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Page 1 of 4 FIRST LOOK: 2007 CB600F HORNET
Lean, mean and poised for new conquests, the startling new 2007 CB600F
Hornet stands the mid-displacement Performance Naked class on its head
with riveting new looks, the blistering performance of a totally new
engine and chassis, and an always thrilling blast of streetfighter
riding enjoyment. From nose to tail, every line and every component of
the 2007 Hornet is totally new and totally geared to delivering an
electrifying jolt of riding excitement that stays sharp and refreshing
the whole day through.
When
Honda’s Performance Naked development team set out to create the next
generation of the wildly popular Hornet, they knew that the time had
come to break the mould of what has gone before and strike out with a
concept so utterly new and unexpected that it would reset the stage for
a whole new generation of class domination. One look says it all; with
sharper styling and a lighter and sleeker form that concentrates its
heavier components closer to its centre of mass, the new Hornet is not
just a looker, but also a top performer, briskly negotiating tight
twisties and midtown traffic with equal ease.Since its
crowd-pleasing 1998 debut, the Hornet has enjoyed a proud nine-year
history of charting new trends in naked sportbike riding enjoyment,
along the way winning wide recognition as a best-selling pioneer of
performance and design excellence against which all other
mid-displacement naked sportbikes would come to be measured.
Popular
among young new riders who soon made it their first choice as an
exhilarating step up from learner class bikes and scooters, the Hornet
also gained a following among more experienced riders, who were
attracted to its slim, quick-handling ‘back to basics’ appeal and its
easy ability to be pushed to its limits, as proven by its popularity in
box-stock racing classes.
However, time finally caught up with the
Hornet, and a long list of changes was compiled to not only reassert
its leading position in the mid-displacement Performance Naked class,
but also to keep it abreast of the latest developments in technology,
safety and environmental protection. No modifications or upgrades of
existing features would do. Instead, a whole new concept was called
for. One which incorporates the latest developments in engine and
chassis design while again charting bold new trends in the Performance
Naked segment of Europe’s growing midrange motorcycle class. As can be
readily seen, the dynamic results of this next-generation Hornet speak
for themselves.
DEVELOPMENT CONCEPT
Based on the development goals of achieving a new “High-Impact Design”
and more “Dynamic Performance,” the new 2007 CB600F Hornet has been
forged, tempered, polished and primed to reclaim its rightful place as
the undisputed leader of the middleweight Performance Naked class.
A THOROUGHBRED BLOODLINE
A
close blood cousin of the new race-ready 2007 CBR600RR, the new CB600F
Hornet focuses on delivering a more broadly accessible balance of
performance and riding ease. This new direction combines more versatile
and easier to use engine power characteristics, a more exhilarating
thrust of acceleration and sharper, smoother handling that any rider
can easily enjoy.
With detailed modifications to the new 600RR’s
engine producing distinctive power characteristics and strong midrange
punch, the Hornet’s development team also set out to achieve sharper,
more responsive handling through the pursuit of lighter
weight—everywhere. From its engine (fully five kilograms lighter than
before) to its all-new frame and chassis, weight was trimmed and by
extension the Hornet’s overall power-to-weight ratio maximised.
Attention
was also focused on giving the new Hornet quicker and more easily
manageable handling. This was achieved not only through reductions in
weight, but also by carefully calculating precisely where that weight
should be trimmed, or moved, to gain the most responsive,
easiest-handling riding control. Here, the all-important concept of
‘mass centralisation’ played the key role in making the new Hornet the
hottest performing and quickest handling middleweight Performance Naked
on the streets of Europe.
The new CB600F Hornet’s shortlist of hard-hitting new features includes:
- A stunning new streetfighter look, with slimmer lines and lighter, more aggressive
form.
- Mass-centralised construction that locates heavier components closer to the
Hornet’s central turning axes for sharper, smoother and more confident handling.
- A lighter, more compact and higher-revving new fuel-injected engine developed
alongside the all-new 2007 CBR600RR Super Sport.
- A new low-slung exhaust system for enhanced mass centralisation and sharper
handling.
- A newly developed gravity die-cast (GDC) aluminium Mono-Backbone frame for
lighter weight and sharper handling.
- A tapered dual-box-section aluminium swingarm.
- A 41mm inverted cartridge-type front fork.
- Lightweight, newly designed five-spoke aluminium alloy wheels.
- A new over/under dual multi-reflector headlight and slim LED taillight.
- A Combined-ABS version for the ultimate in braking control.
- HISS immobiliser security system.
For
those who’ll settle for nothing less than the most aggressive
streetfighter they can throw a leg over, the new Hornet delivers up the
goods with lighter construction, a hotter power-to-weight ratio,
quicker, more responsive handling and a defiant look of pure ferocity.
Honda’s original streetfighter stands poised to reclaim the streets.
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