HM Plant Honda will run two superbikes

HM Plant Honda team boss Neil Tuxworth has scotched rumours suggesting that their superbike effort would be slashed to just one rider for the forthcoming season.

Rumours have persisted that Josh Brookes would be dropped after the team had suffered a cut in budget, leaving just Glen Richards to fly the HM Plant Honda colours in BSB.

But Tuxworth told MCN they have no plans to change their announced two-man superbike line-up: “We are contracted to and are running Glen Richards and Josh Brookes in BSB and Steve Plater in British Supersport.

“We have teams of mechanics here building the bikes right now.”

Tuxworth did however  admit that Steve Brogan will now run in the Padgetss Honda team, alongside John McGuinness in the National Superstock series. The Batley-based bike dealership will also field James Webb in British Supersport.

Tuxworth said: “Steve was part of the HM Plant set-up but it is fair to say that as part of a cut in our budgets, we’ve placed him to run in the Padgetts team.”

Having Brogan in a privateer team might also stop rumours that were rife last year suggesting that he had special HRC parts for his superstocker, thanks to the HM Plant Honda connection.

Trimming the budgets has also reduced staffing levels within the HM Plant Honda team.