This is where it starts to get a bit more exciting and perhaps, more competitive. As is the norm, the bikes below the 150cc segment are considered as a bare-bones commuter with almost no regards to either the looks or features. Above that, however, things are different and for the better, as it seems.

You see, this segment is flooded with motorcycles like the Suzuki Gixxer and Yamaha FZ, which, once again, are extremely capable motorcycle in their own rights. Honda forayed this segment with the CB Hornet 160R a couple of years back.

By the looks of it, the motorcycle is bulky and muscular in all its entirety. The headlamp resembling the CB 600F is powered with LEDs. The fuel tank shows off the muscularity with a bulky yet chiselled look. The tail section is upright and the X-shaped taillamp looks beautiful. Overall, Honda has nailed the CB Hornet 160R when it comes to outright appeal, but what lies beneath those muscles? Below is a lowdown.

Engine

Powering the Honda CB Hornet 160R, as the name suggests, is a 162.71cc single-cylinder engine that is capable of churning out 15.04bhp of peak power and 14.76Nm of peak torque. The engine is paired to a five-speed manual gearbox. The low-end power delivery is nice and it’s certainly easy to lug this motorcycle around without fiddling much with the gear shifter. On the whole, the engine is punchy and meaty, but the refinement levels could have been better.

Specifications

In all its glory, the vibrant Hornet 160R isn’t too shy in flaunting those muscles. Dimension-wise, the bike is 2,041mm in length, 783mm in width, and 1,067mm in height. It has a seat height of 790mm, ground clearance of 164mm and a wheelbase of 1,345mm. Lastly, the bike is not too heavy, at just 140 kilos of unladen weight.

Fuel tank capacity

If empty, the fuel tank of the CB Hornet 160R can take up to 12-litres of fuel – barring the reserve tank. The mileage, on the other hand, is expected to be somewhere around 40-45km/l.

Mechanical parts

The cycle parts of the CB Hornet 160R work in conjuncture to provide a fuss-free and comfortable riding experience. Therefore, the suspension is set up on the softer side. For the uninitiated, it comes with telescopic forks at the front and a rear monoshock. As for the chassis, the bike sits on a diamond-type frame. Further, it comes with disc brakes on both ends. The 17-inch wheels are shod with a 100/80-17 tyre at the front and a 140/70-17 tyre at the back.

Features

As far as features are concerned, the Hornet 160R does not come with any fancy electronics or touchscreens. For safety though, the base variant comes with CBS while the other variants get single-channel ABS. The instrument cluster in the bike you see here is a fully-digital unit with blue illumination. Impressively, both the headlamp and taillamp are LEDs.

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