British Superbike legend John Reynolds will compete in the upcoming Phillip Island Classic but will be representing New Zealand as there is no team from the UK taking part.

Reynolds won the BSB title three times in 1992, 2001 and 2004, and will join Alex Phillis in the squad alongside fast club racer Michael Neeves, also from Britain.

One year outside the Island Classic eligibility, the two Suzukis will be subject to agreed performance restrictions- comprising of a reduction in RPM limit, an overall weight increase and a reduced rear tyre width to eliminate any possible traction advantage.

The squad have been given special dispensation to run Carl Cox-backed 1985 GSX-Rs but Reynolds and Neeves’ points will only count towards the International Trophy and not the individual Ken Wootton gong.

“We’re coming to the Island Classic, because Suzuki GB and Team Classic Suzuki have a great relationship with Carl Cox Motorsport and we think the Aussies will love seeing these Suzukis in action,” said Reynolds.

“Carl was running the Katanas at the Classic TT last August with Jay Lawrence, we started talking about coming down under to compete with Carl’s Kiwi team, and it kind of snowballed from there.

“We’re ready to race. The Australian and US teams are strong, but I will be trying my hardest to rattle their cages.”

Reynolds won a WorldSBK race in 2000, finishing ahead of Troy Bayliss at a wet Brands Hatch. He also won a whopping 37 BSB races, but called it quits from racing full-time after a big crash in the final stages of the 2005 season.

He’s competed at Phillip Island once: in 1996 when he finished with 11-10 finishes in the two world superbike races. “I was with the Factory Suzuki team and it was a great weekend, but it ended with me punting Peter Goddard off the track on the last lap at Honda while he was 3rd and we were both desperate for a podium.

“My strategic manoeuvre did not work though. Peter as you can imagine was not very happy with me, and rightly so, but we soon made up.”