Shakey Byrne on a Kwaka ZX-10R for 2012

Double champion Shane 'Shakey' Byrne will be reunited with his former title-winning team in the 2012 MCE Insurance British Superbike Championship after signing for Paul Bird Motorsport to join Stuart Easton on factory-specification Kawasaki ZX-10Rs.

Byrne won his last BSB crown with the team in 2003 onboard a Ducati and more recently raced with them onboard Honda machinery in 2007 after returning... to the British Championship this season. Byrne was one of the six Title Fighters in the Showdown this year with the HM Plant Honda team, securing six victories and a further nine podium finishes but was forced to settle for third place in the overall standings.

Byrne said: "It is mega to be back with the PBM team again after two successful seasons with them in the past, including winning the title in 2003. To visit the team again back in Penrith was like coming home for me and as if I had never been away. Myself and Paul (Bird) are very similar and we are focused and relaxed at the same time for the new season. It is fundamentally the same squad as I worked with before and I know that the team wouldn't come back to BSB unless they believed they could win. I think Kawasaki will be one of the most competitive packages out there and I think that this team will make it ultra competitive. I am now looking forward to getting testing underway in preparation for next season."

 

I sort of knew the other day - he tweeted to say his new ride had an A in it - Just hope him and Birdie get along fine . Honda are gonna miss him i think