The Red Dot Awards

Wins for the CB750 Hornet and XL750 Transalp

The Red Dot Design Awards are an internationally sought-after distinction, recognising outstanding product design that is aesthetic, functional, smart or innovative. Selected by a panel of 50 international experts that tests and evaluates each entry, the winners reflect the latest technical, social, economic and ecological requirements of consumers.

The CB750 Hornet motorcycle took home a product design award. The revived nameplate sits atop a middleweight naked sport bike that takes inspiration from its ancestor, featuring a brand new 755cc parallel twin-cylinder engine, cradled by a brand-new lightweight steel-diamond frame. Honda’s design team in Rome penned the CB750 Hornet as a new, contemporary expression of technical beauty with sharp lines and aggressive angles. The main signature of the Hornet is the fuel tank, which takes inspiration from the shape of a hornet’s wing and typifies the muscularity and athleticism associated with Streetfighter style motorcycles.

In addition, the XL750 Transalp received top honours from the Red Dot jury. Marking a return of the Transalp name to Honda’s motorcycle line-up after nearly a decade, the XL750 Transalp brings the comfortable do-it-all crossover to a new generation of riders. Built around the same all-new 755cc parallel twin-cylinder engine as the Hornet, it faithfully references the iconic 1986 original XL600V Transalp but with an unmistakeably modern look, thanks to the sculpted fairing and screen that work together to reduce buffeting and increase weather protection. Sleek, simple, and clean, the iconic long-legged stance remains, projecting the adventurous intent for which the bike is renowned.

Hornet CB750 Transalp XL750