Shane Byrne

Shane Daniel Byrne (born 10 December 1976), often known as Shakey, is a British professional motorcycle road racer. He is a six-time champion of the British Superbike Championship (2003, 2008, 2012, 2014, 2016 and 2017), the only man in the history of the series to win six titles. He has also been a double race winner in the Superbike World Championship and has competed in MotoGP.

The oldest rider competing in the 2018 British Superbike series, Byrne suffered serious injuries involving multiple fractures to his upper body after crashing during a test at Snetterton Circuit in May when placed third in the championship. He was successfully treated at Norwich University Hospital and confirmed the extent of his injuries via social media.

Byrne announced via social media on 24 July 2018 that the metal cage attached to his skull supporting his head and neck via his shoulders had been removed in favour of a neck-brace collar, but there was still many more months of recovery anticipated due to poor growth of new bone.

Since medically retiring from competitive racing in 2019, Byrne successfully transitioned into a respected motorcycle race commentator for Eurosport/ TNT. Byrne is also manager and mentor to racers Bradley Ray and Rhys Irwin.

Early Days Prior to motorcycle racing, Byrne was a London Underground worker. While working as a road tester for Fast Bikes magazine, he participated in track days on a Ducati 996 SPS at a wet Oulton Park. He caught the attention of Paul Bird, his future boss.

Byrne emerged in the British Superbike Championship in 1999, initially on a private Kawasaki. In 2001 he finished eighth in the championship on board the Performance House Suzuki, which had been previously raced in the 1997 World Superbike Championship, under the Harris brothers' business, Harris Performance. Byrne had five top-five finishes in the 2001 season and was champion of the Privateers' Cup; he was the privateer winner in 22 races out of 26.

Early success In 2002, Byrne was signed by Mark Griffiths at Renegade Ducati to ride alongside Michael Rutter. He also achieved his first British Superbike Championship win in the first race of round three at Donington Park after a race-long battle with Steve Plater on the Virgin Yamaha. At the end of 2002, he joined Paul Bird at MonsterMob Ducati, controversially replacing reigning champion Steve Hislop. He stunned the paddock by storming to a string of wins, taking the title with ease. He impressed further by achieving a double win at Brands Hatch for the British round of the Superbike World Championship.

MotoGP

For , Byrne joined fellow Brit Jeremy McWilliams in MotoGP with Aprilia, although he missed several races because of injury. He spent much of racing for Kenny Roberts' team on a KTM bike, before they were forced to pull out due to an internal dispute between the chassis and engine manufacturers. He raced in Malaysia and Qatar for Camel Honda, replacing the injured Troy Bayliss. But after finishing 14th and 13th, Byrne did not impress Honda and was replaced by Chris Vermeulen.

Back to Britain 1 For 2006, Byrne returned to the British Superbike Championship with Rizla Suzuki squad. His first podium came in Race Seven despite suffering a severe stomach virus that weekend. He missed Races 11 and 12 after a 187 mph crash caused by a brake failure; he was not seriously injured. At Knockhill, he qualified second and followed with a second-place finish in Race One. The team's first win of the season came in Race Two. This was despite the team's bikes having been stolen and dumped in a barn alongside horse manure the previous week. At the final round of the season, he was running third when he highsided, being knocked out in the process. Although he again escaped serious injury, he was unable to compete in the final race of the year, which meant he slipped from fourth to sixth in the championship standings.

For 2007, Byrne was reunited with his former Monstermob boss, Paul Bird, who was now running the Stobart Vent-Axia team, a privateer team using the 1000cc Honda Fireblade. The Honda was competitive from the start, giving Byrne more opportunities to fight at the front. He finished fifth overall, with a win, a pole position, and nine further podiums.

For the 2008 British Superbike Championship, Byrne competed for the Airwaves Ducati squad on a Ducati 1098 alongside Leon Camier. The combo was immediately dominant. Byrne won three of the opening four races. In the second race at Oulton Park, he went wide on Lap One, dropping to 13th place, but he fought back. Almost immediately after he passed Cal Crutchlow for third place, Leon Haslam hit Tom Sykes, giving Byrne the lead. This race was stopped four laps early after several riders, including Crutchlow and Karl Harris fell. In Race Two at Snetterton, he was held up by a crash involving Harris on Lap One, dropping to 13th position before fighting back for the win. He finished each of the first 14 races on the podium, often coming through the field after poor starts.

World Superbikes Twenty-four hours after clinching the British Superbike Championship, Byrne confirmed that he would compete in the 2009 World Superbike Championship with the Sterilgarda Ducati team along with Alex Polita. This was his first full-time World Superbike Championship, although he has made successful wild card appearances in the past. Byrne became Sterilgarda Ducati's sole rider in February (due to apparent financial problems forcing Polita out) and recorded his first podium with the team in second place in the first race at the San Marino round of the Championship.

Due to financial problems, the Sterilgarda team failed to announce its intention to compete in the 2010 Superbike World Championship season, leaving Byrne without a confirmed ride for 2010. In November 2009, Byrne announced that he had signed with the Althea Racing team for the 2010 season. He raced alongside former Honda rider Carlos Checa. He was well behind Checa in performance and had no top-five finishes by midseason. He said he was "bitterly disappointed" with the season as a whole.

Back to Britain 2 Byrne returned to the British Superbike Championship in 2011 with Lincolnshire-based HM Plant Honda alongside Japanese rider and three-time British Superbike Champion Ryuichi Kiyonari.

In 2012, Byrne made a return to Paul Bird Motorsport along with Stuart Easton.

In 2016, the Paul Bird Motorsport team switched from Kawasaki machinery to Ducati. Byrne competed in British Superbike Championship on a fully factory supported Ducati Panigale R sponsored by Be Wiser Insurance.

After racing After a serious injury ended his immediate participation in motorcycle sport, Byrne started to work as a race-weekend commentator.

In a 2021 interview, Byrne confirmed he had not made any firm decision not to again participate, and that his confidence in his long-term recovery had been impacted by the UK's emergency reaction to COVID-19 where hospital specialists were redeployed into other areas of need, hence he was 'on hold' until further treatment was available.

Byrne has established a partnership and new sports management consultancy business with fellow television presenter Matt Roberts to mentor and progress young motorcycle racers.

In February 2022, it was announced that Byrne would be appearing in future episodes of The Late Brake Show, a YouTube Channel hosted by Jonny Smith. Byrne will be a guest presenter to ride and review motorcycles, with the first episode eponymously entitled 'Byrne Out'.

Byrne also hosts a podcast with tv personality and Baker, Paul Hollywood, under their combined Hollywood and Byrne brand, around their shared love and passion for all things Motorsport.

Byrne is manager and mentor to superbike racer Bradley Ray, who won the 2022 BSB Championship and is contracted to ride in European rounds of World Superbikes for 2023.

Torrens Trophy Bryne was awarded the prestigious Torrens Trophy in 2014 in recognition of his winning multiple British Superbike Championships.

Personal life Born in Lambeth, London. Byrne was adopted as a baby and moved to Sittingbourne in Kent with his adoptive parents. Still a keen and competitive sportsman, Byrne cycles, plays golf and continues to ride motorcycles off track. In addition, Byrne quietly spends considerable time on charitable enterprises, including completing the London Marathon in 2026, raising funds for Spinal Research. Byrne divorced his first wife in 2025. He continues to live in Kent with his partner, Gilly. Byrne has two children.

Career statistics Stats correct as of 19 October 2014

By championship

British Superbike Championship (key) (Races in bold indicate pole position; races in italics indicate fastest lap) Year Class Bike 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 Pos Pts R1 R2 R1 R2 R1 R2 R1 R2 R1 R2 R1 R2 R1 R2 R1 R2 R1 R2 R1 R2 R1 R2 R1 R2 R1 R2 2001 BSB Suzuki DON7 DON8 SIL9 SIL9 SNE6 SNE6 OUL4 OUL8 BRH5 BRH4 THR8 THR5 OULRet OUL8 KNO8 KNO6 CAD7 CADRet BRH8 BRH8 MALRet MAL7 ROCRet ROC5 DON7 DON7 8th 204 Year Make 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 Pos Pts Ref R1 R2 R1 R2 R1 R2 R3 R1 R2 R1 R2 R1 R2 R3 R1 R2 R3 R1 R2 R3 R1 R2 R3 R1 R2 R1 R2 R1 R2 R3 R1 R2 2006 Suzuki BHI6 BHI11 DON5 DONNC THR5 THR8 OUL2 OUL3 MONC MONC MAL4 MAL5 SNE SNE KNO2 KNO1 OUL4 OUL5 CRO5 CRO4 CAD4 CADRet SILRet SIL4 BHGPRet BHGPDNS 6th 224 2008 Ducati BHGPC BHGPC THR1 THR2 OUL1 OUL1 BHGP1 BHGP2 DON1 DON1 SNE2 SNE1 MAL1 MAL2 OUL3 OUL3 KNO2 KNORet CAD3 CAD3 CRO5 CRO4 SIL3 SIL2 BHI1 BHI1 1st 474 2011 Honda BHI1 BHI3 OUL6 OUL3 CRORet CRO1 THR3 THR1 KNO3 KNO2 SNE3 SNE4 OUL4 OULC BHGP16 BHGP1 BHGP3 CAD3 CAD3 CAD4 DON4 DON8 SIL5 SIL5 BHGP6 BHGP1 BHGP1 3rd 625 2012 Kawasaki BHI7 BHIC THR4 THR3 OUL11 OUL2 OUL1 SNERet SNE2 KNO1 KNO2 OUL3 OUL3 OUL2 BHGP1 BHGP1 CADDNS CADDNS DON DON ASS1 ASS2 SIL2 SIL2 BHGP1 BHGP1 BHGP1 1st 683 2013 Kawasaki BHI1 BHI3 THR1 THR1 OULRet OUL1 KNO1 KNO1 SNE3 SNE1 BHGPRet BHGP1 OUL2 OUL1 OUL2 CAD2 CAD4 DON2 DON2 ASS2 ASSRet SIL2 SIL1 BHGP3 BHGPRet BHGP3 2nd 636 2014 Kawasaki BHI1 BHI1 OUL1 OUL2 SNE1 SNE1 KNO2 KNO1 BHGP2 BHGP5 THR2 THR2 OUL3 OUL3 OUL2 CAD2 CAD2 DON2 DON2 ASSRet ASS1 SIL1 SIL2 BHGPRet BHGP1 BHGP1 1st 682 2015 Kawasaki DON2 DON1 BHI2 BHI2 OUL3 OULRet SNE1 SNE1 KNO1 KNO1 BHGPRet BHGP2 THR4 THR2 CAD6 CAD4 OUL1 OULRet OUL1 ASS4 ASS5 SIL2 SIL5 BHGP2 BHGP2 BHGP3 2nd 662 2016 Ducati SIL2 SIL2 OUL8 OUL6 BHI9 BHI1 KNORet KNO1 SNE3 SNE1 THR1 THRRet BHGP1 BHGP1 CAD1 CAD3 OUL9 OULRet OUL5 DON1 DON1 ASS2 ASS2 BHGP6 BHGP6 BHGP3 1st 669 2017 Ducati DONDNS DONDNS BHI4 BHIRet OUL2 OUL1 KNO3 KNO3 SNE1 SNE1 BHGP1 BHGP1 THR4 THRRet CAD3 CADRet SILRet SIL3 SILRet OUL9 OUL7 ASS2 ASS5 BHGP1 BHGP1 BHGP8 1st 637 2018 Ducati DON2 DON5 BHI1 BHI4 OUL3 OUL4 SNEDNS SNEDNS 15th 98 Season still in progress