Why was the 250 Hornet never officially imported to the UK?
The first Hornet to hit the UK was the 250 back in 1997. It was an unofficial import or ‘Grey Bike’ from Japan. The 250 was and still is very popular in Japan due to it’s styling and power. Japan has strict laws governing motorcycles, riders, engine sizes etc. so the 250 is very poular. • In the UK the first official Hornet was the 600, introduced in 1998 and followed by the Fireblade engined 900 Hornet in 2001. • Honda never saw a real need to import the 250 themselves as in the UK we have a passion for sports bikes and plenty of power. The 600 market soon took off. Nevertheless the 250 is imported still by grey bike importers and is very poular with new riders.
