Honda CB Hornet 160R Review, Price, Specifications, Mileage, Pros & Cons

Read about Honda CB Hornet 160R. Know its details like engine & performance, price, ride & handling, mileage etc.

Honda started its journey in the 150cc segment with the CB Unicorn a long time back. The motorcycle proved to be a decent success in the entry level 150cc segment, but in order to give its competition some serious nightmares and to rule the segment, it needed something powerful. The competition became even fiercer with its arch rivals Yamaha and Suzuki upping the game with their respective offerings in the segment.

Honda tried its luck in the premium end of 150cc segment with a number of attempts. However, all of them ended up either being duds or low sellers. The wait seemed to end up finally with the arrival of CB Hornet 160R, a motorcycle which not only looked the part but also packed in performance better than the rivals. Honda recently gave the Hornet a midlife makeover, which has seen some mild changes both in terms of cosmetic as well as mechanicals.

Looks and Design

As compared to all the previous offerings in the premium end of 150cc by Honda, the CB Hornet 160R easily is the best and sharpest looking motorcycle, just what the doctor ordered to Honda. With an aggressive design to boast of, the CB Hornet 160R is far from its staid looking predecessors.

At the front, the already sharp looking headlamp of the CB Hornet 160R has been tweaked this time, with the headlamp having an even sharper design with an all LED layout for its headlamp setup. The visor sitting atop of the headlamp too has been redesigned.

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Apart from this enhanced look at the front, the new CB Hornet 160R retains the overall design of the original motorcycle. The distinctive, muscular and sharp looking fuel tank continues to have the same design, although this time, they do get a new set of decals and redesigned tank extensions. The long piece side body panels too get new decals, and like before, they end up in an X-shaped LED tail lamp and split pillion grab rails, which really looks creative and manages to make the motorcycle look stand out from the crowd.

The multi-spoke alloy wheel, which are easily the best looking in the segment, has the same design as before, though this time, they get new kind of dual tone pin striping job. Like the CBR 250R, the CB Hornet 160R too gets a short and stubby looking exhaust pipe. The side body panels are finished in silver and seem to get amalgamated to the rear side body panels, which are designed simply but end up in a very distinctive looking X-shaped LED tail lamp at the rear. And finally, the CB Hornet 160R is the first 150cc commuter from Honda to get fatter rubbers at both the ends, which broadens the overall muscular appeal of the motorcycle.

The instrument console of the CB Hornet 160R too has seen some minute changes in the form of a silver garnish below the LCD unit and a new blue back light from the LCD panel. The fully digital instrument console has readouts for speedometer, tachometer, odometer, trip meters, fuel gauge and clock. The build quality is impressive, however the switchgear still looks cheap, with the design being carried forward from the lower priced commuters and the engine kill switch is still not there. However, the addition of hazard lights is a welcoming change.

Engine and Performance

The new CB Hornet 160R continues with the same four stroke, single cylinder, carbureted, air cooled, 162.71cc engine with which it debuted for the first time. However, there is a sad news – the maximum power output has seen a considerable drop from 15.8PS, which now stands at 14.9PS. The peak torque output too has seen a minute drop from 14.76Nm to 14.5Nm. These figures still make the Hornet the best in class, however, these drops were not expected.

However, even after this considerable reduction, the engine feels refined and has enough punch in mid range, thus making this motorcycle a treat to ride for daily commutes. The engine is mated to a 5-speed gearbox which comes with shorter gear ratios, thus making it a much more fun to ride motorcycle as compared to all the previous 150cc Hondas.

Ride and Handling

Honda hasn’t carried out much changes for the CB Hornet 160R here, as the motorcycle retains the front telescopic forks as well as rear monoshock. The suspension setup has a perfect balance between being sporty and being commuter-ish. And thanks to broader tyres (100/80-17 front and 140/70-17 rear), the motorcycle feels quite stable as well, with supple ride quality on offer.

In addition to it, the CB Hornet 160R gets petal disc brake setup at both the ends – 276mm disc at the front and a 220mm disc at the rear, the bite of which is sharp and effective. Apart from the erstwhile Combi Braking System (CBS), another welcoming addition here happens to be that of ABS, which has enhanced the overall braking experience even more.

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Price

The CB Hornet 160R is available in four different variants, the prices of which are given below.

Model	Price (Ex-showroom, Delhi)
CB Hornet 160R STD	Rs. 84,658
CB Hornet 160R CBS	Rs. 89,158
CB Hornet 160R ABS STD	Rs. 84,675
CB Hornet 160R ABS DLX	Rs. 93,234

The motorcycle has been launched in five different dual tone color options – Striking Green, Mars Orange, Athletic Blue Metallic, Sports Red and Dazzle Yellow Metallic.

Competition

Currently, the biggest rival of the Honda CB Hornet 160R is the Suzuki Gixxer. While the Gixxer focuses more on its muscular appeal, the CB Hornet 160 focuses on sharp lines. Also, the CB Hornet 160R is equipped with some very interesting design cues like X-shaped tail lamp and LED headlamp, which make it look a bit more modern and futuristic in comparison. The overall build quality and premium feel is better on the Gixxer though.

The Suzuki Gixxer gets its power from a four stroke, air cooled, single cylinder, 155cc engine which pumps out 14.8 PS of power and 14 Nm of torque, which makes the CB Hornet 160R slightly more powerful motorcycle in comparison. But it is the ride quality and dynamics where the Gixxer emerges out as a better option, all thanks to meatier suspension units and more rider focused ergonomics. Though, in terms of braking, the CB Hornet 160R easily outclasses the Gixxer, thanks to better petal disc brakes, CBS system and ABS as an option.

Conclusion

Honda introduced the CB Hornet 160R with an attempt to make its mark in the premium end of the 150cc commuter category. And with the new changes and feature additions, its appeal has only risen. With best in class features and performance, the CB Hornet 160R has upset the competition in terms of value it offers. Wish it had got better switchgear to complement the overall appeal, but apart from that, it nearly rounds up as a perfect package for all those who wish to have a modern looking motorcycle with decent performance but don’t wish to splurge out large sum of money.

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