Honda Hornet 2.0 launched at Rs 1.26 lakh

The Honda Hornet 2.0, a new motorcycle from Honda Motorcycle and Scooter India (HMSI), has been launched in India at a price of Rs 1.26 lakh (ex-showroom, Delhi). Read on to know more about it.

• Based on Honda CB190R
• Gets a USD fork
• Has a 142kg Kerb weight
  

The new Hornet 2.0 marks Honda India's foray into the 180cc-200cc segment and boasts of muscular styling, a new chassis and a few segment-first features.

Design

To begin with, the new Honda Hornet 2.0 is based on the Honda CB190R that's sold in international markets, albeit with most of its body panels changed, including the headlamp and tail-light.

The Hornet 2.0 looks like a proper street fighter, with its sharp LED headlamp, beefy tank and sleek tail section. The tank extensions look seamlessly integrated and add to the visual mass. One design aspect that will remind you of the Honda Hornet 160R is the X-shaped tail lamp.

Moving on to equipment, the Hornet 2.0 is the only motorcycle in its segment to feature a USD fork, and it's finished in a contrasting shade of gold. The motorcycle also has a reverse LCD instrument cluster (a Honda staple these days) that also features a gear position indicator, service due indicator and battery voltmeter. Users can also customise the brightness level, with manual adjustment up to five levels.

Other noteworthy features of the Honda Hornet 2.0 include a LED indicators, hazard lamps and a sealed chain that Honda claims requires less frequent maintenance.

Engine specifications

Powering the Honda Hornet 2.0 is a new 184.4cc, air-cooled, fuel-injected, single-cylinder engine that develops 17.2hp at 8,500rpm and 16.1Nm at 6,000rpm. These figures are slightly higher than 160cc motorcycles and just below that of some 200cc ones, but considerably lower than the 200cc bikes from TVS and Bajaj.

What should work in favour of the Hornet 2.0, when it comes to performance is its 142kg kerb weight. For those curious, the Hornet's power to weight ratio is 121.12hp per tonne.

Chassis

The Hornet 2.0  is based on a new diamond frame, and Honda promises light and agile handling. Along with the USD fork, there's an adjustable monoshock at the rear.

The bike rides on new alloy wheels, shod with a fat 110mm tyre at the front and a 140mm tyre at the rear.

Braking duties are carried out by a 276mm front petal disc and 220mm petal disc at the rear. The bike is equipped with single-channel ABS only.

Availability and colours

The Honda Hornet 2.0 will be available from the first week of September 2020. The colour options include Pearl Igneous Black, Matte Sangria Red Metallic, Matte Axis Grey Metallic and Matte Marvel Blue Metallic.

Honda Hornet 2.0: 5 things to know

The new Hornet 2.0 marks Honda India's foray into the 180cc-200cc segment. In order to compete on an even footing, it sports aggressive styling, a new platform and a few segment-first features.

New platform for India

The Honda Hornet 2.0 uses a new platform for India. The bike does not share its frame and other components with the CB Hornet 160R. Instead it borrows hardware from the CB190R sold in international markets. A quick comparison reveals that both, the Honda Hornet 2.0 and CB190R use 184.4cc engines mated to 5-speed gearboxes. Both bikes also have the same 9.5:1 compression ratio. Other similarities come in form of the diamond frame, brakes, tyre sizes and the suspension. The kerb weight and wheelbase have minor differences – 2kg and 1mm, respectively.
 

Aggressive and handsome design

While the bike is quite similar to the CB190R mechanically, it’s quite different when it comes to the design. The motorcycle does share the CB190R’s silhouette, but it also carries the aggressive design from the CB Hornet 160R forward. Each body panel appears to have been restyled, including components like the headlight and tail-light. The first thing you’ll notice are the sharp tank extensions that tie-in well with the rest of the bodywork. Another design highlight is the faux vents, which are positioned below the pillion seat. A neat design touch is the X-shaped tail-light; this was a signature element of the previous Hornet in India.
 

Performance between 160cc and 200cc

Despite using the same air-cooled, two-valve engine as the CB190R, Honda has managed to churn out more power and torque for India. The Hornet 2.0 puts out 17.2hp and 16.1Nm as compared to the CB190R’s 15.8hp and 15.3Nm figures. The company managed this while also making the engine BS6-compliant. To give you an idea of where the Honda stands on paper, it is closer towards the powerful 160s in India than the 200s. For reference, the TVS Apache RTR 160 4V makes 16hp and 14.12Nm, while the Bajaj NS160 makes 17.2hp and 14.6Nm. While the Bajaj makes the same power figure, the Hornet 2.0 still has the advantage when it comes to torque.

However, 200cc offerings like the TVS Apache RTR 200 4V – with a 20.5hp/16.8Nm engine – and the Bajaj Pulsar NS200 – powered by a 24.5hp/18.5Nm unit – have a big advantage on paper. The BS4 Hero Xtreme 200R also boasts slightly higher performance figures, but it also comes at a significantly lower price than the Hornet. We will probably see the Hero’s price go up with the shift to meet BS6 norms, but it’s still expected to be considerably lower than the Honda Hornet 2.0’s price.

Promises sure-footed dynamics

The Hornet 2.0's biggest USP is its upside-down fork. This fork setup is a first in the segment and usually found on more premium motorcycles. T. In addition, the Hornet 2.0 also has the widest tyres in its segment. The 110/70 front and 140/70 rear tyres underline the fact that Honda has prioritised good riding dynamics, even if it might come at a small expense, in terms of fuel-efficiency.
 

Priced nearly on par with 200cc bikes

At Rs 1.27 lakh, the Hornet 2.0 comes uncomfortably close to more-powerful 200cc offerings like the NS200 (Rs 1.29 lakh) and RTR 200 4V (Rs 1.28 lakh). The Hornet 2.0 also misses out on features like a four-valve head, liquid or oil-cooling, a 6-speed gearbox, dual-channel ABS, radial tyres or Bluetooth connectivity, all of which can be found at this price point.

That said, it will come with Honda’s legendary brand name as well as the promise of punchy urban performance and good riding dynamics. However, specifications only tell part of the story and we can’t wait to find out what the Hornet 2.0 is like in action. Stay tuned.