MCL 2022
STREET
Honda, taking it to the Street
Welcome to this year's Motorcycle Live Show at Birmingham’s NEC. Seize the opportunity to get up close and personal with Honda's sensational new motorcycles before they roll onto the showroom floor.
The street bike station category is one of the most important in the motorcycle market. In 2023, we've got two of the most exciting arrivals to hit the pavement.
First under the spotlight is the retro-inspired CL500. A brand-new take on a vintage classic. Then, flying high and close on its heels is the incredible future-class leader, Honda's iconic 750 Hornet.
If that wasn't enough, a trio of Honda models are undergoing a 2023 update. So keep a lookout for the latest news on the iconic CMX1100, CB1000R and CB650R.
Join us at Honda stand from the 19th-27th of November for more news on the street!
Honda's New Hornet; Set to Shake up the Hive
In the late 1990s, Honda took the engine from its top-rated 600cc sport bike and put it into a street chassis. In such a fiercely contested category, this may have appeared to be quite a gamble for some motorcycle manufacturers, but not for Honda.
The lightweight, power-packed 600 Hornet hit the nail on the head straight out of the box. It shook up the middleweight market and left the competition reeling.
Today, Honda is ready to repeat the process with the all-new CB750 Hornet. So if you think the OG caused a buzz, wait until the next-generation Hornet hits the streets.
The 2023 CB750 Hornet introduces Honda's all-new, long-awaited 755cc short-stroke power plant, and it's well worth the wait. The class-leading power of the parallel-twin engine is wrapped innovatively in a stiff, lightweight chassis with sporty suspension. Into the mix, throw some minimalistic angular bodywork and the result is an edgy, ready-to-fly street fighter.
Sting in the Tail
The Hornet's power plant may tap into the classic 750cc parallel-twin engine layout. Inside though, is an engine packed with modern race track technology. With a power-to-weight ratio guaranteed to get the blood pumping, this middleweight contender packs a powerful sting in the tail.
The Hornet's intake and cylinder lining technology is borrowed straight from Honda's super sport range. The short-stroke 8v engine pushes out a class-leading 67.5kW of power at 9,500 revs. Horsepower is only part of the story, though. You'll find power on tap everywhere in the rev range thanks to 75Nm of torque tuned for low/mid-range stomp and a top-end rush.
Power is a plus but the CB750 Hornet is also about delivery. The 'throb' begins with the engine's 270-degree crankshaft and continues to its tuned exhaust note. When accelerating out of a corner, rather than isolating you from it, the Hornet lets you feel the power.
The CB750 Hornet's class-leading power-to-weight ratio is partly due to its robust and lightweight diamond format steel frame. Meanwhile, top shelf 41mm USD, big piston Showa forks and Pro-Link rear suspension, added to 5 spoke cast aluminium wheels, provide a rolling chassis that's agile and sure-footed.
Electronic Rider Aids and Equipment
The Hornet's power and poise are enhanced perfectly by a raft of cutting-edge electronic rider aids. For example, throttle by wire offers 3 riding modes with 3-level selectable torque control with integrated wheelie control.
Settings are easy to view on the Hornet's instrument display. You can access these easily via a user-friendly left-side handlebar cluster. The electronic intervention extends to the gears with a slipper clutch working with the 6-speed gearbox to prevent back wheel lock-ups on fast downshifts.
The 5" colour TFT instrument panel, positioned perfectly for vital information at a glance, offers a choice of 4-distinct formats. This feature allows you to choose how you would like information displayed. You can scroll through the electronic rider aids using the handlebar cluster.
If you enjoy riding to tunes from your favourite playlist, check out the Hornet's instrument panel equipped with Honda's smartphone voice control system. In conjunction with the RoadSync app, Bluetooth connectivity streams music, Sat Nav commands and call voice activation.
As you would expect from Honda, a full range of factory accessories is waiting in the wings to help you hone your Hornet. Here, you can choose sport, style or touring packs and you'll find everything from quick shifters to tank bags.
Honda also offers an A2 compliable ECU re-write that restricts engine power to 35kW. So once you pass your motorcycle test, take a trip to an authorised Honda dealer to put the sting back in its tail.
Believe the Buzz
You better believe the buzz as the all-new CB750 Hornet is on course to shake up the hive. Reserve yours online, download a brochure or book a test ride. Find your nearest Honda dealer at Honda.co.uk.
All new CL500 Street Scrambler; LOOK THE PART
The new CL500 captures the spirit of the original 1964 CL72. It delivers contemporary chassis design and engine technology to create a new modern classic. Like the original street scrambler, it begs to be ridden, customised and enjoyed. Once a CL, always a CL.
At the heart of the CL500 is Honda's tried and tested liquid-cooled, double overhead cam, 4-valve engine. In this guise, new riders will be happy to hear that a peak power output of 35kW at 8500rpm makes the CL500 A2 license-friendly.
The engine boasts a 10.7-1 compression ratio, electric fuel injection and a healthy 43.3Nm of available torque at a mere 6000rpm. Tuned for bottom and low-end push, this configuration means experienced riders will also get a big kick from the CL500.
A 180-degree crank means the engine spins up fast. Add to this immediate throttle response and you have instant, smooth power the moment you hit the throttle. Considering the CL500's dirt track potential, it's a welcome feature. More on that later.
The bike benefits from a 6-speed box with a wet multi-plate assisted slipper clutch. The slipper clutch is a useful feature for new and experienced riders, allowing for fast downshifts without locking the back wheel.
Retro Vibes
Concertina fork gaiters protect meaty 41mm conventionally-mounted forks. Meanwhile, 45mm round section tubing gives the swingarm a retro vibe, enhanced by the 5-step pre-load adjustable twin shocks.
Twin-channel ABS with a double-piston front and single-piston rear calliper bring things under control. Meanwhile, the CL500 rolls on a 19'" front and 17" rear wheel combination. This configuration gives plenty of manoeuvrability at the front and a chunky rear footprint.
The whole deal is suspended in a lightweight yet robust diamond-shaped frame. The finished product is a perfect blend of old-school looks and new-age technology. As a result, the new Honda CL500 is an all-around attention-getter, parked up or on the move.
The CL Shines
The CL's lighting system ensures you won't be able to hide your light under a bushel. Its headlamp features 4 LED bulbs in a round shell. The classic look continues with the oval LED taillight.
Keeping with the electrical system, the single, central-mounted 100mm clock continues the vintage vibe while remaining packed with information.
The LED console gives readouts for a speedometer with dual trip meters, a fuel level indicator and a fuel consumption gauge. Here, you'll also find a clock, gear indicator and a novice-friendly shift-up indicator.
As for ride quality, the solid chassis and responsive engine keep things planted on the road, making light work of corner carving. Yet, what happens on the loose stuff?
On the face of it, the CL's street scrambler credentials look intact. Ground clearance is a commendable 155mm. A turning radius of 2.7m is comparable to the new XL750 Transalp and a high-level exhaust, wide handlebars and a bench-style seat add to the trail-hungry look.
Look the Part
You'll be glad to hear that the CL500's street scrambler appearance is more than skin deep. Suspension travel, favourable ergonomics and low-down smooth torque mean the CL takes dirt tracks in its stride and the fun factor kicks in moment you get off the beaten track.
Whether you're a new, returner or experienced rider, the all-new CL500 is a fun ride with no pretensions. Capable of taking the rough with the smooth while keeping a smile on your face. The CL is the perfect embodiment of Honda's original street scrambler spirit.
Bobber turns Bagger
When it made its UK debut in 2021, the Honda CMX1100 caught everyone off guard. Instead of being another bland offering in an overpopulated cruiser sector, Honda's CMX1100 was and still is today, a rebel with a cause.
By looking at it, you'd be hard-pressed to say what aspect of the CMX tips the balance. Honda successfully captured the bobber spirit with its cut-down chassis and minimalistic cycle parts. Designers even threw in a big-inch parallel twin engine to stir the soul.
The big Rebel is no overweight bruiser struggling through bends. Instead, the satin black power plant hurls along straights and catapults out of bends flexing 100Nm of pure torque.
All Show with Lots of Go
If performance came as a surprise, then the handling was a revelation. The Rebel carries its 223kg weight low, giving it an excellent centre of gravity. Meanwhile, 43mm telescopic, cartridge-style, pre-load adjustable forks and twin piggyback shocks keep everything under control.
The result is a chassis that offers impeccable neutral steering and levels of poise, balance and stability, turning the rider into a bend-hunter.
The Rebel's feel-good factor is off the scale. However, for 2021/2 riders wanting to take all that 2-wheeled fun on a road trip, luggage capacity and wind protection were noticeable by their absence.
You spoke and Honda listened. The updated 2023 Honda CMX1100T Rebel is road trip ready. The exciting performance and handling remain, yet owners can now enjoy it carrying much more baggage.
Cruise control and a USB charging socket come as standard. Plus, the option of Honda's legendary DCT (Dual Clutch Transmission). Perhaps the hard-bagged bobber was a natural progression. On the topic of bags, the aerodynamically shaped hard panniers blend seamlessly with the rear fender to provide 35 litres of storage.
Meanwhile, with its stubby tinted windshield, the fork-mounted half-fairing still manages to ooze enough moody style to add to the big bad bobber ethos.
The panniers and half fairing are colour matched to the 1100T Rebel's blacked-out bodywork to provide the perfect package.
Can Touring on a bobbed bagger get any cooler?
CB1000R
Thanks to a major model update in 2018, the CB1000R stepped off the super naked track to carve a path of its own. At the time, Honda's development engineers thought the hard-core streetfighter was overdone and needed a change.
Influenced by the neo-industrial minimalist movement, the development crew stripped the CB1000R to the bone. Its sparse remaining bodywork and tank/seat contours took on a slight café racer vibe, giving birth to the neo-Sports Café.
Fancy nametag aside, the 2021 CB1000R was still the hard-charging, performance-oriented fire-breather. However, the bike's controlled-aggressive stance perfectly matched its 143bhp Fireblade-derived inline-4 engine.
Apart from its combative face-lift, the 2021 engine landed revised PGM-fuel injection settings to enhance smoother power delivery. The move also future-proofed the bike with EURO5 compliance.
Updates continued with the full-colour TFT instrument display. The information-packed info consul allows for 4 choices of layout and runs the Honda Smartphone Voice Control System. This system links the rider to their smartphone function and is adaptable for voice control activation.
Back to Black
If the standard CB1000R wasn't brooding enough, the launch of the 'Black Edition' saw the bike take mean and moody to a whole other level. The paint job is so devoid of colour that it makes a model T-Ford look positively rainbow-hued. If however, you imagine the result as a featureless black mass, you couldn't be further from the truth.
Polished aluminium detailing on the satin black engine's cylinder head, clutch and engine casings beg for attention. Meanwhile the all-black colour scheme extends to every part of the CB1000R, even down to the inverted fork tubes and exhaust.
Finishing touches such as the custom 'CB' machined handlebar clamps make the special edition even more desirable. The Black Edition also includes a quick-shifter to increase the bike's lightning-fast acceleration. Even the classic red and white Honda wing sits on a raised platform on the side of the petrol tank, giving the CB a hand-finished vibe.
While Honda retains the quick shifter from the 'Black Edition,' other tweaks to the CB1000R are minor.
The 2023 model is available in Bordeaux Red Metallic. The Limited Edition model also comes in Mat Jeans Blue Metallic.
Middleweight Contender with a Real Punch
The 650cc sector is a battlefield. It attracts low insurance premiums and an attractive thrill-to-cost ratio. While every major manufacturer has a horse in the race, some competitors are leading by a nose.
The CB650R broke cover in 2019, picking up the baton from the outgoing CB650F. Not that was anything wrong with the F, it was a fine bike with plenty of fans. Yet, complacency is a killer in a motorcycle sector which never stands still.
So with styling cues borrowed from its big brother, the storming CB1000R, the 650R got a full-on neo café treatment. The edgy new CB's engine is a slightly re-mapped version of its fully faired sport bike sibling, the CBR650R.
Enviable power-to-weight ratio
An impressive 92bhp pushes the Honda to over 130mph. Moreover, the double overhead cam (DOHC) 16-valve engine is tuned for Honda's trademark fast pickup. As a result, there are plenty of thrusts right through the rev range combined with Honda's legendary hard-hitting top-end boost.
Engine performance benefits from less weight and multiple chassis improvements. A steel diamond format frame with twin elliptical spars adds stiffness around the headstock while retaining essential flex in the spar sections. The result is an all-up weight of just 202.5kg and a balanced chassis delivering plenty of rider feedback.
The premium suspension also helps shave weight with Showa separate function, 41mm Big Piston USD forks. An adjustable 10-stage pre-load monoshock on a gravity die-cast aluminium swingarm keeps this middleweight champ a strong contender.
Pulling-Off Compliance
While some manufacturers struggle with power loss from EURO5 compliance, the CB650R manages to pull it off with no dip in top-end power. Not a simple task. Compliance requires ECU, cam lobes, intake timing, exhaust pipe, catalyser and silencer revisions, plus the addition of a crank pulsar.
The engine's slim profile is thanks to a stacked six-speed gearbox and starter layout. Meanwhile, the 30-degree canted cylinders add to the engine's air of urgency.
The CB's rear-wheel lock up from hard braking and rapid downshifts remain under control due to the slipper/assist clutch. Honda Selectable Torque Control supplies further rear wheel traction. It's also possible to turn this off, should the rider choose.
Colour schemes for the CB650R include Matte Grey Metallic and Matte Jeans Blue Metallic. New colours for the 2023 model range include Candy Chromosphere Red and Matte Gunpowder Black Metallic.
In the battle for middleweight supremacy, the Honda CB650R packs a real punch.
Share, Show and Tell
Street bikes form one of the most important sectors in the world of motorcycling. At Honda, you talk, and we listen. We stay ahead of the game by constantly innovating and updating our street bike range.
The all-new CL500 Street Scrambler exudes a can-do attitude. With design cues from the original, we've successfully combined a modern bulletproof engine and chassis and a big slice of the old CL's fun factor. The result is a motorcycle that's got the look.
Honda are shaking up the hive with the launch of the new CB750 Hornet. This attitude-laden street fighter is bristling with high-tech, but the sheer buzz from a responsive engine in an agile frame never gets old.
At the Honda stand, you'll also see a preview of the tweaks made to our current street bike standard bearers, the CMX1100, CB1000R and CBR650R.
So, get your cameras and smartphones ready and prepare to share images of your favourite bikes with other Honda fans.
Don't forget to show some love on social media too. Honda Motorcycles UK's digital footprint spreads across Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. So we’d love to see your pics, reels, tweets and comments.
Our social media platforms will ensure you keep up with all the breaking news and model information. Better yet, you will get updates as and when they happen. Stay tuned, Honda lovers!
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