KEITH Amor has been recruited by HM Plant Honda to team up with John McGuinness at the TT.

The decision comes after former HM Plant Honda rider Steve Plater was side-lined after breaking his arm at last week’s NorthWest 200 in Northern Ireland.

Amor, 38, will ride HM Plant Honda Fireblades in the Superbike and Senior TT races - a machine with which he is familiar, having ridden Honda Superbikes at the TT since his debut on the Island in 2007. 

Amor finished a creditable 12th place as his best race finish in the Supersport class in 2007 and also became the second fastest newcomer ever behind Steve Plater, with a lap of 124.856mph in the Senior.

On only his second visit to the Island in 2008, Keith Amor secured his first podium by taking third place in the first Supersport race. He repeated this in 2009 and also added to his TT podium tally with another third place finish in the Superstock race. 

Amor’s determination and talent as a road racer was further displayed at last week’s North West 200, where he won the Superstock race, finished second in the Supersport race and took fourth and sixth places in the Superbike races, riding only his Superstock machine.

It was the first time Amor had ridden a racing motorcycle since September 2009 and also only recently recovered from back and neck injuries sustained at the end of the 2009 season.

The Scot will ride for the HM Plant Honda team in the Superbike and Senior TT races at Number 5, but will also compete in both Supersport TT races on a privately entered Honda CBR600RR.

Amor said, “It’s all a bit surreal but I feel incredibly proud and privileged to have been asked by the HM Plant Honda team to ride for them at the TT and also stand in for such an incredible rider as Steve.

“When the team called me I was more surprised than anything and it goes to show how you can never predict anything and how life and fortune can change so quickly. Two weekends ago I was stuck in Italy due to cancelled flights and wasn’t sure I was even going to able to make it to the NW200 to compete, and now I have one of the most sought-after rides in the paddock!”