Two-time UAE Sport Bikes champion Mahmoud Tannir is looking to sign off his successful partnership with Triumph with a bang this weekend as he attempts to catch leader Abdulaziz Binladin.
The Lebanese has enjoyed nothing but success with his suppliers but after a breakdown in relations between the two parties, Tannir has decided to move to Honda and believes the Japanese bike maker will help him recover the 20-point deficit between him and Binladin.
A winner by a huge 41 points last season, Tannir has struggled for form this year. “I was not happy with how this season went, no support at all from Triumph which didn’t reflect from what was taken last season, but obviously we had two championships together,” Tannir told Sport360°.
“The problem at the moment is I haven’t had the chance to fight with Abdulaziz. We had all the issues with the tyres and we did a lot of experimenting and we lost a lot of time as a result. The organisers gave us a new tyre which helped.
“We are hoping to say goodbye to the Triumph with a good result and make way for the Honda to start practising.
“We need to be close and we really want to fight.” Tannir believes his new bike will give him a better chance of defending his title for a second time and completing a memorable hat-trick.
“Technically, they are quite different,” said the Lebanese.
“Hondas are four cylinders and Triumphs have three, they have different character.
“Honda is well known for its handling and maybe it lacks a touch of power, but I think it is on the same level power-wise with Triumph but with better handling. You have to ride it differently but I don’t see why we can’t be competitive.”
