Honda Hornet 2.0: Power & Beauty In India’s cut-throat motorcycle market, few bikes have the potential for success If they strike a proper balance between form and function.
The Honda Hornet 2.0 is a testimony to the engineering skills of the Japanese and is a perfectly-balanced combination of a sporty look with a performance that lives to its claim of a real ‘Dhakad’ street fighter.”
Honda Hornet 2.0 Beast Mode: The Heart of the Hornet
But the Honda Hornet 2.0’s real muscle was sitting under its sharp bodywork — a slick 184.4cc single-cylinder air-cooled engine that packs a fairly potent punch.
For 2025, Honda has revised this beast to OBD2B specifications while it still has all of that personality! The motor’s output is a claimed 16.7bhp at 8,500rpm and 15.7Nm at 6,000rpm, figures that play out on the streets just as well.
What really stands out about this engine isn’t the performance, but its flexibility. Whether weaving through traffic in the city or opening up the throttle on the open road, the Hornet’s engine produces smooth, linear power all the way through the rev range.
The five-speed gearbox with slip-and-assist clutch guarantees precise gear shifts and smooth clutch action during take-offs and cornering which is very reassuring especially on long rides.
This combination makes the Hornet accelerate from 0-60kmph in a handful of seconds and hit a claimed top speed of 130kmph – good going for a motorcycle in this cube bracket.
The motor proves to be well-behaved in the daily riding environment. Vibrations are also still minimal at higher revs, an impressive feat for a single-cylinder motorcycle.
This refinement, combined with decent fuel efficiency of about 45kmpl in mixed riding conditions, means that the Hornet 2.0 is as practical as it is exciting.
Dhakad Design: A Head Turner It’s Always
How does the Honda Hornet 2.0 look? The One Look Teaser aside, it’s sharp and aggressive, with an in-your-face muscular stance that tells you it’s a performance bike through and through.
And once you wrap around the lines of the 2025 model, vibrant new graphics accentuating the dynamic design and colour schemes of Pearl Igneous Black, Radiant Red Metallic, Athletic Blue Metallic, and Matt Axis Gray Metallic give it even more presence. The motorcycle comes with sharp lines, while the styling has some predator element in to it.
On the face of it, the X-shaped LED headlamp has got this signature that is unmistakably an Hbike even in the darkest hours. That unique lighting is just part of the V-Strom 1000€s fresh styling and design which is accompanied by the sharp-edge of its fuel tank length cover, the distinctive triangle shaped headlight and its streamlined, beak-style front cowl. Its split seat which features a mild rising pattern, complements the sportier intent of the motorcycle.
One of the most noticeable visual aspects of the bike are the gold-finish USD (upside-down) front forks which aside from offering a marked improvement in handling performance, also contribute to the premium feel that is associated with the front-end of the motorcycle.
Those are matched with a short-stem exhaust and tidy LED tail lamps, all of which cue the Hornet’s modern, muscular appearance. With 167mm ground clearance and seat height of 790mm, the ease on offer is also reassuring and not too domineering on the road.
The commitment to detail is mirrored everywhere else on the motorcycle such as the sharp yet edgy alloy wheels, the muscular fuel tank, and an uncomplicated dual-purpose rear end. Collectively, those features result in a singular, purpose-laden appearance that demands attention while at rest or in motion.
Sharp Package That’s High Tech
2025 Honda has heavily-revised the Hornet 2.0’s technology roster to go hand-in-hand with its performance and design. Among the important changes, we find a 4.2-inch TFT display replacing the old digital instrument cluster. Booming full colour screen is clear and easy to read in all lighting conditions and comes with Bluetooth connectivity via Honda RoadSync app.
Connected with a smartphone, riders will have the opportunity to avail turn-by-turn navigation, call information and SMS notifications – functions that before were present only in much more expensive motorcycles.
The new interface also features gear position indicator, shift light and options of changing the switch pattern to better adapt the display to user preferences.
Safety tech is also well catered for, including the addition of Honda Selectable Torque Control (HSTC) – a kind of traction control designed to prevent wheel spin on wet roads.
The traction control may raise an eyebrow or two on a motorcycle that’s under 200cc but on Indian roads that are going to be covered in slush for a quarter of the year, that is in monsoons, is an excellent safety net.
Powered by the energy-efficient all-LED lights on the headlight, tail lamp and turn signals, the brighter light is produced without burdening the bikes electrical system.
Other features that have been added are the USB Type-C port, for charging, positioned near the instrument cluster to make sure riders can charge their devices even on longer rides.
Fit and Feel: Quick and Sure-Woot!
Hornet 2.0 is similar in handling to what we expected to see with its mad visage and hardware package. The rigid diamond is the backbone to a great handling bike, the perfect marriage of traditional design and modern engineering.
Weighing just 142kg, the bike feels very light and flickable despite its generous dimensions, whether filtering through traffic in a city or slaying turns in the twisties of the mountains.
The suspension package is comprised of gold-finished USD front forks and a mono-shock rear suspension which have been set-up to deal with sporty handling and daily comfort in equal measure.
This suspension kit takes out the rough bumps of the road and at the same time ensure control around sharp turns and during hard acceleration runs.
Stopping power comes from a 276mm front disc and a 220mm rear disc, and is strong and progressive. The 2025 iteration gets dual-channel ABS, a welcome leap from the single-channel setup on early models. This upgrade provides even safer braking performance on street and on the track, especially in emergencies.
The Hornet sits on 17″ alloy wheels front and rear, the 110 section front tire and 140 rear offering the right balance of grip and flickablity. This wheel-tire system provides effective control for each type of ride, from dry tarmac to wet, slippery concrete.
Notable Premium Features
There are a few nice touches that mean well and the Hornet 2.0 is quite user and owner friendly. The hazard-warning indicator enables riders to warn other cars in the surrounding area during an emergent stop.
The engine inhibitor protection from side-stand indicator prevents you from starting the bike if the side stand is down making sure your bike and you are safe.
Ergonomically, the Hornet 2.0 sits in that fine line between sporty and easy going. The riding posture is slightly canted forward but not radical to the point that it would become annoying on longer rides. The handlebar attitude and pegs are arranged to form a naturally tailored triangle for most riders.
The wide split seats not only add to the sporty look of the bike, but also provide .The pillion rider with a comfortable ride. The fuel tank is a generous 12 litres which will keep you off the petrol stations for long enough – a distance of 500-550km should be the deal anyway for weekend touring types.
Competitive Segment Value Proposition
Priced at ₹1.57 lakh for the 2025 model (ex-showroom), the Honda Hornet 2.0 slots itself between premium 160cc and 150-200cc naked street fighter.
Yes, it is an up of ₹ 14,000 when compared to the previous model but considering the extras and the up-brake of the TFT display with connectivity features and the dual-channel ABS system, the bump seems justified.
In this segment, the Hornet 2.0 goes head to head with the likes of the TVS Apache RTR 200 4V, Bajaj Pulsar NS200 and Yamaha MT-15 V2. The thing that sets the Honda apart is that it marries incredible engineering, unique style and Honda’s renowned reliability in a way the others just don’t.
As a first performance motorcycle for young riders or a functional commuter for those looking for that weekend thrill, the Hornet 2.0 makes a strong case for itself.
The motorcycle meshes performance thrill with practical usabilities like fuel efficiency, maintenance cost and long-term reliability – a trademark of the Honda badge.
Honda Hornet 2.0 Now Hating: Character – A Real Street Fighter.
The 2025 Honda Hornet 2.0 takes a really strong core and improves upon it to turn out a bike that stands true to the “dhakad’ tag. The racy, new-gen styled bike isn’t just about looks though, and with a punchy, spirited 184.4cc powering it, it seems to be a head turner and a head scratcher too.
The smart technological upgrades for 2025, the TFT display and advanced safety features, mean that the Hornet won’t be left behind in an era of ever-more technology.
Be it dominating through city roads, or attacking corners, or for just all-out cruising at a biking meet, the ride has a character of its own; Hornet 2.0 makes an unforgettable impression. It embodies perfect balance of bikemanship.
This is the Honda way, the way life should be.” Perfect balance is the goal… and the new 1125R showcases Kendon’s groovy thinking.
The Honda Hornet 2.0 becomes an attractive proposition for those looking for a machine that stands out, not just in terms of looks, but performance as well.
Describe the Indian Road hog is a segment that bristles with competition, but there’s little else in that segment that quite embodies the ‘dhakad’ spirit like this street fighter does – aggressive, imposing and something that’s hard to overlook out on Indian roads.