Honda Hornet

[Lteejay]

Does anyone know alot about Honda Hornets - probably around the late 1980's. I haven't read anything about them, so dont really know what they are like. Know they are naked with a more upright sitting position, but dont know much more. What I dont want is a GN250 as I want the bike as weekend recreation, not a commuter (no disregard to the GN250 fans, just not what I'm looking for) - is the bandit like the GN250 in regards to power, as this isn't what I'm looking for.

[degrom]

What model are you looking for? 1980's cb250?

Does it look like this one?
http://www.bikepics.com/pictures/523431/

[Lteejay]

Dont know what year it is, but for the price I assume it is late 1980. I would prefer to get a gpx or similar - sorry dont quite get your question

[Trudes]

Talk to Gijoe about his 250 Hornet, it's not an old one though. I think Celti sea lily has an older CB, maybe have a chat to her.

[nudemetalz]

Here's a link with info on the 250 Hornet
http://www.hondahornet.co.uk/250spec.html

I reckon they're a great looking bike.

Some for sale too:

http://www.trademe.co.nz/Trade-Me-Motors/Motorbikes/Motorbikes/Sports/auction-80567171.htm
http://www.trademe.co.nz/Trade-Me-Motors/Motorbikes/Motorbikes/Sports/auction-80356434.htm
http://www.trademe.co.nz/Trade-Me-Motors/Motorbikes/Motorbikes/Sports/auction-80054518.htm
http://www.trademe.co.nz/Trade-Me-Motors/Motorbikes/Motorbikes/Sports/auction-76995048.htm

[xwhatsit]

That photo Degrom had, and what Celtic Sea Lily and I have is a CB250RS, which is not a Hornet. The Hornet is a straight four, CB250RSs are singles. But both are naked bikes, yes. GiJoe has one of the newer ones -- awesome looking bike, and being a straight four they go pretty well for a 250.

Like anything though, just ride it first and see if you like it. But a naked bike is a good choice... you will drop it, no doubt about it, I've dropped mine a few times (only once while I was riding it though) and with a faired bike you will have expensive repair bills due to cracked fairings. Also, it's a Honda, so you know it is going to be pretty damned reliable and less likely to have any nasty surprises (I still say that despite the sad story of my bike haha).

Good luck, hope you're on two wheels soon, I'm sure you'll love it.

[Switch]

I'm sure the hornet would definetly be faster than the GN :yes:

[Trudes]

That photo Degrom had, and what Celtic Sea Lily and I have is a CB250RS, which is not a Hornet. The Hornet is a straight four, CB250RSs are singles. But both are naked bikes, yes. GiJoe has one of the newer ones -- awesome looking bike, and being a straight four they go pretty well for a 250.



Could you post a pic of a late 80's Hornet for us please. Thanks.

[Lteejay]

Had a gander at the ones on trademe. Thanks for the links. A friend knows someone whoe is selling one, so I will go and have a look at it today. Fingers crossed - hopefully I fall in :love:

[xwhatsit]

Could you post a pic of a late 80's Hornet for us please. Thanks.

I don't think they exist, at least in the 250cc version. The 250 Hornet was introduced in 1995, 1996 or thereabouts, and is pretty much the same version that the likes of GiJoe has, with some styling tweaks. Its actual model number is just CB250... there's stacks of those around, they've been around for decades, but I think the Hornet name was only used for the 90s version. They look nearly identical to the bigger Hornets, except they've got the CBR250 +/-R motor in them instead of a big 900cc lump.

@Lteejay, hope it all checks out! Hornets tend to be quite expensive, at least the ones I've seen around, so if it's ultra cheap as you say maybe it needs some work. Get somebody smart to look at it at any rate.

Hope to see you on the roads! :D

[Lteejay]

Just seen the bike and had a friend take me for a blat down the road - nice. dont know if I will get it, but man even just going down the road on the back was the biggest buzz :eek:

[gijoe1313]

The little ol'Hornet? Yes please! It is a ride that will sit up and beg for you to take it out and about...all over the place, it was built with the philosophy that was to be good, clean, naked fun! (hehehe...I said nekkid!)

With Diablo Stradas on it, I'm filled with confidence as I lean into corners ... and keep leaning! With the naked look, less is definitely more - in regards to keeping things tip-top and tickety-boo, the ease of access is a joy to behold. Wind protection? Pah! I've ridden it for thousands...and thousands...:whistle: and more thousands because I literally cannot get enough riding it!

When people say that wind blast is too tiring, I find that the grin on my face just gets bigger and voila ... little niggles, aches and pains are goooone! :yes:

And how many twofiddy buyers actually start out with a little ol'Hornet? It is unmistakeably a Honda, simple lines, simple styling, but oozes class and that understated comment "Here is a biker that likes to live to ride" ... and it suprises people when they think it's a 600, it is a deceptive little thing! :yes:

You will find yourself doing odd things like hugging it, talking to it, patting it, switching on the light and saying "goodnight little ol'Hornet" and perusing websites to look for bits n'pieces for it!

Oh yeah, Honda Hornet owners are some of the most passionate, dedicated, fun-loving and helpful riders out there! I give my little ol'Hornet death all the time, the more I take it anywhere, the more it wants to do! I'm just a little biased, a little one-eyed :msn-wink: but if you want a ride that will grow with you as a learner, that ol'magic Hornet gets my vote! :love:

[ceebie13]

...You will find yourself doing odd things like hugging it, talking to it, patting it, switching on the light and saying "goodnight little ol'Hornet" and perusing websites to look for bits n'pieces for it!

yay!!! I'm not alone!

[Trudes]

You will find yourself doing odd things like hugging it, talking to it, patting it, switching on the light and saying "goodnight little ol'Hornet" and perusing websites to look for bits n'pieces for it!

Oh yeah, Honda Hornet owners are some of the most passionate, dedicated, fun-loving and helpful riders out there!

I hug my baby all the time and say thank you to her for bringing me home safely after each ride, and she's very forgiving too, haven't felt the need to call her a bitch yet, although she does get called a dirty girl sometimes.
And yes, we Hornet owners are a funny little bunch, as soon as we meet another Hornet owner it's an instant friendship and you will often see Hornet owners grouped together (Paul in NZ's get together for instance, the 4 CB owners gravitated to each other to yak for ages!).

[LilSel]

I hug my baby all the time....


Whoohooo... So im not crazy after all!! :woohoo:

[Lteejay]

I hug my baby all the time and say thank you to her for bringing me home safely after each ride, and she's very forgiving too, haven't felt the need to call her a bitch yet, although she does get called a dirty girl sometimes.
And yes, we Hornet owners are a funny little bunch, as soon as we meet another Hornet owner it's an instant friendship and you will often see Hornet owners grouped together (Paul in NZ's get together for instance, the 4 CB owners gravitated to each other to yak for ages!).

Thats a nice bike you've got Mrs Kendog. Sounds like I will be in good company if I get a hornet. Cant make up my mind as had my heart set on a bike with fairings, but the sensible part of me is saying the hornet I looked at is a great learners bike, it should hold its value and if I drop it I wont have really expensive fairings to replace. Ohhhhh the dilema - painful but sweet

[WickedOne]

Go with the Hornet mate, awesome bike to ride. :scooter:

[Lteejay]

Leaning more and more that way. Cant wait to get on the road and ride and ride and ride - well around the local carpark for the first wee while anyway:yes:

[ceebie13]

And yes, we Hornet owners are a funny little bunch,

"little" being the operative word aye Trude :-))

D'you reckon the CB13 is the Hornet's fat bro or its big daddy? ...or maybe its big mumma?

[TerminalAddict]

fat and lazy springs to mind :nya:

1300cc of beer belly :D

[ceebie13]

fat and lazy springs to mind :nya:

1300cc of beer belly :D

Oi! Don't knock it till you try it. You'll be pleasantly surprised.:yes:

[TerminalAddict]

I gotta say .. Its tempting .. I just like the under seat pipes of the 919 ;)

All sexy, and "under seat"y

y'know ... :drool:

[Trudes]

I gotta say .. Its tempting .. I just like the under seat pipes of the 919 ;)

All sexy, and "under seat"y

y'know ... :drool:

Have to agree there, the streamlined under seat pipes are very sexy, and I love my aftermarket pipes, it no longer sounds like a meek little bumblebee, more like a pissed off bumblebee.
And I like to think the 1300 is the more sensible big bro.:mellow:

[gijoe1313]

I'm a little Hornet, small and fast
See me naked, riding past!

When the sun shines, it is fun
You'll be the only biker riding one!

I'm a little Hornet, happy as can be,
You'll be grinning gleefully!

*sung to the tune of "I'm a little teapot"

[TerminalAddict]

Have to agree there, the streamlined under seat pipes are very sexy


nothing sexier than a nice tight bum :shifty:

[ceebie13]

...and I love my aftermarket pipes....

I've got aftermarket pipes. It's called a vasectomy! :laugh:

[Trudes]

I'm a little Hornet, small and fast
See me naked, riding past!

When the sun shines, it is fun
You'll be the only biker riding one!

I'm a little Hornet, happy as can be,
You'll be grinning gleefully!

*sung to the tune of "I'm a little teapot"

:cry: That's beautiful Justin.:rofl:

Oh and you need to take a new profile pic, maybe one of your little Hornet not tied to a trailer!!

[WickedOne]

Have to agree there, the streamlined under seat pipes are very sexy, and I love my aftermarket pipes, it no longer sounds like a meek little bumblebee, more like a pissed off bumblebee.
And I like to think the 1300 is the more sensible big bro.:mellow:

Agreed, I put a set of Micron Carbon Fibre oval pipes on mine and she sounds amazing!! (Especially at 7-8000rpm) :Punk:

[Trudes]

Agreed, I put a set of Micron Carbon Fibre oval pipes on mine and she sounds amazing!! (Especially at 7-8000rpm) :Punk:

Ohhhhh, poor baby, I've only taken mine over about 7 once. (It was fun though and the vibrations were *interesting*!!) It has another life after about 6 I found out after a recommendation from Zapf.

[Trudes]

I've got aftermarket pipes. It's called a vasectomy! :laugh:

Hahaha, ummmmm.... thanks for sharing.:eek:

[Fooman]

They look nearly identical to the bigger Hornets, except they've got the CBR250 +/-R motor in them instead of a big 900cc lump.

Ahh, you've got that around the wrong way! The 900's look like the 250's, with a big lump, instead of the CBR250 motor! The 250 Hornet came first. Then Mr Honda's minions squeezed the CBR600 motor into the frame, with little change to the bike (brakes/suspension). Then came the Fireblade motor swap, with a little more tinkering. The later models have diverged a bit, but all the original Hornets were based on the 250cc machine.

Sources:

PB, late 90's review of 600 Hornet
http://www.hondahornet.co.uk/250spec.html

Cheers,
FM

[WickedOne]

Ohhhhh, poor baby, I've only taken mine over about 7 once. (It was fun though and the vibrations were *interesting*!!) It has another life after about 6 I found out after a recommendation from Zapf.

Ha ha ha, yeah, had a track day at Taupo (New track only) a couple of weeks ago and most of the time was in 2nd and 3rd and she was screaming her lungs out. Had her into the red a few times and she really comes alive between 7000rpm and 9500rpm. :shit:

[Alice]

[QUOTE=xerxesdaphat;855603]I don't think they exist, at least in the 250cc version. The 250 Hornet was introduced in 1995, 1996 or thereabouts, and is pretty much the same version that the likes of GiJoe has, with some styling tweaks. Its actual model number is just CB250... there's stacks of those around, they've been around for decades, but I think the Hornet name was only used for the 90s version. They look nearly identical to the bigger Hornets, except they've got the CBR250 +/-R motor in them instead of a big 900cc lump.

- The 250 Hornets do not come into NZ new, any Hornet 250's you come across have come to NZ as second hand bikes imported from Japan.

[ceebie13]

I'm a little Hornet, small and fast
See me naked, riding past!......


Im a great big CB, big and mean
My owner likes to keep me nice and clean

He never gets me dirty, he never treats me bad
He says I'm the best bike he's ever had

We go for a ride nearly every day
And when we get home he wipes the dirt away

He brings along his Mrs, she climbs aboard my back
And off we all go to the Pahiatua Track

Zooming through the twisties and flyin down the straights
We wonder if we'll meet up with any of our mates

It really is no effort, its super fun for me
Cos I'm big and tough...I'm a big CB :Punk:

[WickedOne]

Im a great big CB, big and mean
My owner likes to keep me nice and clean

He never gets me dirty, he never treats me bad
He says I'm the best bike he's ever had

We go for a ride nearly every day
And when we get home he wipes the dirt away

He brings along his Mrs, she climbs aboard my back
And off we all go to the Pahiatua Track

Zooming through the twisties and flyin down the straights
We wonder if we'll meet up with any of our mates

It really is no effort, its super fun for me
Cos I'm big and tough...I'm a big CB :Punk:


Bravo!!! :rockon:

[Lteejay]

[QUOTE=xerxesdaphat;855603]I don't think they exist, at least in the 250cc version. The 250 Hornet was introduced in 1995, 1996 or thereabouts, and is pretty much the same version that the likes of GiJoe has, with some styling tweaks. Its actual model number is just CB250... there's stacks of those around, they've been around for decades, but I think the Hornet name was only used for the 90s version. They look nearly identical to the bigger Hornets, except they've got the CBR250 +/-R motor in them instead of a big 900cc lump.

- The 250 Hornets do not come into NZ new, any Hornet 250's you come across have come to NZ as second hand bikes imported from Japan.

Cheers Alice - I found out it is a 1996 - nice lookin bike. I have decisions to make.
p.s Napier - beautiful area. I spent the first 21 years of my life in HB, so thats most of it, and most of my family and friends still live there.

[Trudes]

Ha ha ha, yeah, had a track day at Taupo (New track only) a couple of weeks ago and most of the time was in 2nd and 3rd and she was screaming her lungs out. Had her into the red a few times and she really comes alive between 7000rpm and 9500rpm. :shit:

Ahhhhhhhh, oh, I could never forgive myself for doing that to her!! (Must have been fun though!)

[Trudes]

Check out all the poet Hornet riders!!! :shit: , best I could do was a stupid little ditty with things that rhyme with bum!

[ceebie13]

Check out all the poet Hornet riders!!! :shit: , best I could do was a stupid little ditty with things that rhyme with bum!

my lips are sealed!:shutup:

[Alice]

[QUOTE=Alice;856862]

Cheers Alice - I found out it is a 1996 - nice lookin bike. I have decisions to make.
p.s Napier - beautiful area. I spent the first 21 years of my life in HB, so thats most of it, and most of my family and friends still live there.

yer, its a beautiful area here, I love it, great lifestyle if u not into cities, the Hornets are cool wee bikes, be interesting to hear what you decide, get it checked out properly to make sure its not a dog, don't get carried away with pure enthusiasm, good to get the facts first.

Perhaps we'll get to go riding together some time when your down this way.You can PM me if you'd like to.

[Balding Eagle]

This might help. I took up riding after a lengthy time off. I was going to go for the GN but someone said that I would be bored after three months. So I decided to go with the Hornet. A great decision. It is a very responsive bike with plenty of power. The 250cc limit for learners and Rs is an ass because the 250 Hornet will probably outdo anything in a similar cc range and some larger. Mine (and I assume all of them) was redlined at 16,000 rpm, four carbs, four exhausts and it really got up and boogied. If you think you can handle it (and don't be underconfident) it is a magic machine to learn on. I didn't drop mine at all and don't be convinced by an earlier post that you are likely to. Utter crap if you are good enough. I enjoyed it so much that when I got my full, I went out and bought the 900cc version. My only problem is trying to go slow enough to fit in with the traffic in town, which I hate. Yeh, the Hornet is a great bike and an excellent machine to learn on primarily because it will take you beyond where you think you can go and you will be very happy with the performance after you have got your full instead of being bored and looking for a better bike.

I see you are in AKL. My bike is now for sale at Botany Honda. Their price is a little high and I am sure they will negotiate. These bikes also retain their value very well. Enjoy.

[gijoe1313]

It really is no effort, its super fun for me
Cos I'm big and tough...I'm a big CB :Punk:

It seems they are like brothers,
since they ride like no other -
The riders are an awesome bunch,
When we shall we all meet for lunch?
I spot them here,
I espy them there,
Even out of sight, their pipes I hear!
Our thoughts and joyous posts we share -
The magic of 250,600,900 and 13000 CCs
Hornet riders share a giggle, hee hee! :msn-wink:

oh yeah, Mrs Kendog - watch the profile pic for a night shot later ...

ceebie13 "You have given out too much bling you generous git, try again later" :doh:

[Trudes]

Cool, are you going to get all artistic on us? To add to your poetic talents!!

[Lteejay]

This might help. I took up riding after a lengthy time off. I was going to go for the GN but someone said that I would be bored after three months. So I decided to go with the Hornet. A great decision. It is a very responsive bike with plenty of power. The 250cc limit for learners and Rs is an ass because the 250 Hornet will probably outdo anything in a similar cc range and some larger. Mine (and I assume all of them) was redlined at 16,000 rpm, four carbs, four exhausts and it really got up and boogied. If you think you can handle it (and don't be underconfident) it is a magic machine to learn on. I didn't drop mine at all and don't be convinced by an earlier post that you are likely to. Utter crap if you are good enough. I enjoyed it so much that when I got my full, I went out and bought the 900cc version. My only problem is trying to go slow enough to fit in with the traffic in town, which I hate. Yeh, the Hornet is a great bike and an excellent machine to learn on primarily because it will take you beyond where
you think you can go and you will be very happy with the performance after you have got your full instead of being bored and looking for a better bike.

I see you are in AKL. My bike is now for sale at Botany Honda. Their price is a little high and I am sure they will negotiate. These bikes also retain their value very well. Enjoy.

Sounds like you are a fan. If your bikes being sold by a dealer it will be out of my price range. Thanks for the info though. I will eventually stop dithering once I realise summer is wasting away and finally make a decision.

[FilthyLuka]

is the bandit like the GN250 in regards to power, as this isn't what I'm looking for.

new pipe, re-jet, 50/50 mix of 96 and av-gas, extra tooth on the front sprocket and go crusing! Works a dream... Sounds mean with a decent pipe too... but itll cost a bit if you dont do the work yourself, and mechanics give you shady looks when they see a blue piston...

but anywho, i know a dude who used to have a hornet, (sold it for an RS), said it was a nice little bike. four cyclinder and all... i think it was a 98? good little thing, itll keep you amused for a while.

Denden

[Lteejay]

new pipe, re-jet, 50/50 mix of 96 and av-gas, extra tooth on the front sprocket and go crusing! Works a dream... Sounds mean with a decent pipe too... but itll cost a bit if you dont do the work yourself, and mechanics give you shady looks when they see a blue piston...

but anywho, i know a dude who used to have a hornet, (sold it for an RS), said it was a nice little bike. four cyclinder and all... i think it was a 98? good little thing, itll keep you amused for a while.

Denden

Rocket power - yep thats what I'm after. I can imagine my expression :shit:
Just want something to cruise the weekends with.

[FilthyLuka]

hmm, then you probably dont want a rocket ginny... (boyracers hate ya when you can drag them off without even blinkin... 0-100 in fast. for a ginny that is)

hornet is a cool bike... if you want a cruisin bike id go for a vtr250 myself... Thought of a hyoslut?

denis