Shane Byrne

Shane Byrne (born 10 December 1976 in Lambeth, London), often known as Shakey, is a British motorcycle road racer. He is a six-time champion of the British Superbike Championship (2003, 2008, 2012, 2014, 2016 and 2017), the only person in the history of the series to win six titles. He has also been a 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.

Byrne was a motorcycle race commentator for Eurosport television during 2019.

While working as a road tester for Fast Bikes magazine, Shakey participated in track days on a Ducati 996 SPS at a wet Oulton Park. He caught the attention of Paul Bird, his future boss.

Shakey 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.

In 2002, he was signed by Mark Griffiths at Renegade Ducati to ride alongside Michael Rutter. He also achieved his firstBritish 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.

For 2004 he joined fellow Brit Jeremy McWilliams in MotoGP with Aprilia, although he missed several races because of injury. He spent much of 2005 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, Shakey did not impress Honda and was replaced by Chris Vermeulen.

For 2006 he 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, Shakey 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, Shakey competed for the Airwaves Ducati squad on a Ducati 1098 alongside Leon Camier. The combo was immediately dominant. Shakey 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 Shakey 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.

Twenty-four hours after clinching the British Superbike Championship, Shakey 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. Shakey 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 Shakey without a confirmed ride for 2010. In November 2009, Shakey 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.

Shakey 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 Shakey made a return to Paul Bird Motorsport along with Stuart Easton.

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

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

Shakey married Czech-national, Petra, in November 2010. The couple have two children and share their time between homes in Kent and Spain.

Stats correct as of 19 October 2014

By championship

British Superbike Championship

• * Season still in progress