Honda hasn’t yet updated their very popular CB Hornet 160R to BS6 norms, which leads us to believe it could be upgraded with a larger 200cc engine based on the CBF190R that was patented for the Indian market back in 2019.
The 160cc motorcycle space has seen quite some action in the last few months. After the transitioning to BS6 norms, Suzuki came up with the BS6 complaint version of the Gixxer 155 while Yamaha too updated their FZ V3.0 range. Even Honda updated their lineup with the BS6 X-Blade with some minor revisions and a massive price hike while the BS6 Unicorn got an all-new 160cc engine. TVS facelifted their Apache RTR 160R 4V while there was a brand new entrant from Hero in the form of the new Xtreme 160R. However, there’s a very important missing piece in the puzzle and that’s the Honda CB Hornet 160R.
The Honda CB Hornet 160R is an extremely popular motorcycle and it was only surprising that Honda hasn’t yet updated the motorcycle to meet the BS6 emission norms. As it turns out, Honda will not be bringing back the Hornet 160R in BS6 guise but there’s something more in store for the Hornet nameplate. Honda will be bringing back the CB Hornet in a more powerful guise, expected to launch with a new 200cc motor to take the competition to the likes of the TVS Apache RTR 200 4V, Bajaj Pulsar NS 200 and the Hero Xtreme 200R.
Back in 2019, Honda had patented a motorcycle called the CBF190R for the Indian market. We believe that this is in fact what will be the upcoming Honda CB Hornet 200R. From patent images seen earlier, the CBF190R has much sharper and sportier styling than the CB Hornet 160R and it features a very distinct looking LED headlight. The body lines are much sharper and it even features an all-digital instrument console. The Honda CBF190R is powered by a 184cc single-cylinder air-cooled engine that produces 16.86PS and 16.3Nm.
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A look at the numbers will tell you that its actually not much from a 200cc motor. In fact, the numbers are every comparable to those of the Honda X-Blade and the Apache RTR 160 4V. We hope Honda engineers will rework on the engine to make it BS6 complaint and also extract more power from it. What is also unclear at this moment is whether the motorcycle will use a 5-speed or a 6-speed gearbox. The CBF190R also featured upside down forks but its highly unlikely for it to make it to the CB Hornet 200R, which is expected to come with conventional telescopic fork to keep costs in check. It will however come with front and rear disc brakes with dual-channel ABS as standard.
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Honda has been very low key about the new 200cc motorcycle but it makes great sense for them to upgrade the CB Hornet with a bigger engine. You see, the BS6 X-Blade is priced at Rs 1.07 lakh (Rs 17,500 more expensive than BS4) and a BS6 CB Hornet 160R would only overlap that price. It thus makes sense to take the CB Hornet to the 200cc segment where something like the TVS Apache RTR 200 4V is priced at Rs 1.27 lakh. We expect the Honda CB Hornet 200R to be priced somewhat around Rs 1.40 lakh.
