New Honda CB1000 Hornet, CB500 Hornet models capitalise on CB750 buzz

In 2024, the Hornet range will expand by a factor of three, as the Honda CB1000 Hornet and Honda CB500 Hornet arrive to complement the existing model which was revived in 2022.

That revival was born from the Honda CB750 Hornet, which came in with a significant level of hype in 2022.

The 2024 additions come alongside a refreshed and revised Honda CBR1000RR-R Fireblade and a European return for the Honda CBR600RR. As for the Hornets themselves, they are in the shape of the CB1000 Hornet and CB500 Hornet, which together mean that Honda has now covered essentially all bases with its resurrected Hornet range.

2024 Honda CB1000 Hornet

From the starting point of a 750, there are of course two ways to move. You can go up, or you can go down. Happily, Honda has done both this year, and in moving up it has transplanted the inline four-cylinder from the 2017 Honda CBR1000R Fireblade into its new one-litre Hornet. That means 148bhp and 74lb ft are now wrapped beneath the Hornet’s aggressive, almost Ducati Streetfighter-like styling. That styling features dual LED headlights, a swept-forward tank design and a blacked-out frame.

That frame is new, by the way, not a rework of the CB750s nor borrowed from the CBR1000. It’s aluminium, while the subframe is tubular steel.

Pricing and availability have not yet been announced, and nor have many of the bike's specifications at time of writing, but the 2024 CB1000 Hornet will be available in ‘Grand Prix Red’, ‘Mat Iridium Gray Metallic’, and ‘Pearl Glare White’. 

2024 Honda CB500 Hornet

The second new Hornet is half the size of the 1000, with the CB500 Hornet joining the CB750 in being a dual-cylinder member of the range.

The CB500 Hornet isn’t a properly new model, though - it’s essentially a renaming and restyling of the Honda CB500F.

Honda describes its look as “sensual front to back,” and as with the other Hornets, the styling is angular and aggressive, featuring the same forward-swept fuel tank as the others. 

Under the bodywork, the 471cc parallel twin-cylinder produces the same A2-compliant outputs as it did in the CB500F, meaning 47bhp and 32lb ft of torque. The engine also benefits from an ECU update aimed at improving acceleration, and the bike gets Honda Selectable Torque Control (HSTC) as standard. HSTC is manageable via a five-inch TFT display, which also facilitates connectivity to the Honda RoadSync app.

Other features include a 41mm Showa SFF-BP (Separate Function Fork - Big Piston) inverted front fork, a rear shock from the same manufacturer, and dual 296mm discs up front with radial, four-piston Nissin callipers. At the rear, there is a 240mm disc with single-piston calliper.

Rolling on 17-inch wheels in 120/70-ZR17 (front) and 160/60-ZR17 (rear) dimensions and spaced 1,410mm apart, the 2024 CB500 Hornet weighs in at 188kg.

There are also three accessory packs available: the 'Style' pack, 'Comfort' pack, and 'Travel' pack. 

The Style pack offers a meter visor for the instrument display and added wind deflection, a protective tank pad, a colour-matched cowl for the pillion seat, and a wheel stripe kit for “a flash of extra colour,” Honda says. 

The Comfort Pack adds heated grips, an ACC socket, and a Main Stand; while the Travel Pack includes a three-litre tank bag with a see-through pocket for smartphones and a rain cover and the 15-litre rear seat bag (expandable to 22L).

Other accessories include a 35-litre top box and a rear carrier that allows for its attachment which can only be purchased individually. All of the accessories included in the packs can be bought separately. 

The 2024 Honda CB500 Hornet will be available in three colours - ‘Matt Gunpowder Black Metallic’, ‘Grand Prix Red’, and ‘Pearl Himalayas White’. It will be priced at £6,199 in the UK.

2024 Honda CB500 Hornet specifications