Honda Hornet 2.0: Is It Worth Buying at Rs 1.26 Lakh?

The Honda mass-market flagship gets a new lighter frame and segment-first golden inverted forks.

On Thursday 27^th August, Honda India launched the all-new Hornet 2.0 at Rs 1.26 lakh (ex-showroom, Gurugram). The naked streetfighter features sharper styling and impressive performance along with lighter chassis. With the Hornet 2.0, Honda now enters into the fast-growing 180-200cc performance bike segment in India. Bookings of the Hornet 2.0 are already underway with deliveries to begin from the first week of September.

At a tag of Rs 1.26 lakh, has it got enough bells and whistles to qualify for a value for money buy? Let’s have a look.

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Stunning Looks

No two ways about it. Based on the global Honda CB190R, the Honda Hornet 2.0 gets an aggressive styling with sharper LED headlamps, segment-first golden-shaded USD fork, forward-lunging tank and sleeker LED tail lamps. It even gets LED turn indicators.

The split step-up seat, muscular tank shrouds and blackened mechanicals enhance the visual appeal of the Hornet 2.0. The smart shorter exhaust and plenty of sharp creases across the body, give it ready-to-go looks. The X-shaped tail lamp will remind you of the Hornet 160R.

Accommodating Proportions

Here are the specifications of the new Honda Hornet 2.0 which are on par with its rivals in India.

Lighter Chassis, Quicker Performance

The Honda Hornet 2.0 gets a brand new light-weight chassis which aids in performance. The overall kerb weight of the bike is 142kg. It is powered by a 184.40cc air-cooled, single-cylinder engine which puts out a max power of 12.7 kW at 8500rpm and 16.1Nm at 6000rpm.

Underpinnings

However, it’s the underpinnings which ensure the comfort factor remains intact without a toll on the performance and ride quality of the bike. The Honda Hornet 2.0 gets the first-in-segment inverted forks in place of the traditional telescopic forks. In the braking department, it gets a single-channel ABS setup.

Features that stand out

The Japanese two-wheeler manufacturer has equipped the Hornet 2.0 with a fully-digital, liquid crystal meter instrument panel which displays stats such as speed, mileage, gear position indication, tachometer, service reminder, trip meter and battery voltmeter among others. This display gets a 5-level setting for brightness, so you can always adjust it as per your taste.

The Hornet 2.0 gets engine stop switch and key on tank features. The latter is mostly seen in the high-end performance bikes.

Unmatched Warranty Clears Every Doubt

Hornet 2.0 not only gives a hard time to the similarly specced rivals from its performance but also with its long warranty period. It gets an industry-first 6 years warranty (3 years standard + 3 years optional extended warranty). With such a service warranty, the owners of the Honda Hornet 2.0 are sure to have a sigh of relief.

Enticing Colours Options

Honda continues to offer handpicked colour options for its bikes. The Hornet 2.0 too gets four shades such as Matte Axis Grey Metallic, Pearl Igneous Black, Matte Sangria Red Metallic and Matte Marvel Blue Metallic.

CarBikeIndia Says

The pricing of the Honda Hornet 2.0 seems to be slightly on the higher side considering what its rivals offer. The competition comprising of Bajaj Pulsar NS200 and TVS Apache RTR 200 4V are tagged similarly but offer higher capacity engines with more power and better performance. The Hornet 2.0 seems to be a good choice for someone looking for an aggressively styled bike in the range of Rs 1.25-1.30 lakh. If performance is what you are asking for, the Pulsar NS200 is the bike to go for. Contrarily, the TVS Apache offers the best of both worlds.