THE LITTLE HORNET WITH A LETHAL STING

The CB125 Hornet is a compact Honda with big-bike looks and serious street presence

- Anvay Mahajan

A FEW MONTHS AGO, I WAS AT THE HONDA MOTORCYCLE AND Scooter India's silver jubilee celebration in Delhi. It was a two-day event and none of us knew what Honda was up to. The night before the event, our team had a discussion about what Honda could possibly be getting ready to unveil. Will it be another Activa? A small update of another existing small Honda? Or something completely out of left field, like, say, a Fireblade?

As it turned out, all of our hunches were grossly incorrect. In fact, they launched two bikes, one of them the CB125 Hornet. I saw that bike and instantly fell for it. It looked as if it was a mini CB750 Hornet or a CB1000 Hornet.