Reigning ZYN British Superbike champion Kyle Ryde will return to defend his number one plate with a new manufacturer in 2027 as he joins Honda Racing UK in a three-strong rider line-up.
Ryde made history this season by becoming the first champion to win consecutive titles for two different manufacturers, now having celebrated three back-to-back crowns from 2024; he looks to add to his incredible record with Honda Racing UK.
The move marks the beginning of a new partnership with Honda and the opportunity to help shape the competitive development of the all-new Fireblade.
Ryde said: “I’m massively looking forward to riding for Honda, it's another challenge in my career and I'm excited to ride another new bike. Working with a factory team is something I've not done before, and having a hand in the year one racing development of a bike is going to be another new area for me to work in. I’m really looking forward to the challenge and will hopefully be able to carry on delivering what I've been doing for the last couple of seasons on different bikes for other teams.
“I think Ryan had a brilliant end to the 2026 season, towards the end I think he matched me on points and it’s clear the team worked well to help Ryan unlock the potential in the bike. It was a difficult bike to race against at certain tracks in the calendar and Ryan made the most of that whenever he could. I know there’s going to be some tracks on the calendar where I think I can already see an advantage for Honda next year. I get on really well with Ryan and I’m looking forward to working with him again.
“Dean is a lovely person to be around and will be a great teammate. I'm sure we'll all bounce off each other and make each other better riders for the full season next season.
“I plan to spend my off-season chilling out for a bit. I have a couple of holidays booked and, I’ll get stuck back into winter plans once I’ve played some golf and allowed myself a chance to relax.
“I’ll get out to Spain and will put some miles on a Fireblade track bike, that’ll be fun I’m sure. I did the same thing last year and feel that it really helped keep me sharp. I don’t look at it as testing as such, it’s just enjoying my riding while I’m figuring a bike out.
“I can't thank the Honda Racing team enough for giving me the opportunity, I fully intend to make the most of it and I’m looking forward to sticking the number one on this new Fireblade.”