It might have taken him 16 years for the chance to finally call himself a British Superbike Championship, but Tommy Bridewell certainly isn't resting on his laurels as he prepares to defend his title.

After finding his winning formula with Ducati and Paul Bird Motorsport in 2023, Bridewell will attempt to do it again in 2024 as part of the Honda Racing UK team.

Time will tell if his risk brings him reward but he's certainly not the first high-profile BSB rider to think outside the pit box.

But who succeeded in shifting up and who shifted down...?

Tommy Bridewell 

2024 - Paul Bird Ducati to Honda Racing

It’s not often you get a newly-crowned Champion openly choosing to step away from a title-winning formula, but Tommy Bridewell will indeed break the mould in 2024 by taking his #1 plate over to Honda Racing instead.

While circumstances revolving around Paul Bird Motorsport is likely to go some way to explaining the about turn in direction, perhaps the most surprising thing about Bridewell’s move to Honda is it brings his association with Ducati to a conclusion.

In a career that at times has been stuttered by him swapping bikes all too regularly, it seemed Bridewell had found his forever home after five and a half (very lucrative) years riding Ducati machinery.

How Bridewell fares going back to an inline-four remains to be seen, but judging by Honda’s multi-faceted, multi-talented line-up across all disciplines for 2024, it looks like the Devizes man won’t be short of resources or effort.

Ryuichi Kiyonari

2014 - Honda Racing to Buildbase BMW

Now, Bridewell’s move from PBM Ducati to Honda might have been unexpected, but it’s nothing compared with the bombshell that came in 2014 upon learning that Ryuichi Kiyonari was leaving Honda for Buildbase (Hawk Racing).

A product of Honda’s domestic rider development programmes, while Kiyonari never quite broke through as a MotoGP rider, an inspired decision to syphon him to BSB to head up Honda’s efforts in the UK was a huge success.

Between 2004 and 2013, Kiyonari clinched three BSB titles and won 43 races on Honda machinery, plus three wins on the WorldSBK stage with Ten Kate Racing.  In short, it was long assumed that if you were to think of Kiyonari, you’d also be thinking of Honda. 

That was until he made the shock decision to not only join privateer outfit Hawk Racing (under the Buildbase banner) for the 2014 BSB season, but switch to BMW machinery as well.

If the move was surprising, then that was nothing compared with Kiyonari’s speed on the S 1000 RR, the Japanese rider proving as fast as ever to mount a surprise bid for a fourth title.

In the end he couldn’t dislodge Shane Byrne from his perch, but seven wins and the runners-up spot proved what could be achieved with a little ‘outside box thinking’.

Josh Brookes

2011 - Honda Racing to Relentless Suzuki

Of all the top-line riders competing in BSB, Josh Brookes has certainly been the boldest with his career decisions over the past 15 years.

A two-time BSB title winner with different manufacturers (Yamaha and Ducati), we could have included Brookes’ recent switch to FHO Racing BMW from PBM Ducati in this ranking here.

Instead though we’re going back to 2010-2011 to reminisce about Brookes surprise move from HM Plant Honda - with whom he’d just finished runner-up in 2010 - to Relentless TAS Racing Suzuki for 2011.

Indeed, while many had Brookes pegged as a title favourite with Honda for 2011, Brookes’ decision to take a punt on Suzuki seemed like a missed opportunity for the Australian. 

Whether it was or not we’ll never know, but while he came close in the three years he spent with Suzuki, it would take another bold step over to Yamaha for Brookes to eventually secure that elusive first crown in 2015.

Glenn Irwin

2023 - Honda Racing to Paul Bird Ducati

There are a fair few good reasons to explain why Glenn Irwin joined Paul Bird Motorsport for the 2023 BSB season, not least the nostalgia of him rejoining the team with which he made his BSB debut back in 2016.

However, many were surprised to see him do so by departing the cosy confines of the factory Honda Racing UK team just as the relationship appeared to be gathering momentum.

A head-turning debut on Honda’s new Fireblade in 2020 helped put a torrid 2019 campaign with Quattro Plant Kawasaki firmly behind him and was followed by Irwin making his much anticipated Isle of Man TT debut with the manufacturer in 2022.

However, just as it appeared Honda and Irwin were priming to be a force for 2023 on both short circuit and the roads, the Ulsterman jumped ship to PBM Ducati.

Tommy Bridewell

2010 - Supersonic Racing BMW

Strictly speaking, Bridewell’s decision to join Supersonic Racing didn’t come as a result of him switching teams per se, but the circumstances around one of BSB’s most unlikely pairings still deserves a mention here.

The Italian team headed for UK shores following a stint competing in the WorldSBK Championship with a two-rider entry intended for ex-MotoGP rider Anthony West alongside Patric Muff.

However, when West ducked out of the deal in the days leading up to the opening round, it turned to an out-of-work Bridewell to fill-in at the eleventh hour.

Despite the hastily-arranged change of plans, Bridewell quickly found his feet on the unfancied privateer BMW S 1000 RR, exceeding expectations to take both himself and the team all the way to the top six Title Showdown.

While Supersonic Racing didn’t stick around for the following year, it’s not over-exaggerating to suggest this was the season that transformed Bridewell's BSB career.

Bradley Ray

2020 - Suzuki Racing to SYNETIQ TAS Racing BMW

Few riders make their BSB debuts surrounded by as much excitement as Bradley Ray did upon making his ‘big bike’ bow in 2017.

Given his break by Stuart Hicken, who placed him on a satellite Hawk Racing-prepared Suzuki, the teenager became one of the revelations of the season, before Ray then emphasised his burgeoning status as the ‘next big thing’ in 2018 with two wins and a run to the Title Showdown.

Causing his stock to soar within Suzuki itself, the manufacturer went as far as rewarding his efforts with a surprise MotoGP test outing, while there was also talk of it mounting a return to WorldSBK with Ray at the fore.

However, the attention would leave Ray feeling under pressure and disillusioned, so when 2019 turned out to be a lacklustre season on the ageing Gixxer, he took control of his career with a switch to TAS Racing BMW for 2020.

While his fortunes on BMW machinery - either with TAS Racing in 2020 or OMG Racing in 2021 - weren’t much better, it at least set him on a course for the OMG Racing Yamaha R1 he’d take all the way to the title in 2022.