BREAKING: New Honda Bike Teased. Is This The CB Hornet 200R?

Honda’s teasing a new bike for an August 27 launch

[UPDATE: Honda India has launched the Hornet 2.0, a 184cc motorcycle that replaces the CB Hornet 160R. Head here for more details regarding the bike.]

• The motorcycle is likely to pack a new 200cc  engine, which is a first for Honda in India.
• It features premium bits like inverted front fork with gold finish, LED headlamp and fully digital instrument cluster.
• Expect it to be priced at around Rs 1.40 lakh (ex-showroom).

Honda India has sent out a teaser of its upcoming bike, presumably called the CB Hornet 200R. The teaser video shows the bike being flogged around on a race track, clearly indicating its sporty demeanour. Honda had already announced that it will launch the motorcycle on August 27.

Going by the glimpses of the bike revealed in the teaser video, it is safe to say that the motorcycle follows the CB Hornet 160R’s design language, albeit with an extra dose of sportiness all over. The tank extensions surrounding the LED headlamp looks slightly beefier and this is further accentuated by the premium inverted front fork with gold finish. This is the first small-capacity, made-in-India Honda motorcycle to have an inverted front fork. The bike also features petal disc brakes on both ends, with ABS.

It features a wide single-piece handlebar for comfortable ergonomics. The instrument cluster is fully digital and shows all the necessary information, including the gear position. The key slot is mounted on top of the fuel tank, in contrast to the CB Hornet 160R’s key slot near the handlebar clamp.

It is evident from the teaser that the bike packs an air-cooled, fuel-injected engine. Expect it to be counterbalanced for optimum refinement. If we were lucky, it could be linked to a 6-speed transmission, which should enhance the bike’s highway touring capabilities. It will definitely be more powerful and torquier than the CB Hornet 160R’s 15.09PS, 14.5Nm 162.71cc single-cylinder motor.

With the CB Hornet 200R, Honda will finally be able to cater to the budding 200cc segment in India. This is a good business move for Honda as the BS6-compliant X-Blade’s price is a bit too much compared to its competitors. Because of this, making a BS6-compliant CB Hornet 160R wouldn’t have made sense as it would’ve driven the price higher than the X-Blade and might have cannibalised its sales too.

When launched, the CB Hornet 200R will go up against the TVS Apache RTR 200 4V and Bajaj Pulsar NS200. It is likely to be positioned as a premium offering, likely at around Rs 1.40 lakh (ex-showroom).