Buying a superbike that is not E20 compliant

I recently booked the Honda CB1000 Hornet SP, and a question arose: is my motorcycle compatible with E20 blended petrol?

My concern stems from the fact that while many newly launched bikes in India are E20-compliant as a part of the BS6 Phase 2 norms, a CBU import might have different specifications.

Are my concerns justified, and should I proceed with my purchase?

Cherag, via email

Autocar India team says: When it comes to superbikes and big bikes, very few of them on sale in India are currently E20-compliant. Since the motorcycle you are asking about is a Honda, the company recently released a statement about its bikes in India, where it specified that there “may be some effect in performance parameters”, but that even their older bikes are material-compatible with E20 fuel, and that there will be no impact on the life of engine parts.

While this statement is about motorcycles made in India, the same should hold for internationally made Honda products, although we have not been able to get an official statement regarding the same.

As we see it, this doesn’t seem to be a particularly high-risk concern, and if you are extra worried, you can always use 100-octane fuel, which is not blended with ethanol. Granted, it is much more expensive, but most big bikes are sparingly used, and a high-octane fuel like this will always be appreciated by a high-performance engine like the 1,000cc 4-cylinder in the Honda Hornet SP. 

As to whether you should defer your purchase, you can if it will give you peace of mind, but be aware that it might be a while before the bike will be available again. After October 2025, all bikes sold in India must be E20-compliant, but whether Honda India will be able to meet that deadline is unknown. It will depend on multiple factors, including international demand and supply. Typically, Honda’s big bikes in India are in limited supply, and there is often a long waiting period before they become available again once sold out. 

While none of the manufacturers are officially stating this, we also expect to see some level of assistance to the small group of big bike customers on a case-to-case basis for those who may face E20-related issues.

Overall, we suggest you go for it, and if nothing else, budget the extra amount for 100-octane fuel, as long as it is easily available where you live. It’s a relatively small additional cost over what is otherwise an exceptionally well-priced motorcycle, and it will give you peace of mind.