GB Racing launch engine protection kit for Honda CB1000 Hornet
Visordown’s bike of the year, the Honda CB1000 Hornet, might just have become even more appealing.
As the dust settles on 2025, a year in which Visordown has been busy testing new models year-round, one particular bike took top spot when it came to our bike of the year award.
That was the Honda CB1000 Hornet, which can now be further enhanced with race-spec engine protection from GB Racing. The new bit of kit can be ordered directly from the British company or authorised dealers.
If you want to know more about which bikes made our list of winners, then give our Visordown Awards 2025 a read.
The bolt-on secondary engine protection parts have been “designed, prototyped, manufactured and tested exclusively at our Hertfordshire factory”, says GB Racing.
The motorcycle protection specialists go on to say that “these new parts are made to the same high standards as those used by Honda Racing UK in BSB, and by MIE Honda in WorldSBK.”
The CB1000 Hornet is Honda’s range-topping naked and features a retuned engine from the CBR1000RR. Its 996cc liquid-cooled four-cylinder engine produces 150bhp at 11,000rpm, although power gets bumped up to 155bhp at the same revs aboard the SP version. The standard model delivers 76.7 Ib-ft of torque at 9,000rpm, while the SP churns out 79 Ib-ft of torque, again at 9,000rpm.
The new engine cover can be fitted to both models, and joins GB Racing’s XL Bullet chassis sliders and lever guards, which are already compatible with the CB1000 Hornet.
In our review of the CB1000 Hornet we said that the bike “handles fantastically, sounds brilliant and, especially if you opt for the SP, has a high level of standard spec”. However, one of the other areas we mentioned which makes it stand out is its value.
The 2025 CB1000 Hornet comes with a bargain price of £9,099, while the SP version is only £10,099. That makes both models extremely competitive in today’s market, with Yamaha’s MT-10 priced at £14,320, for example.
Find the latest motorcycle news on Visordown.com.
After graduating with a sports journalism degree, Robert joined Crash.net to lead the WorldSBK coverage in 2021, while also providing MotoGP coverage. Fulfilling that role for over three years, Robert was able to put his knowledge about all things racing to the test.