Roads: Hutchinson set to make shock Honda switch

Ian Hutchinson is set to make a shock move to Honda for the 2018 road racing season.  

MCN understands the 16-time TT winner is in advanced negotiations with the Louth-based squad, which endured a nightmare campaign in 2017, after a breakdown in the relationship with his Tyco BMW team.

Hutchinson won two races at this year’s TT, the Superbike and Superstock race before crashing out while leading the blue riband Senior race, sustaining a badly broken leg.

However, despite the injury, Hutchinson has vowed to be back for the the 2018 TT.

Speaking to MCN earlier this year, he said “I’ve not got any specific targets as to when I want to be back on a bike, last time it happened I was panicking so much about the timescale. This time, I rang my surgeon and said the timescale is to ride at the TT next year, so he’s had a load more time than was needed whereas last time the targets weren’t realistic.”

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Honda are expected to have an all new line-up for 2018 after their star rider John McGuinness broke his leg after an incident caused by an electrical fault with his Fireblade at the North West 200. Guy Martin also endured a nightmare campaign with the squad, crashing heavily at Doran’s bend in the Superbike race before pulling out of the rest of the TT. Ulsterman Lee Johnston is expected to join Hutchy in that all-new squad. 

For more on who’s going where on the roads in 2018, pick up Wednesday’s MCN.  

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