Shakey: Down But Not Out

We caught up with six-time BritishSuperbikechamp Shane Byrne to see how he is coping with life after his life-changing crash, to ask what the future holds for him and to natter about his time as a tester on Fast Bikes

- Pretty Boy

Considering his nickname is CShakey, ex-Fast Bikes road tester​ Cand six-time British Superbike Champion (oh, and World Superbike race winner) Shane Byrne hasn’t had a bad career on two wheels at all. In fact, it’s been pretty darn fantastic. Winning races on a Ducati, Kawasaki, Honda, Suzuki and Kawasaki in BSB means there is absolutely no denying his talent, and with more than 30 more domestic wins than any other rider, there was always going to be a chance that the 40-year-old from Kent was going to be a strong contender for the title this year as well – which would’ve been three championships in a row. Now that’s not a bad record for the oldest rider in the championship is it?

It’s not just the immense talent that soared Shakey from an ASBO-inducing road tester at the finest mag in existence to a fan-favourite in the best domestic series in the world though, it’s also how he crafted himself into a fan-favourite. After some incredible showings as a privateer, Byrne climbed the ranks before moving from the shadows into the spotlight. It wasn’t all plain sailing for Byrne though, as his first championship came in the year he replaced the ousted Steve Hislop, who’d been sacked by Paul Bird for being too old. That’s no way to gain fans is it? Even so, Byrne made it work and became a real hit thanks to his polite and friendly nature… and the fact that he was bloody fast, winning two World Superbike races as a wildcard in the same year.