Is This The New Honda CB Hornet?

[UPDATE: Honda has launched the premium Hornet 2.0, its biggest made-in-India motorcycle. Head here for all details on the price, features, engine specs and more.]

• The CBF190R is a China-specific model produced by Sundiro Honda.
• It gets a 184cc single-cylinder air-cooled motor.
• Perhaps Honda could freshen up the design of the BS6 Hornet while keeping the 160cc motor intact.

Honda always likes to stay ahead of the rest when it comes to complying with local legislation. It was the first to get a BS4 two-wheeler, the first to have CBS on-board and also the first to launch a BS6 two-wheeler in India. However, its entire BS4 product portfolio hasn’t made the switch to BS6, notable absentees being the CB Hornet 160R and the X-Blade. While it is still not clear when the motorcycles will receive their BS6 updates, there is a strong likelihood that there may be a few changes in store. Why? Because in June 2019, Honda India had patented the CBF190R, which we believe may be the new Hornet.

The CBF190R is Sundiro Honda’s naked motorcycle for the Chinese market. Sundiro (Honda’s Chinese partner) has been producing the 190 series for a while now with the likes of the CBF190TR and the CBF190X already making us salivate at the prospect of them coming to India. The motorcycle patented is the naked bike in this series. It is powered by a 184cc single-cylinder air-cooled motor that produces a humble 16.86PS and 16.3Nm.

So what does this mean for India? It could mean one of two possible scenarios. First, Honda India brings the CBF190R as the new Hornet to position the bike between the current crop of 160s and the 200s. The engine may need to be tuned for slightly more performance as the Chinese-spec motor’s outputs are on par with the likes of the TVS Apache RTR 160 4V. In this case, the Honda X-Blade will take over as the 160cc offering, competing against the Apache RTR 160 4V, the Suzuki Gixxer or the Bajaj Pulsar NS160.

Alternatively, Honda could carry forward the design language and maybe even the components found on the CBF190R onto the BS6 Hornet. The Hornet’s design, while youthful, has become a bit old and Honda could spruce up the bike with wider tank panels and similarly edgy body work. The CBF190R also gets aluminium clip-on bars, an upside-down fork, petal discs at both ends and single-channel ABS. Three of these elements are found on a few bikes of this segment but a USD fork could be the additional novelty feature that could set the Honda apart from the rest. In this scenario, the motor on this bike continues to be the same old 160cc mill but with a racier tune, while the X-Blade runs the same tune as the Unicorn BS6.

Not to put a damper on spirits, Honda often patents global products in India but never actually gets around to launching them - the Grom and the ADV 150 are two examples. But like from the Grom we got the Navi, we may see a new Hornet from the CBF190R. And that is certainly something to look forward to.