'Now is the time' for North West 200 debut - Bourne

Franco Bourne's transition from leading British Superbike contender to road race specialist will continue this year when he makes his debut at the North West 200 and Isle of Man TT international road races.

A former National Superstock 1000cc race winner and Honda Racing rider in the feature BSB class on UK short circuits, the 21-year-old switched his focus to racing on closed public roads in 2025, taking in the Cookstown 100, Tandragee 100 and Armoy Irish national road races, primarily on Supersport and Supertwin Kawasaki machines for Cowton Racing, plus events at the Oliver's Mount circuit in Scarborough.

He also rode a BMW in the Superbike class at Armoy.

Bourne's pedigree became apparent when he competed in the British Talent Cup, won the British Moto3 championship in 2020, then went on to further impress with his raw speed and natural talent.

The County Durham rider was second in Junior Superstock in 2022 with the Marvel HCL Motorsport team, with whom he would step up to ride a 1000cc machine in British Superstocks the following year.

In the first round of the season at Silverstone National, his first time riding a Honda Fireblade, he scored a second-place finish, followed by a victory at the same circuit.

He went on to secure several other impressive results and earned a call-up to the Honda Racing team in July 2023 after regular rider Andrew Irwin was injured and temporarily sidelined after a crash.

Bourne made his Superbike debut for the team as a teenager at the fifth round of the BSB season at Snetterton in July and went on to pick up 30 points and 20th place in the series despite starting the season late.

"It skyrocketed my career but after that things were a little bit good and then went pear shaped," Bourne explained.

"I was an 18 year old jumping on a Honda superbike. The pressure got to me and I struggled.'

He made his full debut in BSB with the Rapid Honda team in 2024 but a major accident at Thruxton that year came as a substantial setback.

"It was a 140mph highside at Thruxton where I broke my hand and was massively concussed.' he recalls.

"I had lost my mojo a little bit and I was replaced in the team at the end of the year. I lost a load of sponsors and was back to square one. I was really worried if I was going to be racing at all last season."

After deciding to venture into the road racing paddock for the first time in 2025, the Englishman has now agreed terms to race a Superstock-spec Honda in the 1000cc races at the North West 200 from 6-9 May, alongside outings on Honda and Paton machinery in the Supersport and Sportbike/Supertwin class with Ian Lougher's ILR squad.

"It was more suitable to me and more enjoyable than BSB," reflected Bourne of his road racing debut year.

'I've wanted to do the roads for years. It just wasn't possible but now I think it is time.

"I met Ian [Lougher] at Tandragee last year but I didn't know who he was. I was wandering around the paddock and I liked the look of his Paton and asked him if I could have a ride on it. I was so embarrassed! But now I will be racing for Ian at Scarborough and maybe Cookstown before making my North West debut."