Honda react to first Isle of Man TT win in 10 years

Honda claimed their first win at the Isle of Man TT in 10 years on Tuesday.

Dean Harrison claimed victory in the Superstock race, his fourth overall, but a first since 2019.

But riding the Honda made it extra special because the manufacturer hasn’t won at the TT in a decade.

“It’s an amazing feeling. It’s been hard for everybody, a tough few weeks,” Honda team manager Havier Beltran said.

“We’ve all been through the weather conditions.

“It has been 10 years since the team who won here before. We still push, we still want to win, we still believe in the riders that we work with.

“We’ve spoken all week about the Stocker and its positives, and the things to bring into the Superbike. It’s non-stop because we want to be at the sharp end.”

Harrison said: “I should have bet on myself before the race! People bet the BMW would win!

“The Honda is so fast, the power is in the engine. It’s just about aligning the stars.

“If we do that now, the rest of the week, I don’t see why we can’t do a similar thing.”

Dean Harrison: "I've done 135mph before, I know what to do"

Harrison continued: “I feel like it’s been coming forever. To finally break the duck and get a win, on a Honda, is something I’m happy about.

“I said to the lads before the race, I’ll put the hammer down at the start and see what the pitboards say.

“I’ve done 135mph before and I know what to do, to do that.

“We were struggling earlier in the week with bike setup and switching bike to bike. This was the best the bike has felt all week.

“I knew I could extinguish a lot of my energy in two laps, I rode hard all the way to the line.

“It was nice to get P1 +5 on the last lap, I had a buffer but I didn’t let off. I thought ‘if I lose a race to a tenth I’ll never live it down!’

“I feel a weight lifted off my shoulders especially being second, second, second at the North West 200. I feel more relaxed and that will help my riding.”

Harrison swapped Kawasaki for Honda machinery this year and the decision paid off.

Beltran said: “It has been amazing, a hell of a journey, from the day we spoke. John McGuinness had a big influence in that.

“To get him on board was difficult to start with. Learning how each other work. But he has fitted in well with the team.

“I don’t think Dean liked it in the beginning, coming off a Superbike and onto a Supersport.

“What we discussed, going and getting the hammer down straight away, we felt he could do a better job on the Supersport.

“So far all of that has worked well. He has upped the game.”