Having a bike that is fast and has the capability to go fast is great. But winglets do not actually serve any functional purpose on naked bikes in traffic; they are just one more surface that collects dust and has the potential to break. It is the same with the 200-horsepower engines: you are never logically going to take a naked bike to a racetrack, because that is what sportbikes are for. And there is no way you are going to use 200 horsepower on a public road without getting into some serious trouble. And yet there are so many crazy fast naked bikes on sale today. The Power-Hungry Red Bike DucatiThe Ducati Streetfighter V4 is a throwback Ducati in every sense of the word. Unlike most Ducatis today, it still retains the Desmodromic valve train, which gives it immense torque and power. The result is 205 horsepower, a figure that most liter-class sportbikes would be proud of. Of course, it is also filled to the brim with Ducati's best electronics, and if you pick the Streetfighter V4 S, you get electronic suspension as well. The Blue Track Specialist BMW MotorradLike Ducati, BMW has also pulled no punches with its flagship naked bike, the BMW M 1000 R. It has the full-fat S 1000 RR engine with variable valve timing for a big horsepower figure of 205 horsepower. Just like the Streetfighter, it has electronics that would make any track-day sportbike proud, and pretty much whatever you’d think was available in the M Division catalog is available for it. We don't really see anyone using its full potential on the street, although it is quite capable of showing a clean pair of heels to sportbikes on a racetrack. The Green Monster KawasakiWhere the Ducati and BMW generate their performance through high revs and high specific output, the Kawasaki Z H2 SE takes another route. It uses forced induction from its supercharger for a wide range of torque and a slightly lower horsepower figure than the other two, at 197 horsepower. This is far more usable in the real world because of its torque delivery. But even though it is significantly heavier than the other two, it isn't a slow motorcycle, and it is too complex for the regular Joe. The Honda CB1000 SP Hornet Is The Motorcycle That Makes High-End Bikes Feel Like Overkill Honda PowersportsIn the face of so much technology, it is refreshing to find a motorcycle that simply sticks to the basics: a good chassis, a powerful enough engine to be fun, and a price that is attainable for most. Honda has done this admirably well with the CB1000 Hornet. It might be a liter-class naked bike, but it certainly doesn't want to compete with the premium bikes on this list. However, it does have a trick up its sleeve: the ‘SP’ in its name hints at great cycle parts in the chassis. Despite this, it has a price that is lower than some premium middleweight Japanese naked bikes! Great Pricing Makes It An Eye-Popping Value Honda PowersportsThe CB1000 Hornet SP is priced at $10,999. In comparison, the Kawasaki Z H2’s price starts at nearly $22,000, the base model BMW M 1000 R carries a price tag of $22,695, and the Ducati Streetfighter V4 costs $24,595. The Streetfighter V4 S costs roughly $31,000. These certainly do offer more than the Honda, but even when factoring in the law of diminishing returns, the CB1000 Hornet SP is the motorcycle that makes these other high-end bikes feel like overkill. Powerful Engine Has Been Detuned For The U.S. Market HondaAs with any other cost-effective street bike, Honda has repurposed the engine from the 2017 Fireblade. It has been detuned for street usage and given more torque at the bottom end and midrange. This is an inline-four engine that displaces 1,000cc, has a short-stroke design, and a compression ratio of 11.7:1. Globally, it makes 157.2 horsepower at 11,000 rpm and 78.9 pound-feet of torque at 9,000 rpm.Honda Unfortunately, in the US market, thanks to emissions and noise regulations, Honda has detuned it to under 130 horsepower. It isn’t all bad news, however: a simple ECU reflash should get you up to speed (quite literally). It gets a six-speed manual transmission with an assist and slipper clutch, and a two-way quickshifter is standard. Low-Cost Chassis, Top-Shelf Brakes, And Suspension Are A Good Combination Honda Honda has developed a new chassis for the CB1000 Hornet SP. This is a low-cost unit that serves the purpose well. It is a one-piece twin-spar steel frame, which means that the subframe is not bolted on, but welded on. The suspension consists of 41mm fully adjustable inverted Showa SFF-BP forks and a fully adjustable Pro-Link Öhlins TTX36 single shock. The suspension travel available is 4.6 inches at the front and 5.5 inches at the back. The brakes are also quite impressive, with twin 310mm discs at the front with radial four-piston fixed Brembo Stylema calipers paired with a radial master cylinder, and a 240mm disc with a single-piston caliper at the rear. These are mated with 17-inch alloy wheels and radial tubeless tires.Honda The kind of equipment the CB1000 Hornet SP has is usually seen on high-end sportbikes, specifically the Öhlins rear shock and the Stylema front brake calipers. Honda has provided them at an incredible price, which makes it a bike that is quick not just to accelerate, but also to brake and turn. We do have reservations about that welded subframe; that cannot be an easy repair job in a crash. Full-Size Liter Naked Dimensions Here This is a full-size liter bike, but it is also fairly compact at 84.3 inches long and 31.2 inches wide, with a 57.3-inch wheelbase. It has middle-of-the-road specs in other areas: a 31.9-inch seat height, 5.3-inch ground clearance, and 4.5-gallon fuel capacity. The curb weight is 465 pounds, ready to roll with a full tank of fuel. Honda has done a good job keeping it compact and light for the segment. Features List Is Good – But Not Overkill HondaThe features list has everything that you will need, but not much more, to keep the cost down. It has a five-inch TFT display, which might seem small by today's standards, but it is clear and functional. It has Bluetooth and navigation as standard. The options list is fairly long and has items like heated grips, a radiator protector, a belly pan, luggage, a flyscreen, different seat upholstery, and rear-set footpegs.Honda The CB1000 Hornet SP does get a throttle-by-wire system, but it does not have a six-axis IMU. You get three preset ride modes and an additional two that are user-configurable. You can change the power level, engine braking level, wheelie control, and HSTC, which is traction control. The lack of a six-axis IMU does make it a little light on tech compared to the premium offerings in the segment, but in the real world, it has everything that you will need. The Unbeatable Price Keeps Cropping Up With The Competition SuzukiThere is only one true competitor to the CB1000 Hornet SP, and that is the Suzuki GSX-S1000. It follows a similar formula to the Honda, but when you compare apples to apples, it costs more, makes a little less power, and is heavier. If you look further afield at the price, things get even better for the Honda. The top-spec Kawasaki Z900 and Yamaha MT-09 both cost more and make less horsepower – and they belong to the middleweight segment!Source: Honda PowerSports