: it's horrible, but it shakes anyone who meets its gaze.

looking at the price tag, it was to be feared that this new model would not be quite up to the winged brand's standard of quality. Well, this is not the case. The materials seem to be of good quality, the plastics are well arranged, there are no wires running about or hastily fitted, no welded seams...., an immediate impression of quality. This is simply Honda. The fact that the rear buckle is not removable is a little distracting. But that would certainly have had an impact on the price.
On the other hand, you'll have to make do with very few practical aspects. As always in this category. Storage space under the passenger seat is limited to a tool kit, a Swiss Army knife, a Polaroid photo and a smartphone. That's because the USB-C port (an important clarification) is located there, out of reach. Honda prefers you to store your gizmo here, so as not to be distracted by a screen other than that of the dashboard. And to interact with said gizmo, there's the Honda Smartphone Voice Control system, based on voice recognition.
The passenger will have only a secondary consideration. Nothing new there either. Small folding seat, strap in front of the fly, no handgrips, unobstructed view of the speedometer to check whether the rider is cool or crazy. Passion? Reason? Thrill?

<img style="width: 350px; height: 439px; float: left;" alt="Testing the Honda CB 750 Hornet 2023" "="" class="lazy" data-src="https://www.motoplanete.us/newsmpb/images/Essai-Honda-CB-750-Hornet-2023-3.webp" loading="lazy"> </span>It's no better or worse in other stores. No machine in this sector boasts pockets or gratitude for guests. A boon for the marketing corner, which can offer top-cases, suitcases, luggage effects, amid totally useless but still dapper goodies. </p> <p><span> </span>Now that the Hornet has injected its venom, and none of us want to ride on anything else during the day, it's time to check that the hymenoptera also knows (above all) how to be pleasant on the road. To liven up the route, which is already mouth-watering with tight corners everywhere, a certain Mike Di Meglio will be riding with us. Nothing less than a GP 125 and Endurance world champion, that's for sure. To optimize my chances, I discreetly tried to break his arm and put an eye out to slow him down a little... but I had to choose between violence and apple pie.</p> <p><span> </span>Contact as we leave the restaurant. A small animation on the screen accompanies the Hornet's awakening. The two connecting rods rattle gently, quickly giving way to the sound of the twin. A real success (again). With a husky voice, deep pulses and a few lumps of fat in the throat, the 755 cm3 knows how to make its displacement and architecture stand out. Nothing to do with the blunt pan noise of the Kawa or the cheeky, mutinous tone of the <a href="https://www.motoplanete.us/yamaha/9614/MT-07-700-2023/contact.html">700 MT7</a>. The latter is by no means a demerit, and doesn't let itself be intimidated. Iwata's tone still knows how to speak.<br> Before setting off, we happily turn the throttle to encourage a few engine rumbles. There's no point, but we love to hear the Hornet's engine purr.</p> <p><span> </span>Come on, let's get serious. The tires feel like heating up. So far, the bike seems rather wise. The riding position is natural, with controls that fall immediately to hand and a seat at the right height. Thanks to the seat's design, feet don't need to point out, which suggests that smaller riders won't be penalized. The sonic presence of the engine, the space on board and the size of the tank and cladding make you feel you're in the presence of a motorcycle with a certain aplomb. It shows that it's a 7?, compact but not small, with a slim crotch and legs bent in just the right proportions. The Yamaha feels more compact, while the Kawa immediately feels more like a toy.<br> Honda gave us a hard time about the flexibility of the clutch... and they were right. The grip on the lever is exceptionally smooth, worthy of a 50cc controller. You'd think a guy had been embedded in the sheath to pull at the same time.<br> The bike takes off without the slightest hiccup, and the engine now intimates to the rider to let it express itself.</p> <p><span> </span>The advantage of a twin is that it manifests its presence quite quickly. In the CB 750, it gives a little of its force right from the low revs, then starts to become more consistent around 4,000 rpm. In the first half of the rev counter, you can stroll along without getting bored. At 6,000 rpm, the mill becomes stronger, with a slightly drier sound. The watts start to show their teeth until the next plateau of 8,000 rpm. A short breath of fresh air is followed by another ladleful of protein, which joyfully takes the connecting rods to the edge of the red zone. Generous acceleration, but never violent or hysterical. Almost well-behaved. Just like Honda! All the same, the two-cylinder engine displays a marked joviality and a power that makes you want to go wild. It's a force to be reckoned with, without overpowering the rider.<br> What's more, there's very little mechanical vibration. With its two balancing beams, it invites politeness and comfort. This goes some way to explaining why the less powerful Yamaha block seems more tonic and more playful, because the CP2 isn't to be discarded either. If <a href="https://www.motoplanete.us/yamaha/9614/MT-07-700-2023/contact.html">the MT-07</a> has been so successful for 10 years, it's largely thanks to it.</p> <p><img style="width: 700px; height: 506px; display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" "="" alt="Testing the Honda 750 Hornet - The Universal Sting." class="lazy" data-src="https://www.motoplanete.us/newsmpb/images/Essai-Honda-CB-750-Hornet-2023-4.webp" loading="lazy">

the roads around Le Castellet promise nothing but angles and pleasure. The roads around Le Castellet are full of the promise of angles and fun, with virtually uninterrupted side-to-side turns and no traps posed by the trajs. Except for the damp and cold in some corners. So don't trust the CB 750 in that respect. On board, you don't feel the "aggressiveness" inherent in certain roadsters. In fact, the bike is both relaxed and dynamic. With its nimble chassis, it twists and turns without batting an eyelid, with first-rate ease. Maneuverable to perfection, it engages almost on its own, at a glance. The ride is seamless, with the occasional surprise that you've taken the rope a little earlier than you thought. With the Hornet, the more you ride it, the more you know that the desire to have fun is as present as its seriousness. Double-faced Honda!

in recent years, riding modes have invaded all motorcycle categories. There are four on board, affecting traction control, engine braking and power. Switching from one to the other, you can clearly feel the differences in each cocktail. With "Rain", boredom is guaranteed. The engine responds unhurriedly, with a latency almost designed to count raindrops. In "Standard", the bike already responds with more gusto. But after switching back and forth between the different modes, we finally settle on "Sport". With a crisp throttle response, torque control that intervenes only when really needed, and engine braking that makes itself forgotten, it's in this electronic state that the Hornet feels at its best. The fully configurable "User" selection will only be of use to wheel enthusiasts and other tricks. Indeed, it's only in this mode that you can deactivate the assistants.

the average CB is one of the best-equipped in its class, if not the best. Pilot aids are present on paper, but are polite enough to be discreet. An over-sensitive ABS or traction control that kicks in at the slightest wet patch can quickly become irritating.
And then there's the particularly rich instrumentation. The 5" TFT screen is packed with information and can be configured in many different ways. The rider has a choice of 4 display themes, with several wallpapers to choose from. Entering the configuration menu is not particularly intuitive. On the other hand, changing driving modes or scrolling through road info (trip, fuel consumption, throttle opening, etc.) is easily done with the small pad on the left-hand commodo.
And let's not forget the full LED lighting, HISS anti-theft system, automatic turn signals, auto-triggered warning system for trapper braking, shifter sensitivity adjustment (optional) and anti-wheeling (synchronized with torque control).

<img style="width: 700px; height: 494px; display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" "="" alt="Testing the Honda 750 Hornet - The Universal Sting." class="lazy" data-src="https://www.motoplanete.us/newsmpb/images/Essai-Honda-CB-750-Hornet-2023-5.webp" loading="lazy"></p> <p><span> </span>By evening, opinions were unanimous: it's going to be a hit! Honda has done everything right. It's certain that the market will change gear with the new-generation Hornet.<br> But... I already know what some people are going to harangue:<br> <em>- "'foiré, t'a été payé par Honda!"<br> - "T'aimes pas les Yam, t'y connais rien!"<br> - "Il faisait beau dans le Sud?"</em><br> And just so they know, I've got a Yam in the garage, which I've loved since the day it was introduced...<br> Honda actually paid me for the restaurant and even breakfast ....<br> Great weather but a bit cool...</p> <p><span> </span>It turns out that a manufacturer can simply release an excellent motorcycle. Such is the case with the new 750 Hornet 2023. This level of ease/power/enjoyment at such a price is unbeatable. Even the A2 throttle is successful - though frustratingly phlegmatic once the 35 kW is reached. The competition will have to react very quickly and very seriously... once they've managed to get back on their feet.</p> <p><img style="width: 700px; height: 449px; display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" "="" alt="Testing the Honda 750 Hornet - The universal sting." class="lazy" data-src="https://www.motoplanete.us/newsmpb/images/Essai-Honda-CB-750-Hornet-2023-6.webp" loading="lazy">

M.B - Photos Honda / Goodshoot

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