2008 Honda Hornet CB900F

The Honda CB900F Hornet, also sold in North America as the Honda 919, represented Honda’s vision of a versatile naked motorcycle with sportbike performance, comfort, and everyday usability. The second-generation CB900F was directly derived from the SC33 Honda CBR900RR Fireblade, with its full fairings stripped away, a conventional round headlamp fitted, and ergonomics revised to create a more upright riding position. The result was a machine that blended the performance of a supersport with the approachability of a standard motorcycle, appealing to riders who wanted high power without racetrack-style bodywork or extreme ergonomics.

The roots of the CB900F Hornet can be traced back to a 1994 design study created by Dirk Vandenberg, American Honda’s R&D chief product evaluator, in collaboration with Cycle World magazine. This one-off project transformed a CBR900RR into a streetfighter-style machine with high tubular handlebars, retuned gearing, and more accessible torque delivery. The concept resonated with the “older sportbike crowd” who sought real-world usability and comfort while still demanding performance. Honda refined this idea into a production model, officially launching the CB900F/919 in 2002.

Built primarily for the European market—where it was branded as the Hornet 900—the bike was assembled in Italy, which made U.S. imports expensive due to unfavorable exchange rates. In North America, Honda marketed it as the 919, as Chrysler held the “Hornet” trademark following its acquisition of AMC. Despite its relatively high price in the U.S., the model became a cult favorite and a strong value on the used market, praised by Motorcyclist in 2006 as a hidden gem for riders seeking practicality and fun.

In Europe, the Hornet 900 was warmly received. The Daily Telegraph described it as “undemanding, rewarding two-wheeled fun,” drawing comparisons to the Universal Japanese Motorcycles (UJMs) of the 1970s. Production of the CB900F Hornet ran until 2007, after which it was phased out in favour of the more modern CB1000R, which met tightening emissions standards and carried a more aggressive performance image. The 2008 model year was among the final Hornet 900s available.

At the heart of the CB900F was a 919cc inline-four, a detuned version of the SC33 Fireblade engine developed under Honda’s famed project leader Tadao Baba. Retuned with lower compression, milder camshaft lift, and 36 mm fuel-injection throttle bodies (replacing the CBR’s 38 mm carburettors), the motor produced around 100 hp. The changes prioritised midrange torque and smooth delivery, making the bike tractable in urban riding while still capable of thrilling acceleration.

A steel square-tube backbone frame carried the engine as a stressed member, with suspension provided by a non-adjustable front fork (made adjustable from 2004 onwards) and a rear Showa monoshock with preload adjustment (and later rebound damping). Braking came via twin front discs and a single rear disc. Instrumentation was deliberately simple, with twin analogue gauges and a basic indicator cluster.