Honda’s Dean Harrison acknowledged that he "can’t improve what we have" in the Supersport class after finishing second in Monday’s race at the 2025 Man TT. The three-time TT winner was fast during practice riding the CBR600 Supersport bike and was among the favorites heading into the first race of the class on Monday.
Despite being over seven seconds behind Michael Dunlop at the end of the first lap, Harrison gradually closed the gap but was ultimately surpassed by the Ducati rider on the final lap. Dunlop secured his 30th career win, extending Honda’s wait for a victory since 2019.
Although pleased with his runner-up position, Harrison doesn’t believe he has the means to challenge Dunlop and Ducati in the upcoming second Supersport race later in the week. “To be honest, Ducati is so fast through the speed traps, so I’m thrilled to keep it close,” he told TT+. “I knew Dunlop would gain strength late in the race, so I had to push hard from the start. It’s great to be competing at the front and have a strong start to the week.”
Harrison added, “This is all we have with the bike — it’s a new generation, and we’re down six miles per hour on the speed traps. We won’t find any more power this week, so we’ll try the same strategy in Race 2.”
He also finished third in the opening Superbike race the previous week, behind Danlo and winner Davie Todd. Reflecting on that race, Harrison said, “It was tough; I had some stability issues despite a decent start. We faced similar struggles in practice, but I maintained my pace throughout the race, which was the main focus. We’ve learned a lot and plan to make improvements later in the week.”
Fan Take: This race highlights the ongoing challenge for Honda to keep pace with Ducati’s raw speed in the Supersport category, underscoring the fierce competition at the Man TT. For racing fans, it signals an exciting season ahead where technology and skill will collide, pushing teams to innovate and elevate the sport’s intensity.
