James Hillier, one of four Kawasaki ZXR750 riders whose machines were excluded from the results of Monday’s Superbike Classic TT, has publicly quit his Greenall Racing team. Hillier, who raced to third place in the four-lap, 151-mile race, has said on Twitter: “I will make up for it next year on a legitimate machine for a different team.”

He also tweeted: “I was unaware of my bike being against the rule book yesterday. I took risks and tried my best for nothing.”

Hillier finished third at 123.087mph race before the bike’s exclusion from the results. Dean Harrison, who finished second on the Silicone Engineering ZXR, was also stripped from the results, along with fifth-placed Jamie Coward, on a Mistral Racing machine, and Horst Saiger, who finished sixth on another Greenall entry.

Amazingly, the Classic TT organisers have failed to enlighten fans and team owners about the details of the four disqualifications. The only official announcement so far has said: “Two were stripped and found to have oversized engines. The other two were removed from the Technical Inspection area and were therefore excluded.”

Rumours suggest that one of the bikes had an 830cc and another an 840cc motor, and that the use of quick-shifters was involved in the exclusions. BSN has requested more information from the organisers.