Honda has officially introduced the CB1000 Hornet, a liter-class streetfighter based on the CBR1000RR platform and sporting a sharp design with familiar looks.

The new model’s design appears to draw some inspiration from Kawasaki’s Z1000 and Ducati’s Streetfighter V4, departing from the CB1000R’s Neo Sports Cafe design to adopt the sharpness and pointiness of modern-day Honda Hornets.

The headlight features a split design, similar to the current Fireblade in Honda’s lineup, with dual LED headlights fitted into a sharp front housing. The short tank of the Hornet is angular and angled forward, giving it a muscular and aggressive look when viewed head-on.

The rear of the bike also embraces an aggressive look, tapering off to a sharp point with flatter sections that give it an aerodynamic and futuristic appearance, signaling Honda’s focus on forward-thinking and modern design with its Hornets.

Honda has stated in its launch video that the new big-bore Hornet takes styling cues from the CB750 Hornet, building it on the Honda CBR1000RR Fireblade platform, including the steel frame and the Pro-Link rear suspension system.

The bike is equipped with an inverted Showa Separate Function Fork-Big Piston (SFF-BP) with a tube diameter of 41 millimeters and a rear mono-shock that is manually adjustable for pre-load and rebound, ensuring a proper setup.

The electronics package includes throttle-by-wire system, three riding modes, a five-inch color TFT display, and the Honda RoadSync pairing suite compatible with Android and iOS smartphones.

The 999cc inline-four cylinder engine delivers 150 horsepower and “over” 73.8 pound-feet of torque. While the exact power figures are not yet released, Honda has promised to provide them once the Hornet is released in the summer of 2024.

With the CB1000R’s sluggish sales, it will make way for the big Hornet, marking a new era for Honda in the heavyweight naked category with the Hornet leading the charge.