Lee Johnston in Honda Superbike switch for 2023 Isle of Man TT and North West 200

Kyle White
By Kyle White
Published 18th Dec 2022, 12:05 BST
Updated 19th Dec 2022, 12:47 BST
Lee Johnston rode for the official Honda Racing team at the major road races in 2018.Lee Johnston rode for the official Honda Racing team at the major road races in 2018.
Lee Johnston rode for the official Honda Racing team at the major road races in 2018.
Lee Johnston has made the switch to Honda machinery for the Superbike and Superstock classes in 2023 with his Ashcourt Racing team.

The Fermanagh native has relied on BMW power in recent seasons but Johnston – who rode officially for Honda Racing alongside Ian Hutchinson in 2018 – will now ride the new Fireblade CBR1000RR-R at the North West 200 and Isle of Man TT next year.

He recently collected the machines from Honda’s headquarters in Louth and said the Superstock ’Blade had been ridden by fellow Northern Ireland man Glenn Irwin this year at the North West and TT.

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The 33-year-old unveiled the machines on his personal YouTube vlog.

Northern Ireland's Lee Johnston will ride Honda Superbike and Superstock machinery next year for his Ashcourt Racing team.Northern Ireland's Lee Johnston will ride Honda Superbike and Superstock machinery next year for his Ashcourt Racing team.
Northern Ireland's Lee Johnston will ride Honda Superbike and Superstock machinery next year for his Ashcourt Racing team.

“We’ve bought some factory Hondas for the roads next year and I’m properly excited,” said Johnston, who also rode Honda machinery for East Coast Racing in the past.

“They’re absolutely beautiful. We run K-Tech suspension so the first thing we’ll do is take the Ohlins suspension out and pick up some Superbike forks from K-Tech and a (rear) shock, and then the same thing will happen on the Superstock bike, which has a fork kit – not a full set of forks – and then it will have a lower-spec shock for the roads.

“We’re going to change some things on the electronics side so we can put Motec logging on.

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“We need chains and sprockets ordered, more sets of wheels for the Superbike and ’stocker, so there’s quite a lot of stuff to do.”

Johnston sealed his maiden TT race win in the Supersport class in 2019.

The Maguiresbridge man won the Superstock races at the North West 200 and Ulster Grand Prix in 2015, and also finished on the podium in third place in the class at the TT in the same year.

Johnston triumphed in the second Supersport race at the North West 200 in May on his Ashcourt Racing Yamaha R6, adding to his previous success in the class around the 8.9-mile Triangle course in 2019.

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He also finished fourth in this year’s British Supersport Championship – despite missing two rounds – claiming 10 podiums.

Johnston – a former Junior Superstock champion in 2008 – finished third in the Supersport championship in 2021, winning three races.

Related topics:HondaBMWFermanagh