Headed by the highly respected Ian Lougher, the team has an ethos of nurturing and encouraging young up and coming riders and Franco Bourne certainly fits into this category of rider.
Name: Franco Bourne.
Date of Birth: 31/05/2004.
Height: 5’ 11”.
Hair Colour: Brown.
Eyes: Blue. Favourite Food: Steak.
Favourite Drink: Guinness / Peach Iced Tea.
Hobbies: Going to the gym / Riding my trials bike
Our aim is to support Franco in 2026 as he continues on his journey from racing on short circuits racing to that of real road racing and it certainly promises to be a busy season as he will be competing in the Sportbike (Supertwin) class on one of our S1-R Patons, Supersport on a Honda CBR 600RR and Superstock on an ex-Nathan Harrison Honda CBR1000RR upon which Dean Harrison took the Southern 100 outright lap record in 2025.
Following a few selective early season short circuit meetings which will allow for testing, Franco and the team will target the Spring Cup, Cock o’ the North and Gold Cup meetings at Oliver’s Mount, Tandragee 100, North-West 200, Isle of Man TT Races, the Southern 100 Road Races (IOM) and Armoy Road Races.
Franco started racing in 2011 and in 2017 he was invited to take part in the prestigious British Talent Cup, a championship which recognises young talented riders. He finished 15th in his first year and 3rd in his second before winning the title in 2020.
The following year Bourne moved to Junior Stock 600 where he finished 9th in his rookie season running his own team, and 2022 saw him finish runner-up in the championship.
For 2023 it was a move up to the highly competitive National Superstock 1000 Championship and he began the season by winning at the first round at Silverstone, his first time ever riding a 1000cc motorcycle.
More impressive performances would follow and, at only 19 years old, Franco appeared on the radar of the factory Honda British Superbike team who drafted him in to replace injured regular Andrew Irwin. Bourne justified his selection and seized it with both hands as he achieved Top 10 placings in the British Superbike Championship.
With Irwin returning from injury, Franco went back to the Stock 1000 Championship and finished the season with a Top 6 performance at Donington Park.
The 2024 season would see a move to the British Superbike Championship where again Bourne was in the Top 10 on occasions, however it was a year plagued with injury which brought his season to a premature end.
This year has seen a shift in direction for Franco with a campaign on the pure road circuits and making his roads debut with Cowton Racing on their Supersport 600 ZX6R and Supertwin ER-6.
If finishing 2nd and 5th at Oliver’s Mount on his first outing there was worthy of note, then going on to win two of the Supersport 600 races and placing 2nd and 3rd on the Supertwin made people take note!
Franco went on to compete at the Cookstown, Tandragee and Armoy.
At the Tandragee 100 early in the season he had mechanical issues in qualifying but he put in a fantastic performnce to come from 29th on the grid to finish 5th.
At Armoy in July he returned to a 1000cc machine, the BMW of Crowe Performance, and he was up to 4th in the wet chasing such notables as Michael Sweeney and Mike Browne.
The Steve Henshaw Gold Cup at Scarborough followed and a 2nd overall in the Supersport Class and a 3rd overall in the Supertwins brought a first season on the roads to a successful and satisfying conclusion.
Franco Bourne with former Honda Racing UK team manager Havier Beltran, and in British Superbike action on the factory Honda CBR1000RR-R Fireblade.
Franco Bourne:
“Despite facing multiple bike related issues, for my first season in Road Racing I am very pleased with my progress and success.
I am already looking forward to 2026 on the roads, and my riding and results can only get even better under the mentorship of road racing legend Ian Lougher and everyone at Team ILR.”