A Middleweight Moto Shootout

Back in June, I had the opportunity to attend the North American launch of the all new Honda Hornet line, consisting of a CB750 and a CB1000. It was an eagerly anticipated return of a popular pair of Honda motorcycles after some 20 years, and I quickly favored the small, nimble, throaty CB750 twin. I remember thinking, “This bike is aimed squarely at the market that the Yamaha MT-07 is so popular with.” Before the event was over, I hit up a couple of the Honda guys, asking, “When you get some press bikes back in Atlanta, would y’all be open to me running it against the MT-07, if I can get one of theirs?” They of course were enthusiastic for the challenge, and heartily agreed.

Come late August, Honda made good on that discussion with a brand new, beautiful CB750 for us. I snapped some photos of it for social media as a preview, and within a day got an email from our Yamaha contact, stating, “I see you picked up one of Honda’s new CB750 Hornets. Let me hand you one of our new upgraded MT-07 bikes to review too. We’d like you to run ours against theirs.” He read my mind. They delivered a 2025 MT-07 to Road Dirt HQ, and the “middleweight shootout” commenced.

The middleweight contenders- Yamaha’s 2025 MT-07 (L) and Honda’s 2025 CB750 Hornet (R).

I must state from the start, I have a great affection for both of these bikes, having ridden them both pretty extensively over the last year. I love middleweight twins in general (heck, I own a Triumph Bonneville 900), and these motorcycles are an absolute thrill to ride. We at Road Dirt have ridden every current iteration of Yamaha’s 689cc engine, in their Tenere 700, R7, XSR700, as well as last year’s MT-07, and that “CP2” motor is a torque monster for its displacement. Then my recent stints with the new CB750 Hornet have sold me on Honda’s new mid-sized beast, and their 755cc Unicam stinger mill that powers it.

This will be fun, to say the least.

We’ll run these motorcycles against each other across the coming weeks, with our final impressions published when we are done. But for now, here’s a few “specs and deets” on both, to show how they size up to each other before we begin. We’ll consider this the “weigh-in and face-off” before we throw these contenders in the moto-ring with each other.

Love the Honda’s Matte Pearl White with black accents, with deep glossy red painted frame. Gorgeous bike.

Engine & Performance

Honda CB750 Hornet features a 755cc Unicam parallel-twin (SOHC, 270° crank) making around 83 hp and 55 ft. lbs. of torque, and a bore & stroke of 87 × 63.5 mm.
Yamaha MT-07 uses their 689cc CP2 parallel-twin (DOHC, 270° crank) delivering just over 72 hp and about 50 ft. lbs. of torque, with a bore & stroke of 80 x 68.6mm.

Tale of the Tape: Honda’s Hornet brings a bit more power and torque to the bout, as well as a greater power-to-weight ratio of 0.214 HP/lb, vs. 0.179 HP/lb for the MT-07. This is to be expected, as the Hornet’s mill is larger by 66cc displacement.

Chassis, Weight & Suspension

Weight: The Hornet weighs 422 lbs wet, while the MT-07 is lighter at 403 lbs wet.
Suspension:
- The Hornet sits on 41 mm Showa SFF-BP inverted forks (4.7″ travel), with a rear Pro-Link monoshock (5.1″ travel), all non-adjustable.
- The MT-07 rides on updated 41 mm KYB inverted forks with 5.1″ travel, and a monocross rear shock with preload and rebound adjustment.
Brakes:
- The Hornet pinches on dual 296 mm discs with radial 4-piston calipers (Nissin) and a rear 240 mm disc both with ABS.
- The MT-07 uses dual 298 mm front discs and a single 245 mm rear disc, both with ABS.

Tale of the Tape: Both bikes boast competent suspension and brake setups. Hornet brings a bit more refinement, while MT-07 stays agile and lighter.

Some serious 2025 upgrades have been made to the venerable Yamaha MT-07, making a great bike even better.

Electronics & Rider Aids

Honda CB750 Hornet:
- 5-inch TFT display with multiple layouts, and smartphone integration via Honda RoadSync
- Five ride modes- Standard, Sport, Rain, plus two user-customizable
- Quickshifter, slipper clutch, traction control, wheelie/lift control (both switchable)
Yamaha MT-07:
- 5-inch TFT display with smartphone connectivity and Garmin StreetCross integration
- Ride-by-wire throttle (YCC-T) and three ride modes- Sport, Street, and one customizable
- Slipper clutch, traction control (switchable), ride-by-wire throttle (YCC-T)

Tale of the Tape: Both models are technologically rich, but the Hornet brings a little more with five ride modes, more customizable settings, and a standard quickshifter, albeit a somewhat clunky one (more on that in a later review). A quickshifter is an added option for the MT-07.

Ergonomics & Usability

Seat Height: Hornet- 31.3″; MT-07- 31.7″
Fuel Capacity: Hornet- 4.0 gal; MT-07- 3.7 gal
Frame & Design:
- Hornet: Steel diamond frame, approachable geometry, nimble handling.
- MT-07: Updated tubular steel frame with improved rigidity; lighter overall design, compact package.

Tale of the Tape: The Hornet offers a tick more comfort and practicality with its slightly lower seat and slightly larger tank capacity (minimal, I know), but the MT-07 focuses on nimble, stripped-down handling.

An angry looking face that belies a happy bike out in wide open spaces.

Pricing

Honda CB750 Hornet: $7,999 USD
Yamaha MT-07: $8,599 USD

Tale of the Tape: The Honda CB750 Hornet delivers more bike for the buck on paper than the Yamaha MT-07, at $600 USD less.

How They Stack Up

Honda CB750 Hornet:
- Higher performance (power and torque)
- Advanced electronic aids and more customization
- More value for the money
- Extra tech like a stock quickshifter and more ride modes
Yamaha MT-07:
- A lighter, more agile chassis
- Updated yet simple ride-by-wire system
- Classic MT naked-bike vibe with stripped-back styling
- An established, popular platform with trusted performance

A MUCH better ignition switch location (1st pic) in the 2025 MT-07, as opposed to this abomination (2nd pic) on the 2024 model.

Each bike has its own unique flavor. The Hornet leans toward the tech-savvy, performance-hungry rider seeking modern polish and power at a nice price point. The MT-07 appeals to those who value nimble, undistracted riding with minimal tech farkles- especially appealing to purists or urban commuters, again in an affordable package.

So here we go- a late summer shootout between two fantastic middleweight motorcycles! As I stated above, this should be fun. I already harbor a great affection for both of these bikes, so riding them nose to tail for a month will be a thrill.

More to come…

Rob

Honda’s page for the CB750 Hornet:
CB750 Hornet

Yamaha’s page for the MT-07:
MT-07