Reigning British Superbike champions HM Plant Honda have today (Monday) committed to the 2011 MCE Insurance British Superbike Championship by confirming their line up as they bid for a fourth BSB crown. The pairing is arguably one of their strongest to date – Ryuichi Kiyonari will return to defend his championship title and he will be joined by former double champion Shane ‘Shakey’ Byrne. Kiyonari equalled Niall Mackenzie’s record of three BSB titles when he clinched this year’s Championship at the final round of 2010 at Oulton Park. He returns to run the number one plate for the first time since he won his second consecutive title in 2007, as he bids to secure a record-breaking fourth title win. Fans’ favourite Shane ‘Shakey’ Byrne returns to BSB for the first time since lifting his second crown in 2008 following two seasons racing in the World Superbike Championship. ‘Shakey’ last rode a Honda in the 2007 BSB season and is determined to match his team-mate’s achievement of three British Superbike titles. Kiyonari said: “I wanted to come back to try and keep the number one. This was a tough season; the races were hard so I was really happy to win again at the final round. I now want to win again, as nobody has won the championship four times. There is new competition for next season, like Shakey coming back and riders changing teams, so it is another new challenge. It is important to me to win again and I know that with HM Plant Honda we can fight for it.” Shakey said: “It is great to be coming back to BSB – I saw Kiyo win the title this season and until then Niall Mackenzie had always been the leading rider in terms of championship wins – he had three to mine and Kiyo’s two. Now Kiyo has three too, one more than me and I definitely want to equal the score. Every rider will tell you there is a rule in racing and that it to beat your team-mate and mine is the reigning champion so that’s giving me real motivation! I am coming back to BSB to win races, score podiums and fight for the championship. “It’s all very exciting and I am not coming back thinking it’s going to be a walk in the park. The competition in BSB is always high and you can see that from this season and how close it was right until the end. I am thinking of the long game; I don’t want to win just one title, I want two as there is nothing more I want than to become the most successful rider in BSB history in terms of championship wins. I want to win the title again and then come back with a number one plate to defend.”