The HORNET'S NEST was conceived, designed and built by Matt Statham way back in early 1999 - not long after the launch of the 600 Hornet in the UK. The site quickly took off and grew at phenominal speed. In 2000 Matt and a key group of Hornet owners who came together through the site turned the site into an owners club. The Hornet's Nest - Honda Hornet Owners Club was born and today has over 2000 members signed up. The club, the web site, the events and the message board are all run by volunteers in their spare time - purely for the love of this great machine from HONDA.

Matt Statham talks...

"I was originally taken in by the beauty of the Honda Hornet when it was released in April 1998. A real head turner. That was it, my sights were set.
I read virtually every article on it and every brochure Honda produced. The price at that time was around £5000 on the road. I scrimped and saved my pennies and at one point was almost considering going the second-hand Suzuki Bandit route, just to save money and get onto a 600 that had similarities. Thankfully I didn't.
The Yamaha Fazer came along some time later. Good kit, yes, but looks that really are quite dated. In my opinion, all it has going for it is a few more horsepower and brakes that can stir up a conversation with R1 owners. You wouldn't dress a Porsche up like Proton, now would you?

Even before you start throwing fruity race cans and trick accessories at it, the Honda Hornet just looks the mutts nuts. Full stop.

In the latter part of '98 the prices began to fall, helped along by the parallel import shenanigans.
By now I was desperate. Two days after Christmas Day '98 I had a test ride. Oooooooh baby! That was it. Too late. Out came the bank loan and off I toddled with a Hornet.

I picked up my '98 Honda Hornet in Candy Blazing Red on New Years Eve '98 from Castle Motorcycles in Castleford West Yorkshire.
The mechanic wheeled it out, all gleaming and twinkling in the sun.
Unknown to me, this was the start of a love affair that was to inspire me to create a fan web site, start up the owner's club and generally become the world's biggest Hornet bore.

6 years down the line and the Hornet community is growing like mad.
My first Hornet was swatted after a coming together with a Ford Sierra, my second, a blue one, did me proud and I traded her in with over 20,000 miles on the clock for a spanking new Silver 900 Hornet in September 2002.

For quite some time what little free time I had was taken up with Hornet events and web site updates. Fortunately I've always had great support from other members - so the running of the whole thing is now shared - thankfully.