The Honda CB Hornet 160R is an absolute stunner, but its beefy tank is what really manages to steal the show. Not to mention that sleek-looking tail section that sports the ‘X’-shaped tail-light and a nice chunky rear tyre. But beneath all those chiselled looks, the Hornet is essentially a slightly sportier version of a commuter motorcycle. It’s light, pretty compact and easy to manoeuvre, and has been quite handy in getting me through my daily office commute. The brakes and tyres offer a decent amount of traction at all times.
Once you get a move on, the first thing that becomes apparent is the lack of mid-range grunt. The first gear is rather short, so you end up shifting into second and suddenly notice the lack of power. Holding lower speeds in second gear will have the engine knocking. So pulling away from speed breakers in second gear becomes almost impossible; you end up shifting into the short first gear again. A lot of gear shifting while squeezing through peak hour traffic is not really something to look forward to.