Honda Racing announced their roads line-up earlier this week, with Ian Hutchinson making a surprising move to the team alongside Lee Johnston. The pair will contest the Northwest 200, Ulster Grand Prix and Isle of Man TT aboard the Fireblade CBR1000RR SP2 in the Superbike and Superstock 1000 classes.
Neither Hutchinson or Jackson are strangers to Honda machinery and in 2010, Hutchinson claimed his historic five TT wins in one week with the Padgetts Honda team. The hugely successful ‘Bingley Bullet’ has sixteen TT wins and twenty seven podiums to his name, and will be hoping to add to that tally with the Honda Racing team.
Former National Superstock 600 champion Johnston made his roads debut at the Northwest 200 in 2008 and in 2012 he stepped into the TT for the first time. Since then, ‘The General’ has constantly impressed, collecting three wins and six podiums at the Northwest, plus two TT podiums. He also worked with the Louth-based Honda Endurance Team as a reserve rider for the Le Mans 24-hour.
Honda remain the most successful manufacturer at the Isle of Man TT, and the Fireblade is still the most successful 1000cc machine around the circuit with twenty three victories.
2018 Road Racing Schedule:
North West 200: 13 – 19 May
Isle of Man TT: 26 May – 8 June
Ulster GP: 5 – 11 August
