Three-time British Superbike champions Honda have confirmed that Michael Laverty and Jon Kirkham will race for them in 2012.
Three-time champions to field new line-up in 2012
Three-time British Superbike champions Honda have confirmed that Michael Laverty and Jon Kirkham will race for them in 2012.
Laverty joins from Swan Yamaha, for whom he was a title contender last season before losing out to team-mate Tommy Hill.
Kirkham, meanwhile, switches from Crescent Suzuki, who are racing in the World Superbike Championship next year. A former National Superstock champion, Kirkham scored his maiden BSB race win last season and lifted the BSB Riders Cup.
Laverty said: "It is an exciting prospect for me to be joining Honda for 2012. It was unexpected and it is always a difficult decision to move teams, especially as we had such a good season this year.
"I was fortunate to have options and I have gone from one championship winning team to another; everyone knows that Honda have the history in BSB and we are really looking forward now to next season."
Kirkham said: "It is absolutely fantastic for me to be joining the official Honda team as they are well established and the most successful team in the BSB paddock.
"2011 was an up and down season for me so next year I just want to concentrate on my riding and getting the Honda up the front where we want and need to be. I want to be consistently 'up there'.
"This season I have proved I can be, so I now need to do that every race and with the Honda team I believe that is totally possible."
Honda ran Shane Byrne and Ryuichi Kiyonari last year. The former has already been named as a rider for Paul Bird Motorsport's Kawasaki team in 2012.
