Honda Finally Built the MT-07 Competitor

Honda has been the punchline of every "my Honda is reliable but boring" conversation for 30 years. The CB750 Hornet is the bike that ends that joke.

Chase's reaction 90 seconds into the first ride, when the front wheel came off the ground in Standard mode, the middle mode, not even the sporty one, was genuine disbelief. "Hondas are not supposed to be like this. Hondas are supposed to be the tried and true, you know? They're normally not the most powerful, not the most exciting, but they get the job done." This one is exciting. Substantively exciting. And it costs $7,999.

Performance highlights

755cc parallel twin, 90 horsepower, 55 lb-ft of torque, 419 lb wet, 270° crank. Throttle response scores an 8 and the standout is a detail most reviewers miss: "There is almost no play in this throttle." Zero free-play. Input equals output. That precision is what makes the bike feel faster than the spec sheet reads.

Agility earns a 9. 419 lb wet with handlebar-wide leverage and a chassis tuned for flick. This is a bike that darts through traffic with less effort than a bicycle. "It's so easy to throw into the corners." Chase's most-repeated word during the first ride: "surprised."

Acceleration is 7 and direct comparison to the MT-07 is warranted. The Hornet's mid-range punch is stronger than Yamaha's CP2: same class, same price bracket, slightly more aggressive delivery. The 40–80 roll-on lands in second gear and it's genuinely fast for 90 hp.

Brakes take the drop to 5. Same refrain as half the bikes on this board: good enough to stop, not confident enough to trust hard. "They get the job done, but that front end lacks some strong bite." Fix with aftermarket pads or accept the limitation. At this price, it's a reasonable cost.

Suspension (7) is plush and confidence-inspiring with adjustable preload on the rear. Front is non-adjustable. For a $7,999 bike, this is about as good as it gets.

Rider experience & tech

Comfort is the 5 and it's a hot-seat complaint. Literally. "The seat is very hot. The sun is not out. So, it's as if the engine gets the seat hot." Whether that's engine heat rising through the seat or radiant from the fuel tank, it's a real phenomenon. Chase flagged it on camera and asked owners to confirm in the comments. Add in a firm, thin seat, and longer rides will end earlier than you wanted.

Tech scores 7. Five ride modes (Rain, Standard, Sport, User 1, User 2) with customizable power / engine brake / traction control. Bidirectional quickshifter with three user-selectable stiffness settings (soft / medium / hard), a level of tuning usually reserved for bikes twice this price. Self-cancelling turn signals. A 5-inch TFT dash. The dash's only flaw is cosmetic: "it looks like an engineer designed it", functional and readable, but aesthetically plain. No cruise control, which at this point qualifies as a pattern across the entire middleweight class.

Ease of use lands at 8. Low seat height, light controls, intuitive menu layout. Chase specifically noted Honda's UI design makes it easy to figure out every feature without help. If you've ridden a 2024+ Honda with this dash (like the CB650R E-Clutch), it's the same interface, and it's good.

Versatility is 7. City / commute / weekend rides, genuinely excellent. Touring, survivable for a day ride to the mountains, not a multi-day haul (no cruise, hot seat).

Fun-for-the-money is the headline 9. $7,999. Let that sink in. At this price you're getting a 270° twin, a quickshifter with stiffness tuning, self-canceling signals, five ride modes, a TFT dash, and a chassis that makes the front wheel float in Standard. "This might be my favorite Honda yet." Chase said that on camera. After 1,800 videos.

The Chase Score & final thoughts

With a Chase Score of 72/100, Good Tier, the CB750 Hornet puts Honda in the same middleweight naked conversation as the MT-07 for the first time in years. 36 ride points + 36 usability points = a bike that punches two price brackets above what you paid.

Buy it if you want the MT-07's engine character in a slightly punchier package with better electronics, OR if you want the best-value sub-$10k naked on sale right now. Skip it if you're commuting 45+ minutes each way on a hot day (the seat-heat issue is real) or if you need cruise control. Chase's direct line: "I don't know which one I would rather have. The MT-07 or the freaking CB750 Hornet." That's the highest compliment this class can earn.