Honda should have packed the Hornet package into the chassis of the CB650R.

Bought the Hornet and after 4 months sold it… now have the 8S.. 2 very different bikes. Hornet was a bit small and couldn’t get comfortable. Great motor though. 8S is more comfortable,planted and stable, love the torque and fuelling is 100%. No regrets changing over. And price here is the same for either.

Smooth with better torque. Suzuki for sure.

Picking up my Hornet on Thursday, have had a Suzuki SV650S since 2006. Excited!!

Honda struck a fine balance between features and price with Hornet. It looks better in person.

Why is it that people say,"The Hornet is far better value!! Add on the £260 for the quick shifter( standard on the Suzuki) the extra £250 for the 3rd year warranty( standard on the Suzuki) it's not so much of a difference, AND if you keep the Suzuki serviced every year you get the FULL manufactures warranty extended each year for up to 7 years !! Having rode both back to back the Suzuki's torque, handling , looks and quality of finish won the day, love it!!! I think Suzuki should make more of the warranty offer in their advertising!

Both bikes are brilliant, but for someone who has only one bike and ACTUALLY uses it for just about everything, the Suzuki would be the choice. For day trips and weekend rides, and for dealing with clogged through-ways, the riding position and extra stability should make a discernible difference in the day-to-day experience. Both, however, really need to AT LEAST offer cruise control, particularly given these will almost always be an only bike. Great choices in this category, none of which are bad.

I tested the suzuki hornet and 790 recently The 790 is now 7k new I've seen the s8 for 7.5k new now too Prefer the smooth solid planted easy to ride feeling of the suzuki also looks the best imo so I'll be getting that 👌 can't go wrong with any of them tho.

Pick up my 8S on Monday. Previously riding a gen 3 SV650, which was a great bike, but despite making a few tweaks I couldn't get on with the suspension. Chose the Suzi because of its larger size and just felt that it fit me a bit better.

Honda Fan here. the Hornet is ok, but i bought the 8s! i wanted to drive something else this time and i am not regreting it! this bike is so awesome!

Due to that im very small for me only the Honda is a option for me. When i would have the choice i would choose the Suzuki but im still happy to get the Honda next week and hope that its suitable for me as my first bike. In Germany even with Quick Shifter the difference is 800 € between the bikes. But in the end i need to get on the bike with my short legs. Safety and feeling safe is as a starter very important

Can you please make some videos with budget used bikes for new riders please. I love your videos, and your way of presentation. Keep the good work up mate

I was at a track day at Oulton in April and bumped into some of the test riders from Performance bikes who were just packing up after track testing the Hornet, GSX-8S and Trident (the KTM 790 apparently wasn't available at that stage), talking to the lads in the cafe they said the Hornet blitzed it at the track with the Trident second which they said was the complete opposite of the road test were the GSX-8S was by far the best with once again the Trident second, so it looks like your summary was spot on.

I have the hornet CB750 from last March. The engine is from another planet super star. Riding modes, navigation on screen in London very useful. I like everything to it.

Passed my test 8 weeks ago and got a yellow Hornet, I really love it.

Am 5'7, so it's the Hornet 4 me in the comfort dept. Rest: agreed. & i habe 2 SV650's so i'm not really Honda-biased.....yhx 4 your analysis ,Bob, carry on rolling 🤘☀️😎

Now I'm getting old and being 190cm I think the Suzuki is the one for me. I think it also looks like it's finished of a little better. I'd be happy with either though.

I have a hornet and it is brillant. Its not the best looking on the market, but trust me, its a little rocket. Super manageable. I'm 1.86cm and it is a bit small, but still super fun

I prefer the looks of the 8S, but me being just barely 160cm with inseam of 26", I gotta go with the Hornet. Oh, and the smaller rear tire would save me quite a bit of cash when it comes to replacing em too!

Great video! Both are beautiful bikes for sure. Have you ever considered using weighted values? Price , for example , should carry more value than styling? Best!

I bought the Honda, and I absolutely love it. Everything about it. And, yes, it does look much better in person. As you can tell, I am still in my honeymoon phase! lol

both of them incredibly good for the money. If on a budget hornet all the way if willing to spend a little bit more 8s is a better bike no contest.

I have owned a Hornet since March and after 7500 miles I can confirm that it is an amazing bike, the handling is good, its fast and incredibly efficient, I average 70+ mpg but I did run it in very carefully over 1500 miles.

Have gone for the Suzuki, just so easy to ride quick and that engine is an absolute peach, love the low down grunt

I'd take the hornet in silver, though I hear we won't get it here in the states because of noise regs. But we are getting the trans alp which has same engine. What? Anyway thanks for the comparison

I tried the Honda and the engine is 10/10, even limited to A2 license it's amazing. Too bad the bike is super small

i've also seen the CFMOTO 800nk sport, similar in price and performance. Could you also test/compare them to the hornet?

I went for the V7 Stone E5. What can I say, it makes me grin, and I like shaft drive.

Suzuki ❤

Great overview. Could I ask what helmet you use ? 😊 thanks Pete

This is gonna be a topic for another Decade. GSXR 800 vs CBR750 , SV800 vs CB750R , SV800X vs GB800

I have ridden both the Hornet and the Suzuki and hands down I would go for the Suzuki. But, you would have to ACF 50 it as the quality is a B+ whereas the Honda would be an A-.The Suzuki with the longer (45mm)wheelbase and wider rear tyre makes it more stable and less"alive/twitchy", which I prefer. I know about naked bikes as I had an 890R Duke for a few years.But both bikes are very good...now if Suzuki only did and "RS" version.........

The 790 Duke is on sale for only at £6999 everywhere at the moment which makes it a no brainer IMO.

I bought the Suzuki. Love this machine!

Honda engine is 10/10 but everything else is just to small/cheap. Give it a better frame and suspension, little bit bigger and also a wider rear tire to make it more grown up and it will sell more even if it would cost more.

I suspect that for most people in countries with weather similar to the UK the price will need to include heated grips in addition to a quick shifter. So the Hornet's true minimum price is effectively £7619.20 and for the GSX-8S it's £8356. The real world price difference may actually be even less because people are reporting having seen the GSX-8S available for £500 below list price whereas I've seen no comments of the Hornet having been discounted.

I don't know man. These two bikes bikes are both so cool. Such good packages for the money you spend!

I wouldn't even think about it and I would choose the Suzuki GSX 8S because the engine pushes more at low and medium revs and that's where you have fun on the road and the Suzuki is made much better than the Honda.

Which one has the least heat on your but by some warm weather? Wich one has the less hardest seat. My Suzuki V Strom 650 has too hard seat and is too hot in warm temperature.😢

Hi would you put a BMW 900f against them or would you class it as a step above them.

The Hornet sounds great but I'm located in the US where it is not available (yet?). Current pricing discounts and our Transalps lower power output would eliminate the Hornets main advantages anyway so I picked up a white 8S a couple of days ago. Seems awesome so far but will still be interested in trying a Hornet if Honda ever decides to sell them here!

My sv650 is mad in japan. I think 8s is made in japan, too. I perfer the bike made in JP😄

I love the l headlight unit on the Suzuki.

Completely subjective but it's the Suzuki for me. Much prefer the looks, torque & stability.

Got to sit on the Suzuki 8s at a dealer this past weekend, fits me like a glove at 6’4. Haven’t had a chance to check out the hornet but a lot of Honda’s bikes haven’t been the most comfortable to me.

These will be a good comparison to the new cfmoto nk 800 coming out soon with the ktm 790 engine.

I tried the hornet, I didnt feel comfortable on it. I was too cramped and the seat was too low. (I'm 180 cm) I liked the engine though. But it has nothing on the 890 duke...

Sadly, neither the GSX nor the Hornet are available where I am. The only "naked" we have are the Yamaha's MT07 and up and the KTM Duke series

I hope with an exhaust , intake and tune 90 whp can be made on the suzuki.

Haha... did you see the hornet flying around the Hornet?

Suzuki for me (but both are very nice) ...although I'm not planning on actually getting one.

can't find any comparison long term between this category of bike, including servicing etc. Do either of these need valvetrain adjustment? Service intervals? Fuel Requirements?

R.R.P price is now £7299 for the Hornet, Suzuki is being offered for £7499 now, that's with the quick shifter as standard and a 3 year warranty.

As I'm currently riding the best choice for my location, a great street fighting and even better twisty carving motorcycle, the Kawasaki Z400, it's hard to imagine moving up in displacement because of lack of need for big displacement machines in northern Thailand due to limited road conditions where you can use up all or even most of the available power of the Hornet or the Gixxer, I'd probably never upgrade. My Z400 is super smooth and very punchy at 8000rpm and at 9000rpm is still very refined feeling with stupid grin inducing levels of snappy throttle and power. But, if I will ever get a bigger displacement bike, I would have to choose the Gixxer over the Hornet. First, the hornet is just horribly colored. Second, I dont need or want all the tech. Third, the blue S8 is a real beauty. Forth, better power delivery for my liking on a bike of that displacement, for our road conditions. If Honda releases a GB750, as is rumored to be upcoming, with its comfortable looking riding position and cool looks from back in my younger days riding, I would get one, maybe. But, because my Z400 is super friendly and nimble in city traffic as well as a riotous partner carving up our mountain twisties, great on gas, cheap on insurance and tires, no way I would get rid of it. But, Kawasaki has a bad habit of painting its bikes ugly green colors. So, I might paint it a nice blue 😁

after looking at these i keep coming back to the 2016 GSR750 in blue at £4500 ,, seems a no brainer

The bike I want is the KTM, but I REFUSE to buy a bike which does that thing several (European) car manufacturers are now doing; sell the product in check-it-out mode with all the bells and whistles, to then suddenly lock some key features which you then have to spend more money to unlock. I bought the CB500F this year thinking that when the Hornet comes Stateside, I'd trade up, and I still see no reason not to do that; it'll be easier to change the rear shock on the Honda, than loose weight on the Suzuki. But the Honda does look very vanilla, I agree..

As a mt07 2022 owner i'm thinking for the susuki upgrade.

I have gained plenty of experience now on the Suzuki, it’s plain. It’s 30 heavier, slower and bigger than the Honda. I’ve tried, but the Suzuki is just a tad boring especially, compared to the more lively Honda.

The Riding position is very important. After riding a too small bike for 1 1/2 years i never want to go back to feeling anything less comfortable than on my gsx8s. Maybe if the hornet would have been a bit taller i would have bought it

Now yo have to compare them to the new CFmoto 800 with Duke 790 engine

Honda, small bike with huge exciting to explore engine that has the sound to back it up as standard. My pick. The fun factor is just too alluring. Personally I like the conservative styling. Suzuki I’m not a fan of coloured wheels. Looks bad/dirty the second they hit the road. Hard to clean in certain areas. The all black option is matte black which adds an extra step to keep it clean. While the looks give the Suzi personality, the riding simply does not. The Suzi wins in many categories but not the ones that matter for me. If the Hornet wasn’t around I’d happily own the Suzi.

Do you know production country of this Suzuki? I saw by label that Hornet coming from Thailand. Good review, thx 😎

8:54 hornet wants a hornet.

I own a 23 Mt07. But i'll choose the Suzuki😊

We can't do that in the Philippines since Honda Ph didn't launch the Hornet yet. 😢

MT07 Best all the time

I'm 186cm or 6"1'tall and I test gave the Honda a test ride it was like trying to ride a mini bike .

Hornet is the better looking bike for me. I personally think the Suzuki is a bit ugly. Tail too short and the front of the bike just doesn’t look right at all. But that’s just me. Can’t afford either, so moot point I suppose, but my money would go Hondas way.

Price probably comes down to where they're built. Is Suzuki still Japan while Honda is Thailand?

I would have to go with the Suzuki. I just can’t get into the looks of that hornet. I prefer low to midrange torque as well and an extra $1k when you’re talking motorcycles isn’t a deal breaker by any means.

I don't think the suzuki has the better looks, the gray hornet is fucking beautiful

I prefer a quiet bike and a torquey engine, and I prefer the Honda's styling. So for me the Suzuki wins 4-3.

It's almost impressive, just how bland Honda managed to make the Hornet.

Sir I am your big Fan love from Pakistan ❤

On some countries the gsx8s is 30% more expensive than the cb750 hornet, so you need to compare it with the cb650r

Suzuki has better engine, more beefy. And the sound; look up how it sounds with an aftermarket can. Suzuki wins imo😅

whatever i love suzuki

Is Suzuki on a par with Honda, in reliability?

Exactly . I don't like the pointy headlight of hornet and stacked headlight of 8. Read my mind.

Both machines have got a place for somebody but my personal preference would be the suzuki.

No Robert. I am not looking at both of these, because Honda doesn’t like the US enough to give us the Hornet…

The Hornet edges it for me. Just not a fan of the stacked front lights on the Suzuki.

It's the Honda's styling for me.

Look to the Duke? Man, what about the Triumph 765

Honda cheaper because you have to pay extra for the quick shifter which the 8s comes standard with 🤷‍♂️ Suzuki for the win. Honda 2 year warranty and Suzuki 3 year warranty.

Honda was always going to win because it’s boring & cheap. I’m going Suzuki cause I love mine incredibly 💪💪 Thanks Moto Bob🤙

Suzie for me

I am slightly taller and found the Honda seat height better for myself...Styling is subjective but come on, stacked headlights? no. It is a wash for me.

I saw both of them, don’t get me wrong, the Hornet is very good but is very mediocre in terms of esthetics. The Suzuki can be loved ore not but it has a personality. Watch them both life.

The obsession with exhaust noise is pathetic amongst modern "riders". Does no one realize the joys and benefit of 'riding stealth'? Suzuki nailed it with the quietness. It prevents you from being a noisy bag of shit around your neighbors and less likely to be targeted by bitch police too. The Suzuki looks awesome as well and seems far more comfortable and flexible with riding position. That Honda acceleration, weight, and price though... what a time to be alive in the motorcycle world.

Here we go again first big bike blah blah blah. Of course it's suitable for a first big bike after all it's under 200 bhp 🙄

MT-09!

KTM currently have £1000 off the 790 and 890s

790 duke cant go past it with either of these bikes

Whe has orderd the Suzuki great bike.

Honda and Suzuki are as disappointing and boring in this middle segment as they are in the 1000cc supernaked/hypernaked segement, so worthless that you can not even count them as the same kind of bikes (hypernakeds) as the other manufactures bikes in that segment lol. In the middle segment, I would much rather save up money two more months to buy an MT-09, Duke 890 R or a Street Triple RS than buy any of these two boring middleweight nakeds. Suzuki and Honda needs to really step their game up more than this with their naked bikes in all classes. They do not have to add a lot of tech or expensive parts that makes them more expensive, just make the engines more exciting and fun lol. Test ride a GSX-8S for instance, then test ride the MT-09. Is a whole other level, maybe these two new bikes from Suzuki and Honda are supposed to compete with the likes of MT-07 instead ? But the have the CB 650R for example which already does that so It must be that these bikes are competitors to the likes of MT-09 and Street triple then. Anyways, these two brands suck in almost every category and has so for a long time, I hope they really turn their shit around because they have nothing to be excited for and that is a fact =( I heard not even Honda super-bikes has done well in recent years apparently. I really hope these two brands starts to make fun bikes soon.

Suzuki all day

The hornet is literally just an cb500 with a new engine and dash.......the gsx8s is a brand new bike from top to bottom. Also point out of you out full systems on them with a tune the 8s comes out on top by a fair margin. As most of their emissions are exuast base where as the Honda have them built into the motor. Ridden both last week the Honda feels like what you'd expect a slightly faster cb500 with silly electronics borrowed from the cb650 3 stage tc on a 80hp? The 8s genuinely feels like a naked sport bike suspension is leagues ahead of the CB decent tyres more importantly decent sized tyres, quick shifter from standard which works amazingly well honestly the best shifter ive ever used, the honda has no street appeal at all its not ugly just bland wheres the 8s draws your eye even if you dont like its style you still want to look at it. Also with full systems the 8s is probably the besbsounding crossplane twin out of them all the Honda still sounds ok but it's much closer to the dreaded ninja 650 in terms of engine note then the other crossplane twins. When you compare what your actually getting the 8s has a much better price point. You can also get 10 year warranty for like $600.

The hornet for me,I am a short arse + I prefer the Hondas looks.

So, the SV650 for the win then...