For almost a decade now, the Honda Hornet has not seen the showroom floor. And, for the past decade, fans are continually knocking on Honda’s door asking when will be the next-gen Hornets will take shape. Honda says soon.

Following the news at EICMA in 2021 that the illustrious Hornet name will be returning to its line-up, Honda recently released sketches that give further details of the design concept, showcasing the combination of technical beauty and aggression that run through the Hornet’s DNA.

The creation of the concept sketches was led by Honda’s R&D Center in Rome, Italy, which in close collaboration with R&D in Japan, is already responsible for crafting the look of many of Honda’s recent successful models, including the CRF1100L Africa Twin, CB650R and X-ADV 750.

“Honda’s design philosophy is to create something pure and functional in an uncomplicated way – models which are both beautifully simple and emotionally appealing,” says 28-year-old Giovanni Dovis, the designer for the new Hornet concept. He is also responsible for designing Honda’s ADV350.