Is One of Honda’s Coolest Street Motorcycles Finally Coming to the US?

In the motoring world, there are few bigger buzzkills than realizing some awesome new vehicle is either purely a concept or isn’t available where you live. 

The latter is exactly the experience I had with Honda’s CB1000 Hornet SP, a phenomenal yet approachable naked street bike … that you can only get in Europe. 

Honda

However, there’s some light at the end of this tunnel. Last month, Honda announced that the CB1000SP — sans insectoid nomenclature — is among three bikes it is bringing to Canada. (The other two are the CB750 and NT1100, for the record.)

This week, the dogged detectives over at motorcycle.com have scoured enough paperwork to predict these bikes will be coming to America later this year as well. Halle-freaking-lujah.

Reading between the lines

So how exactly did site and industry veteran Dennis Chung connect the dots? He first deduced that two of those bikes had been certified by the California Air Resources board. 

He then found all three bikes listed in a VIN decoder published (and later redacted) by the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

Chung concludes that the redaction is merely an attempt to delay forthcoming news.

I tend to agree. And I most definitely hope that’s the case, because this bike looks like a blast.

Naked and unafraid

While in Europe, you can get two different models, the CB1000 and CB1000SP, it appears that only the latter will be made available in the U.S. and Canada. 

That’s fine by me because while the latter is a bit pricier over there (£8,999 vs £9,999 in the UK, for example), it’s slightly torque-ier and more powerful — and much better looking, imho. 

Honda claims everything on this streetfighter style ride serves a purpose, which is probably why the appearance is so stripped down (in a good way). 

Eye-candy highlights include compact twin LED projected headlights, gold-hued wheels and fork, a lean, blacked-out frame and trellis style rear subframe.

Honda

Also given the matte black finish are the engine, swingarm and a beefy exhaust pipe that can’t hide no matter what color it is.

A broad-shouldered, radically tapered fuel tank rounds out the performance-driven aesthetic. 

Meanwhile, as the name suggests, the engine size is 1,000cc (or 999, depending where on the UK site you are looking).

Either way, the DOHC four-cylinder power plant boasts a peak output of 155 hp at 11,000 rpm and 78.9 lb-ft. of torque at 9,000 rpm (versus 150hp and 76.7 lb-ft for the non-SP version).

Honda

It’s worth noting, sadly, that the previously mentioned VIN decoder suggests the US version will top out 129 hp. A significant dropoff, no doubt, but not necessarily a deal breaker. 

From a handling standpoint, Honda says the one-piece steel twin-spar frame shift weight toward the front wheel and boost torsional rigidity, making for nimble corner entry and responsive side-to-side movement.  

The Öhlins TTX36 Pro-Link rear shock and radial-mount Brembo Stylema four-piston calipers gripping 310mm floating discs, meanwhile, help you tame this beast.

These features are welcome, as the power, torque and aggressive riding position will likely have most riders itching to put the pedal to metal, so to speak.

Honda

As much as I fancy analog motorcycles, the CB1000SP is a bit too modern to disconnect. Mounted on the bars is a 5-inch full color TFT display that lets you select from three default riding modes — Rain, Standard and Sport. 

You can also customize 2 user modes by choosing from 3 levels of engine power/engine brake and 4 levels of torque control, plus wheelie control. 

The screen also offers access to Honda RoadSync connectivity for turn-by-turn navigation.

Although with any luck, American Honda will take a page from the new Gold Wing’s book and let us get around the “old-fashioned” way: Apple CarPlay or Android Auto.

Availability and pricing

Honda’s American division should reveal more details on the CB1000SP and the other bikes in the coming weeks. Until then, just know that £9,999 is roughly equivalent to $12,665 — and feel to check out the UK version below.

Honda

Honda CB1000 Hornet SP

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