Honda CB500 Hornet (2024) - Technical Review

Price: £6199 | Power: 46.9bhp | Weight: 188kg | Overall BikeSocial Rating: tba

The ‘Hornet’ name returned to Honda’s line-up at the beginning of 2023 with the introduction of the CB750 Hornet – a very attractively priced 91bhp middleweight sticking its oar into a busy sector that had been dominated by Yamaha’s MT-07 for a decade. And while yesteryear’s Honda model ranges would have been identified with the Hornet name as 600 or 900cc four-cylinder bikes, for 2024 that moniker appears once more, but as a 500cc parallel twin. Formerly known as the CB500F, the 2024 bike will instead be known as the Honda CB500 Hornet.

And the new machine is blessed with new styling, described as ‘aggressive’ by Honda, ECU updates which promise to improve acceleration feel, traction control fitted as standard, new switchgear and a new 5” TFT screen featuring Honda’s RoadSync technology.

Review – In Detail

2024 Honda CB500 Hornet Price

What’s the price for the 2024 Honda CB500 Hornet? £6199

Honda slammed the CB750 Hornet into the marketplace this time last year with a very enticing (introductory) sub-£7k price tag, which has since risen, it’s smaller sibling comes with a similarly sensible £6.2k fee which is just £100 more than the out-going 2023 CB500F.

Expect the bike in UK dealerships very early in 2024, and when the PCP prices are announced, expect a £99/month offer in return for a c.17% deposit.

The bike will be available in three colours: Matt Gunpower Black Metallic, Grand Prix Red, and Pearl Himalayas White. Black, Red or White – that’s all. Out goes the yellow option, and the 500 doesn’t see the alternatively coloured frames as on the 750 Hornet either. Though that doesn’t bother me.

2024 Honda CB500 Hornet Engine & Performance

The unchanged 471cc liquid-cooled parallel twin remains, of course, A2-licence compliant, and because of which peak power is capped at a maximum of 35kW, which is 46.2bhp in real life, and Honda has hit that figure on the nose, at 8,600rpm, just shy of the red line. Peak torque is 43Nm / 31.7 lb ft which is achieved at 6,500rpm. While the engine remains the same, the ECU has had a tweak to ignition timing which is said to improve acceleration. Free-revving enough to encourage you to wind the throttle back and use the whole rev range, the 500 Hornet’s predecessor and its two siblings have always had enough poke to drive way beyond legal limits and are packaged in a lightweight chassis to double down on the power-to-weight ratio too. Ideal for those on their way up through the power ranks of their motorcycle journey, on the way back down, as a second bike, or simply as their sole pride-and-joy. This mini-Hornet can fulfil plenty of riders’ ambitions with its ambitious engine and overall performance package, and it looks less frumpy now with its angular redesign and sportier styling.

Traction control – though Honda call it Torque Control - is an addition for the 2024 model as a bonus for the rider’s peace of mind, though it can still be turned off.

2024 Honda CB500 Hornet Handling & Suspension (inc. Weight & Brakes)

A wet weight of 188kg demonstrates a 2kg loss since the 2022 CB500F and for every kilo dropped the performance and handling will incrementally increase. There’s no change in the frame on this naked roadster, so we know having ridden the previous version how stable the bike is, easy to turn and how much lock-to-lock angle is available.

The clutch action and gearchange on the outgoing 500cc model range was an unobtrusive affair with a light flick of the featherweight clutch and the merest tough of the gear selector – and that modest act summed up the rider friendliness of the bike. A set of twin 296mm brake discs attached the front of the two 17” wheels have four-pot radially-mounted Nissin calipers to do the stopping, which as Steve Lamb pointed out having ridden the F, seems a little over the top, though he remained grateful.

While the suspension settings on the Show SFF-BP USD forks have been tweaked on the CB500X, now known as the NX500, the same amendments didn’t make it onto the CB500 Hornet.

2024 Honda CB500 Hornet Comfort & Economy

A naked roaster-style motorcycle will, by definition, not offer any form of wind or weather protection leaving you open to the elements, which is ace if you live in the South of France but less so should your bravely battle Britain’s winter. On the plus side, the riding position is very friendly. Because the frame and engine are so narrow, the seating position including height and stand-over lend themselves well to the shorter rider. New and backlit switchgear will be within easy reach and are certain to be easy to operate if the previous generation naked 500 is anything to go by.

One of the key upgrades (and well worth the extra £100 alone) is the 5” TFT screen shared on the NX500 and CB500R. The previous screen was a little dull and tricky to glance at and interpret the information quickly.

A 17.1 litre fuel tank should return a range of almost 300-miles if riding sensibly, equating to an economy figure north of 80mpg, while the average Bennetts premium for the 2022 CB500F is £246.40.

2024 Honda CB500 Hornet Equipment

As with the other two models in Honda’s new 2024 500cc line-up, Honda offer accessory packs relating to the bike. For the mini-Hornet you could choose from three pre-organised collections: Style Pack, Comfort Pack or Travel Pack. They contain the likes of a TFT screen visor, tank pad, wheel stripes, passenger seat cowl, heated grips, ACC socket, centre stand, and tank bag, just to offer a soupcon of the full range.

Otherwise, the new TFT screen comes complete with Honda’s RoadSync app which allows for turn-by-turn navigation if connected to your smartphone. Additionally, and only via a Bluetooth-enabled headset, you could do the new-fangled music and phone calls too.

2024 Honda CB500 Hornet Rivals

Potentially named the lightweight middleweight class, there are several other nakeds to look from the Suzuki SV650, Kawasaki Z650, Husqvarna 401 Vitpilen or the Royal Enfield Hunter/Meteor 350 could all play a strong hand, though we’ve picked these three:

KTM 390 Duke (2024) | Price: £TBC

Power/Torque: 44.3bhp/27lb-ft | Weight: 165kg

BMW G 310 R | Price: £5,190

Power/Torque: 33.5bhp/20.7lb-ft | Weight: 158.5kg

Triumph Speed 400 | Price: £4,995

Power/Torque: 39.5bhp/27.7lb-ft | Weight: 170kg

2024 Honda CB500 Hornet Verdict

We’ll let you know once we’ve ridden it in early 2024.

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2024 Honda CB500 Hornet - Technical Specification

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What is MCIA Secured?

MCIA Secured gives bike buyers the chance to see just how much work a manufacturer has put into making their new investment as resistant to theft as possible.

As we all know, the more security you use, the less chance there is of your bike being stolen. In fact, based on research by Bennetts, using a disc lock makes your machine three times less likely to be stolen, while heavy duty kit can make it less likely to be stolen than a car. For reviews of the best security products, click here.

MCIA Secured gives motorcycles a rating out of five stars (three stars for bikes of 125cc or less), based on the following being fitted to a new bike as standard:

• A steering lock that meets the UNECE 62 standard
• An ignition immobiliser system
• A vehicle marking system
• An alarm system
• A vehicle tracking system with subscription

The higher the star rating, the better the security, so always ask your dealer what rating your bike has and compare it to other machines on your shortlist.