Leaked patent drawings reveal what appears to be a new neo-retro motorcycle built on the Honda CB Hornet 160R platform. While the patent filing doesn’t reveal any specifications, the drawings show the upcoming bike’s design and mechanicals. The design is based on Honda’s new neo-retro theme, but what’s more interesting are the mechanicals, which appear to be extremely similar to that of the current-gen CB Hornet 160R in India.
If you look closely, you will notice that the entire powertrain, including the engine and gearbox, matches that of the Hornet 160R in India. Like the Hornet, this one is air-cooled, too, and not liquid-cooled like the CB125R sold internationally. What’s more is that it sits on a single-downtube frame that appears nearly identical to the Hornet’s; this includes the mounting points for the engine.
The similarities don’t stop there – the bike also has the same wheel design and petal-type disc brake rotors. Aside from the styling elements, there’s one other major difference when compared to the Hornet and that’s the USD fork the bike in the patent is equipped with. If it wasn’t for this premium component, we could have assumed that this is the next-gen CB Hornet 160R. That still might be the case, albeit with the India-spec model running a conventional telescopic fork instead.
Another possibility is that Honda could bring in this bike with the USD fork as a more premium option that will sit above the traditional 160cc crowd, but still well below rivals like the KTM 125 Duke and Yamaha MT-15. Only time will tell.
Stay tuned to Autocar India for more updates!