Honda’s Factory Road Race squad looks to the Isle of Man TT

Honda set for TT 2024

In just four days, Honda Racing UK riders Dean Harrison, John McGuinness MBE and Nathan Harrison will soar down the Glencrutchery Road for the first time in 2024 as the Isle of Man TT roars into life.

This year’s two-week event will mark several significant milestones for the Honda team as machinery and riders alike make highly anticipated debuts.

Lining up in the iconic colours inspired by the Honda Racing Corporation palette, Dean Harrison will set off down Bray Hill on a Honda for the very first time. He heads into the event brimming with confidence after a successful venture to the North West 200 and a season-best showing at Donington Park just days ago.

One of the fastest road racers to have ever lapped the famous Mountain Course when he was with Kawasaki, Dean will be competing across three categories; Superbike and Superstock specification Fireblades for the two 1000cc classes and a CBR600RR in Supersport, which marks the first return to the Supersport class since 2019 for the factory team.

Dean Harrison #5

“Heading to TT 2024 I am feeling really good and I just can’t wait to get going to tell the truth. The anticipation has been building for so long and now we are nearly there. I won’t be approaching the event any differently to how I do every year, I’ll keep things the same – head out in practice and get a feel for things on the first night, see where we are and then build from there. You have to ride differently across the three classes to maximise the potential and adapt your style to suit each bike. I’ve spent quite a bit of time on the Honda Superbike and the ‘Stocker’ now so they’re in a good place, and I know we will get the 600 into a good place too. I’m looking forward to getting on the bikes and just getting started.”

At fifty-two years of age and setting personal best lap times almost wherever he goes this year, there is no sign whatsoever that racing royalty John McGuinness is in any way slowing down. He heads to the island as a road racing podium finisher once more after securing a crowd-pleasing third-place finish at the North West 200 just a few weeks ago. With one hundred and eight starts to his name and opting to focus his energy entirely on the big bike classes, John looks set to continue cementing his legacy as one of the greatest road racers in history.

John McGuinness MBE #1

“I am in a really good place heading to TT 2024. I’ve done so much riding this year, from the launch of the road bike, to testing, racing a bit in British Championship, I’ve done some bits with my own bike too. So we’ve been putting in the hard yards behind the scenes and y’know I’ve been going quicker than I’ve ever gone in places. The bike is good, the team are good and it just feels great to be heading to the TT knowing I’m getting another go on a Factory Honda at the best event in the world. There is truly nowhere like it. We got a podium at the North West which I was over the moon for, if we can get one over the next two weeks it will truly be the icing on the cake for me.”

After missing out on making his dream debut for the Louth-based Honda team in 2023, Nathan Harrison looks set to roll out of the Assembly Area for the first time aboard factory machinery. He showed great pace in pre-season testing and delivered composed and mature rides at the North West to gain valuable bike time on his 2024 Fireblade. Opting earlier in the year to focus on racing a Superstock specification bike only, and having not ridden at the event now for two years, he will race a Superstock bike in all of the big bike races.

Nathan Harrison

“I am really excited and I can’t wait to be back at the TT. This event is everything to me and to have missed it last year reminded me just how important it is. I’ve been building up to this moment for a long, long time. The TT is an event that you can’t come to without preparing, and behind the scenes, I’ve been working hard so we can hit the ground running and progress from there. The North West really rebuilt my confidence and my bike fitness is back to where we were in pre-season testing. This year has been about winning the race to the start line and not the race itself. By the end of the two weeks, I want to have progressed to where I want to be in terms of lap time and overall position. We decided as a team a while back that I’ll be using a Superstock bike for all of the races. After missing last year’s TT and at this stage of my career the benefits of focussing on one bike far outweigh trying to get up to speed and dialled in on two different bikes. The Superstock bike is capable of going quicker than I am at the moment, and the outright lap record is a Superstock bike, so for me to focus on learning that bike and maximising its potential is a no-brainer.”

2024 Schedule