Honda TT Legend lead rider John McGuinness says he is disappointed to finish this year's Suzuka Eight-Hours after a fried clutch and puncture conspired to put the all-British team down the order.
McGuinness, who was joined by Simon Andrews and Michael Rutter, is still puzzled over what happened to the usually-bulletproof clutch but says he was pleased to take the final stint and bring the Fireblade over the line.
"I’m really disappointed for everybody because so much time, so much effort, so much hard work goes into these races. We had a good fuel strategy and we were looking good for seven stops but we had a few issues – the clutch and the flat tyre – that meant we gave minutes away that it was impossible to get back," said McGuinness.
"We went from 50-odd to 22nd so we clawed our way back but I feel like we deserve more as a team. The clutches on these Hondas are bullet-proof so I don’t know what happened. On the plus side, this is my third Suzuka but it’s the first time I’ve done the final stint and that was pretty special. The atmosphere here really is fantastic and the Japanese fans are great."