Honda CB750 Hornet wins the spec sheet war, but on the road?

Produced by Full Access Media (Pty) Ltd
The Bike Show Website: www.thebikeshow.co.za
The Bike Show Facebook: / thebikeshowt. .
The Bike Show Instagram: / thebikeshowtv

[@Trevster65]

Tried lots of bikes including gsx8, hornet, trident, 850gs and cb 650r. They are all great bikes some more powerful than others hornet has bonkers power up top, but in the finish I bought gsx8 in white as it fits me like a glove has all the power I need, it also feels lighter than 202kg and is planted on bends which give me confidence, i don’t regret my choice for 1 minute.

[@paulconnell1309]

Me too for same reasons. The Hornet felt small and controls were fiddly. Can’t wait to see and ride 8R.

[@cpuuk]

I always feel that talking top trump numbers is misleading, you really need the dyno chart to see where the figures are being made, because top speed is irrelevant on the road. Low and mid are more prevalent on a day-to-day basis.

[@Steve-motorcycles]

I love torque. I own a 1290SDR However, everything being said about the GS8 S having more torque than the Hornet does not disguise the fact the Honda pulls away from the Suzuki in every roll on test. Top speed isn’t relevant on these bikes. Any naked bike over 80 mph becomes difficult the longer you maintain it

[@pluto019]

to the journalist of the bike show: which is better for the circuit (track riding)? thx

[@paulfowler6665]

I bought the Hornet as when I did the Suzuki wasn't out and when it did come out it was a grand more expensive so still happy with my decision

[@johnbelculf5441]

what tires do they have, that could change your mind.

[@davidlynas7768]

Have a Hornet. Brilliant. Fun and naughty.

[@paulconnell1309]

Bought the GSX and love it. Quick enough if you push on and stable in corners. More room to scoot around in the saddle and controls more intuitive. Also smoother fuelling around town. The Honda needed to be in rain mode to compare. I Mostly ride around town and be roads for fun.

[@Patshes]

🆒😎🤘! Difficult decision ! They are so close.

[@Napoleon_Blownapart]

Uh, funny that in South Africa, the Honda is more expensive than the Suzuki. Its the other way around in the other markets

[@nawanekhomo3159]

Can't believe they cost below 200k 😳😳 but engine capacity is too big for me right now I prefer 250cc or below but with confidence one I ride a 1000cc. Please do a video of 150cc bikes with a price tag for below 30k please

[@bakeredwards]

I tried the hornet and the 8s in the last week, loved the hornet, thought it was light and flickable, not great looking but well balanced, Suzuki has a fab engine but didn't like much else about it, it's a bike I'd leave in the garage unused, infact I prefer my old G650gs any day.

[@terryomara9403]

I love the opion Of the guys down south just spent the evening at twickenham rugby royalty boky all blacks

[@Steve-motorcycles]

I brought the hornet for a commuter into central London in the UK. It’s a fun little bike. I tried the Suzuki, which was also a good but not as much fun. Either bike is a good choice for what I had in mind. It saves my main bike from the rigours of a UK winter. The Suzuki build quality, does that extend to the old halogen indicators?

[@darrylredmill4376]

162000 rand (£7k) for honda and 173500 (7.5k)rand for the suzuki in the UK . ???

[@LonelyTreeSunset]

Exactly!!! Motorcycle pricing in SA is all over the place, and Honda SA as usual has over-priced the Hornet by an enormous margin. The Suzuki is the better bike, and is a steal in SA. 🙌

[@exothermal.sprocket]

GSX-8S/8R has been making near 90 hp and 65 ft-lb with aftermarket help. That swallows any advantage the CB has.

[@tonymoloney3223]

I took the suzuki out for a test ride last Saturday and it frightened me to death with its power and I ride a zx6r. Depends how you ride them you give it the beans and it's a hooligan!!!! And I would say the Honda will be the same! there talking sh*t 😅😅😅

[@asanrushid4981]

Suzuki

[@DavidSenna57]

The great honda 🤌❤️‍🔥🌟‼️

[@MrEvhel83]

790 Duke for me :P

[@Steve-motorcycles]

I own the Hornet but agree, riding the 790 makes it stand out in front of the pack in this segment of the market. I think Honda and Suzuki may be easier to own in a very few cases

[@user-sw2lv3zp6o]

Suzuki.

[@sporespawn284]

For me, the main draw of the Honda was its lower price. But with how out of whack its price is in South Africa, the better spec of the Suzuki make the choice easier. One thing I would have like to hear about from you guys is how the fuel range compares between these bikes. I'd like to fill up as few times as possible when commuting to work.

[@Steve-motorcycles]

The Honda has a bigger fuel tank and is 10+kg lighter. I can say it’s great on fuel from experience. Although I’ve rode the Suzuki, I can’t say if it has good fuel economy, I would guess it does. The bigger fuel tank 2 litres may say it for you.

[@eskemeldgaardkrogh4145]

In Denmark they cost exactly the same… and the Suzuki simply feels higher quality and fits grown-ups better - the Hornet is TINY… love the engine and sound on the Hornet though.

[@Steve-motorcycles]

@@eskemeldgaardkrogh4145 The GS8s is physically bigger. Have to agree that some parts do feel/look slightly more premium but not all. The Hornet is more nimble and is more exciting but can do the routine stuff. I own the Hornet but fully understand why people like the Suzuki. It has a more planted predictable personality but can raise plenty of smiles. I guess I’m an older rider but I still like the playful nature of the hornet. As a commuter bikes, they’re both ideal. Considering how closely matched on paper they are, the bikes definitely have different characteristics. Take your pick, I don’t think there are a wrong choice

[@Englishbikerdan]

I got over 200 miles out of the tank on the Hornet riding sensibly and about 165ish was as much as I dare on the Suzuki.

[@paulconnell1309]

In New Zealand the bikes cost the same to the $. But the quick shifter is extra on the Honda.

[@darylclifford]

What the ….? C’mon guys. Be committed like all good journos should be! Could’ve got these opinions down at the pub on a Friday night lol

[@artoswr]

gravity 😅

[@jamespegram8843]

Can anyone help with the concept of these modern bikes.. I've been on two wheels since 1980. I had a new 1985 fz 750 Yamaha which made 105 bhp . 38 years later 800cc dull as ditch water twin cylinder bikes .. call me old fashioned. Seems like regression not progression..

[@paulconnell1309]

You had to rev your FZ to get the power and torque. And it weighed 10% more. The twins have low down torque which is far more usable everyday. I rode a GSX S750 (114 bhp) back to back. It felt more sluggish off the mark. Recall the S750 has a GXSR engine tuned for more torque and lower top end. You need to drop a cog and push harder. The GSX 8S feels more relaxed and quicker. And you get from 80kph to a licence losing speed is seconds. No shortage of go despite the apparently low headline power figure. The torque curve is everything.

[@dubravkojanusic6996]

Honda all the way.

[@queenslander954]

Suzuki has found it’s bollocks again.

[@Bow-to-the-absurd]

Cautious optimism

[@Steve-motorcycles]

Neither of these bikes are going to blow your socks off. They’re fun commuters in my opinion. Glad to see Suzuki being back in the game again though

[@gerritdelarey9308]

Neither of these two, come close to the Z900 as a Naked Bike. Z900 at R169K, is miles ahead in all apects, vs these newcomers. In the SA marlet the Z900 is the most underrated bike. I have owned a Z900 for 2 years now, and it is the most funn I have ever had on a bike, commuting, Rides to the dam, Long Rides to Nelspruit, there is nothing out there that comes close to the Z900 for R169K. Kawasaki SA must get the award for the worst "marketer" in SA.

[@mociczyczki]

suzuki better lowend more stable talk to me more than lighter with lil better topend honda beside both not perfect 750-800 cc 80-85 nm at 5 k rpm so even better lowend than gsx8s tope end hp dosent matter to me to much 70-75 hp at 8-10 k rpm even 60 hp be enough like for me for daily riding most important is strong lowend with perfect linear power on graph with wide peak power 👌🏻 and 5 gears not 6 engine on timing gears for camshaft not stupid silly chain or belt 🤮👌🏻 2 valve per cyl on screw for easy fast valve clearance service not 4 on glass 🤮 ….than it be perfect like for me now they are ok but not perfect 👍🏻

[@elithegreat6463]

And when you do Roll on’s, how bout you use two riders who are somewhat equally weighted. ,??? One guy looks like a wrestler, and the other guy looks like a Christmas Ham in a Deli. 🙄🐖

[@ridefast-dirtntrail-magazines]

Our physiques may differ, but the scales can not differentiate between us.... so we are quite evenly matched.... and we swapped out bikes and got exactly the same results.

[@tomg6284]

Not in the USA, HONDA is only 83 hp here. EPA CRAP. So based on the numbers here Suzuki wins.

[@richardwarsinske7064]

Is the Hornet even available for sale in the US?

[@Napoleon_Blownapart]

​@@richardwarsinske7064No. Dont know why his bringing it up.

[@kalaharimine]

Please guys, I may need therapy if I hear a moto-jorno use the most overused cliche word in the trade - "aggressive" BTW the back of the Suzi is a complete horse's arse, the fall off the back excuse for a seat and that terrible cantilever thing with the lights.

[@Szlejer]

Both loses big time in the design department... Both comes years late and offers too little for anyone to care. Honda needs to bring back the V4 to stir some interest up. Suzuki... well, Suzuki needs to shave off like 20kgs of their bikes to be relevant at all.

[@Bow-to-the-absurd]

The hornet costs 7k A V4 would be 5 grand more expensive

[@petrol11]

Nah. The Suzuki is a really polished riding experience imo, and looks more modern and composed than other bikes in the same class. Mt07 is dated, Duke least reliable, Honda feeling cheap as the years go by, even though I like the cb650r. GSX 8S probably the best display I've seen on a bike, pulls super hard, really precise cornering weapon, fit and finish is reaaaally impressive.