Kent rider Shane Byrne has joined the Paul Bird Kawasaki team to race in the British Superbikes for next season.

Paul Bird Motorsport (PBM) has become the first of the Elite Teams to announce their line up for the 2012 MCE Insurance British Superbike Championship and have signalled their intentions of a winning return by signing Shane ‘Shakey’ Byrne and Stuart Easton.

Following four seasons in the World Superbike Championship, which recently included a race win for the team, Penrith businessman Bird has lined up his former champions Byrne, from the Isle of Sheppey and Easton for an assault on winning a third title.

The Cumbria-based team have a strong pedigree in the British series, taking consecutive BSB titles in 2002 and 2003 with the late Steve Hislop and Byrne, whilst Easton also won the British Supersport title with the team in 2002.

Former double BSB champion Byrne and former British Supersport champion Easton will race factory-specification Kawasaki ZX-10Rs for the series as part of an ambitious plan which will see PBM also field a CRT rider in MotoGP with former BSB title contender James Ellison. The team are now planning a test schedule in Spain ahead of the new season.

Having signed his deal that keeps him in the British Superbikes, Byrne said: “It is mega to be back with the PBM team again after two successful seasons with them in the past, including winning the title in 2003. To visit the team again back in Penrith was like coming home for me and as if I had never been away.

“Myself and Paul (Bird) are very similar and we are focused and relaxed at the same time for the new season. It is fundamentally the same squad as I worked with before and I know that the team wouldn’t come back to BSB unless they believed they could win. I think Kawasaki will be one of the most competitive packages out there and I think that this team will make it ultra competitive. I am now looking forward to getting testing underway in preparation for next season.”

Team Owner Paul Bird concluded: “When we decided to return to British Superbikes, signing both Shakey and Stuart was always the plan and I’m delighted they’ve come on board with us. We’ve won British championships as well as World championship races together and for me it’s my dream team.

“We have proved that the Kawasaki ZX-10R is a fantastic bike and have won on it at BSB in 2010 so we know what we need to do. I promised Stuart a deal straight after his crash and he’ll be back to full fitness very soon and with Shakey keen to make up for missing out this year, we are ideally placed.”