About a year ago, Honda revealed a teaser of the Hornet concept, confirming its plans to revive the popular middleweight naked streetfighter. At that point, all we got was a wire frame and some cryptic language from Honda about an “ultramodern” bike with “exhilarating engine performance.” Honda has at last given us some concrete details, at least as far as the engine is concerned.
In short, the concept bike will be powered by an all-new 755cc parallel twin. The eight-valve Unicam engine will feature a 270-degree crank and be capable of producing a little over 90 hp at 9,500 rpm and 55 lb.-ft. of torque at 7,250 rpm.
Fuyuki Hosokawa, test project leader for the Hornet project, offered his remarks in a company press release:
“The Hornet has always been a very special motorcycle for Honda. Exciting, engaging performance has always been matched to lithe, agile handling.
“Before starting this project, we thought long and hard about what kind of performance we wanted to give to the rider. We knew that it was essential to keep the classic Hornet top-end power ‘hit’ and at the same time, as a new generation Hornet for modern times, we wanted the engine to have a really strong torquey feel and ‘throbbing’ sensation at low to mid rpm. Our aim has always been to match these to the lightest, most agile handling possible, to make every ride, even in town, as engaging and fulfilling as possible.
“To get the kind of performance and lightweight handling we wanted, we knew we had to develop an all-new short-stroke twin-cylinder engine, with a 270-degree crankshaft. This would not only deliver that top-end rush, but also the sporty low-down torque, ideal for riding in urban environments and powering out of corners on the open road.”
Source: MotorCyclistOnline.com