CB Unicorn 160, which shares the same engine. The sound is crisp and perfectly suited for riding to work on a Monday morning.
Moving from a standstill, the Hornet pulls away with ease and stays glued to the road as it goes through all five of its gears. The mechanical sound when engaging a gear unfortunately is almost absent in the Hornet and I am very uncomfortable feeling the gear engage and unable to hear it.
However the Hornet had a trick up its sleeve, push it past 6500 rpm and queue the montage of throaty street racers from the 90s. Huge grin on my face, I started to push the 160R through its paces and it delivered at each and every turn. Pushing the bike on open city roads is this motor’s calling, I’d be a little more tentative to gun it down long straight stretches as the engine isn’t built for sustained high rev cruising.
As I pull the throttle hard at each gear and downshift to zip through the streets, the bike was able to pick up and drop power
at will. Impressive power Honda!
The rear tyre is one of the main reasons the bikes feels the way it does. Honda has chosen a Zapper S1 for this motor, coupling it with the industry standard monoshock suspension. For the rider, Honda has offered a well balanced and refined engine to take care of achieving power when asked for, and be absolutely calm when trying to be economical and safe.
Sadly switch control gear didn’t feel well built and is a little bit of a let down compared to the rest of the bike. Considering all the above though, this by far was the biggest issue for me. The rest of the view however was pleasant. The side mirrors, instrument cluster, tank cowl, headlamp casing and even the tank creases brought the bike together to become the visually appealing road warrior that is the Hornet 160R.
The sitting position, upfront and straight is better for the daily rider. Fear not those back pains, the Hornet feels very comfort– able to maneuver in traffic and corners. A little more foam in the seats though would be nice, especially when you are on the bumpier roads (which are pretty much all of them).
Peak power output comes at around 6500rpm, but the bike does start to vibrate after 95 kmph with the engine gasping for power. Disheartening none– theless but let me ask you, if you aren’t an actual racer, how often do you ride above 100kmph on Sri Lankan Roads? Most engines of this size aren’t built for sustained speeds of 100kmph+, so don’t take this as a black mark against the Hornet.
Honda has clearly created this bike for those who want some fun but also need a viable means of getting around. Clearly they have achieved what they set out to do. So, if you are out shopping for a new bike, to go to work and having some fun on our traffic clogged roads, this should defin itely be on your list to check out.
REVIEW