Former Australian Superbike Champion Josh Brookes will remain with the HM Plant Honda in the British Superbike Championship next year, joining forces with two-time BSB champion Ryuichi Kiyonari to spearhead the Honda UK challenge for the 2010 MCE Insurance British Superbike Championship in association with Pirelli.

Brookes joins the team for a second season in succession, intent on building on his fourth place in the standings of this year.

Japanese rider Kiyonari took the title in 2006 and 2007 before moving on to the world scene but now he returns to the Louth-based team which is continuing its partnership with HM Plant into a seventh year.

“I’m looking forward to being back in BSB and working with the team again – I had a happy time with them when I was here before and so I am really exciting to be back. I don’t know what to expect as BSB is never easy but I will be giving everything to win races,” said Kiyonari who made a one-off appearance with the team in the Croft round last September.

Steve Plater, the Lincolnshire rider who won the 2009 Fuchs-Silkolene British Supersport crown, continues with the the team, but focussing on the Metzeler Superstock 1000 Championship in the coming season.

“I’m pleased to confirm Honda’s commitment to the British Superbike Championship for 2010 and also the team’s continued relationship with HM Plant. The British Superbike Championship is very strong and the high standard of rider talent and racing can be seen at every round,” said Steve Martindale, general manager of Honda UK Motorcycles.

“We have been delighted with our relationship with Honda and the exposure achieved from the HM Plant Honda team partnership over the last six years and look forward to that continuing with some great and exciting racing in 2010,” said HM Plant chairman John Jones.

Honda Racing will also continue its long-standing relationship and support of Clive Padgett’s Honda squad next year, with South Australian Glen Richards signed to compete in both the Superstock and Supersport classes, while John McGuinness will contest the Superstock title and Ian Hutchinson the Supersport series.