At present on Auckland’ s North Shore there’ s a race on to track down and exterminate the invasive Yellow Legged Hornet before it gets established. It’ s a type of wasp, but bigger, nastier and meaner, with a hell sting that releases more venom than any other stinging insect. When I say bigger, I mean big- 2-3 centimetres. Get one inside your visor, and it will freak the living bejesus out of you. Mostly black, but with distinctive yellow feet and lower legs, it’ s a real stand out. And seriously unwanted. On the other hand, there is a Hornet which is a very wanted addition. That’ s the one Honda has delivered onto these shores. It has the same colouring- all black with gold wheels and forks, and it too is a mean piece of kit. But one is a little black and gold monster that flies and has a hell-sting in its tail, and the other is a nasty imported insect.
FIREBLADE PUNCH I spent a year or so with the earlier CB1000 R, and although it was a bit of a sleeper in the market, those who rode one swore by it. The Hornet SP takes those cues and ramps up the game considerably. The original CB1000 R used a version of the 2004 Fireblade engine while the Hornet reprises the later 2017 Fireblade motor, delivering 12 more HP than the CB, a hint more torque, and topping out near 11k rpm. Equipped with that sublime inline fourcylinder engine that just begs for work, the bike packs some real punch, with 157 horses on tap, and a soundtrack that takes your heart rate to valve-bounce. This powerplant makes you feel like you are cutting lines on a road like wielding a light-sabre. It’ s a pretty spectacular welding of style and performance with Honda engineering dripping from its satin metallic black finish. Torque wise, the SP is extraordinary, it will pull happily round town in almost any
42 KIWI RIDER