Honda CB Hornet 160R is yours for Rs 80k

After much speculations and wait, Honda has finally launched its highly awaited CB Hornet in India. With the starting price of Rs 79,900 (ex-showroom, Delhi), the bike is available in two variants -- the standard variant with a single disc and Dual Discs with CBS.

This smallest displacement motorcycle from the Hornet family is initially available for sale in 21 cities including, New Delhi, Ahmedabad, Alibaug, Boisar , Basirhat (Kolkata), Bengaluru, Chennai, Dehradun, Goa, Hyderabad, Indore, Kochi, Kolkata, Lucknow, Mumbai, Pune, Panvel, Surat, Thane, Vijayawada and Vizag. The bike will be available in the rest of the country by New Year.

Honda CB Hornet 160R was first unveiled at the Honda Revest in August this year and has been placed above Honda Unicorn 160R. Based on Unicorn 160R platform, the bike shares most of the things with its elder sibling. The only difference can be seen in aggressive styling and wide tyres. Styling wise, the bike features sharp headlight, 'X' shaped tail lamp, masculine fuel tank, new body cowls, split-spoke alloys, a street fighter like handlebar and sportier muffler. The bike boasts fully digital instrument console. The company has not compromised upon the comfort of the rider and offered it with telescopic forks up front and the hydraulic monoshock at the rear.

Powered by reliable 162.71cc, single-cylinder, air-cooled engine of Unicorn, but with better tuning, the bike delivers the maximum power of 15.6bhp at 8,500rpm and the peak torque of 14.76Nm at 6,500rpm. Provided with HET technology that claims to bring healthy fuel economy without compromising on performance, the bike is mated to a 5-speed gearbox.

Coming to the competition, the Honda CB Hornet 160R will rival Suzuki Gixxer, TVS Apache RTR, Baja Pulsar 150AS and Hero Xtreme Sports.

This time, the Japanese two-wheeler manufacturer has taken a new initiative in terms of marketing. The company has launched an android application to delight the users with a distinct experience. This application allows users to access detailed product specifications. With this app the user can also buy the motorcycle by paying a booking amount of Rs 5000.

Significantly, Honda CB Hornet is the first in the segment motorcycle that meets BS-IV norms ahead of its April 2017 regulation timeline.