Speedy.
Reviewed: 08 February 2008
THE VERY UNDERESTIMATED NAKED HONDA.
Cheap, reliable and not over the tops in the looks department. A real budget big bike that even shorties wont have much trouble slinging their legs over, but not so small that your be wearing your knees as earrings.
Honda really did kick the legs out from under the 919cc Fireblade/Hornet when they detuned the engine, although the engine does what you want it to do in real world traffic busting riding, it lacks in the excitement department only narrowly beating the big Bandit at its own game, of course the Z1000 and speed triple leaves egg on the Large hornets face. The clocks allowed water to leak into them on my Hornet corroding some of the electronics, although the fix was easy; for those who cannot find someone to fix them or do it themselves it can end with a very expensive and totally unnecessary speedo replacement.
When Honda released the 919cc Hornet people were hoping the Hornet with its 919cc 1998 Honda Fireblade engine would be awesome, instead we got a Fireblade engine with the fire taken out of it, and compared to other Honda motorcycles very lack luster build quality, the Hornet 919cc failed being the axe wielding homicidal manic factory fighter that everyone wanted. However look again at the large Hornet and your find a motorcycle with a reliable engine that does its job well with enough stomp for real world commuting and biking, the Hornet may not set your world on fire, but it carries over the winning looks of the Early 600 Hornet that people loved in an equally pleasing wallet saving package.
