Much expected - now it's arrived. Our pics show the 2002 Honda 900 Hornet. Details are sketchy at the moment, but the bottom line seems to be a 130bhp fuel-injected 918cc motor, from the second generation 1995-1999 Fireblade, not the current 929cc version. The chassis looks to be based on a version of the Hornet 600 steel spine affair.

Most striking feature is the twin rear silencers, but the rest of the bike is visually similar to the 600. The lack of a fairing is deliberate - Honda is positioning the Hornet 900 as a city bike, rather than an all-rounder like Yamaha's Fazer 1000 or Kawasaki's ZRX1200R. As such there are no plans for a half-faired 'S' version.

Perhaps the best thing isn't clear in these pictures - Honda reckon the new bike will cost just £6000 when it hits the UK later this year. That's almost £2000 less than the Fazer, and should allow the big Hornet to sweep the sales charts with ease.