- Harrison suffered a broken femur and a spinal fracture in September 2025
- Fourth place at the 2025 Superbike TT was his best TT result to date
- Currently ranked 16th among the fastest Mountain Course riders of all time
Nathan Harrison is one of the rising stars in international road racing and has established himself as a firm favourite for the Isle of Man TT in recent years. The 27-year-old from Onchan on the Isle of Man heads into 2026 with his family team H&H Motorcycles once again on Honda machinery, and makes no secret of what he dreams about every morning when he gets up: his first TT podium finish. That this dream is far from a given considering the past months makes his story all the more remarkable.
A Serious Setback at Donington Park
On 6 September 2025, Harrison’s best season to date came to an abrupt end. During the opening lap of the Pirelli National Superstock race at Donington Park, Scottish rider Callum Grigor crashed on the approach to Goddards Corner. Grigor’s machine collided with Harrison, who also went down. The race was immediately red-flagged.
The consequences were severe: Harrison suffered a broken femur and a spinal fracture. He was initially operated on at Queen’s Medical Centre in Nottingham before being transferred to Broadgreen Hospital in Liverpool, where a specialist limb reconstruction team took over his care. In total, he spent over two weeks in hospital. Grigor was hit even harder: he was placed in an induced coma and spent 22 days in intensive care.
Harrison reflected on the incident on social media, explaining that he probably would not be here if the collision had happened a millisecond earlier. He described the crash as a shock and admitted it had deeply affected him that his best season had ended this way. At the same time, he emphasised that no rider deliberately hits another and he had simply been in the wrong place at the wrong time.
Not the First Comeback
For Harrison, it was not the first serious injury of his career. In 2015, at just 16 years old, he crashed during testing at Jurby Airfield on the Isle of Man so severely that it was unclear whether he would ever ride a motorcycle again. The damage: both femurs broken, plus the left tibia and fibula, the left ankle and both collarbones. That he fought back from those injuries and rode the Mountain Course a few years later speaks to remarkable determination.
In 2023, Harrison also suffered a setback when injuries from the North West 200 cost him his first TT season as a Honda factory rider. He had just secured a place in the official Honda Racing Team alongside 23-time TT winner John McGuinness but was unable to compete at the TT that year.
From the Manx Grand Prix to TT Contender
Harrison’s rise in road racing was swift and impressive. He made his Manx Grand Prix debut in 2018 and immediately drew attention, despite a retirement in the Newcomers A race. In the Senior race, he demonstrated his potential with a lap at just under 118 mph.
Just one year later, he achieved a Junior and Senior double victory at the 2019 Manx Grand Prix, a feat only a handful of riders have managed in history. A lap time of over 122 mph underscored his abilities emphatically. Harrison was just 21 years old at the time.
The step up to the TT followed in 2022, and Harrison delivered strong results from the outset. In the Superbike race, he finished 12th at a lap speed of over 127 mph. In the Superstock race, he came 11th before finishing the Senior race in 10th, breaking the 128 mph barrier in the process. These performances earned him the aforementioned place in the Honda Racing Team alongside McGuinness for 2023 and 2024.
At the 2024 TT, Harrison managed to improve once again despite technical issues in two of three races. Seventh place and a personal best of 129.156 mph in the Senior TT represented another step forward.
The Best TT Season Yet: 2025
For the 2025 TT, Harrison decided to set up his own team. Racing under the H&H Motorcycles banner, run by his father Dean, he continued with Honda support. The decision paid off: Harrison was among the most impressive riders of the entire race week.
In the RST Superbike TT, he rode to an outstanding fourth place and set a new personal best of 131.270 mph on the Mountain Course. In both RL360 Superstock races, he took seventh each time, both with lap times beyond the 130 mph mark. Twelfth place in the first Monster Energy Supersport race also marked his best result in the middleweight class.
Away from the TT, Harrison also showed strong form in the Pirelli National Superstock Championship, particularly at Thruxton, before the season came to its unfortunate end at Donington Park.
Back on Track: Preparing for 2026
After months of rehabilitation, Harrison received medical clearance to return to racing in February 2026. He subsequently completed two weeks of testing in Portugal and Spain and described the preparation as successful. On social media, he said he was in good shape and spoke of a comeback that would be stronger than ever.
Harrison openly described the months since the crash as a difficult period with days of heartbreak, anger and physical as well as mental strain. But that phase was now behind him.
The Package for TT 2026
For the 2026 TT, which runs from 25 May to 6 June, Harrison once again relies on the proven combination: Honda CBR1000RR Fireblade in the RST Superbike TT, both RL360 Superstock races and the Milwaukee Senior TT, plus the Honda CBR600RR in both Monster Energy Supersport races. Team H&H Motorcycles under the direction of his father Dean remains the base, with continued support from Honda UK.
Harrison said of the upcoming season: “I was really pleased with how last year went. Getting that fourth place in the Superbike TT and putting in a 131mph lap showed what we can do. For 2026, I want to just concentrate on myself and keep improving. It’s what I’ve done all my career, slowly getting quicker and quicker. Hopefully I can add a mile an hour or two this year and see where we end up.”
On the subject of the podium, he said: “We’ve got a strong package again. I’d love a podium. That’s what I dream about every day when I get up and train. Everything I’m doing is towards that, so if I could do it, that would be amazing.”
About the team structure, he added: “Running our own team with H&H Motorcycles, headed by my dad Dean has worked really well. I couldn’t do it without him and the continued support from Honda UK.”
At the same time, Harrison made it clear that the team, as a family operation, is not as well-funded as it might appear from the outside. In early 2026, he was actively seeking additional sponsors for the current season.
A Strong Field at TT 2026
Harrison faces a high-calibre field at the 2026 TT. Eight former solo race winners with a combined 97 TT victories are on the entry list, led by Michael Dunlop with 33 wins. They are joined by John McGuinness (23 wins), Ian Hutchinson (16), Peter Hickman (14), Dean Harrison (5), Davey Todd (3), Gary Johnson (2) and James Hillier (1). Ten additional entered riders have stood on the TT podium at least once, bringing the total to 18 riders with 249 combined podium finishes. Eighteen starters are already members of the 130 mph club, while 39 riders have broken the 125 mph barrier.
Nathan Harrison currently stands 16th on the all-time list of fastest Mountain Course riders. Given his continuous improvement, his personal best of 131.270 mph and his ability to fight back from setbacks time and again, he is undoubtedly among the most promising candidates for a first podium finish. Whether that dream becomes reality in June 2026 will be decided on the 60.7-kilometre Mountain Course.
➜ This article is part of our comprehensive overview: Isle of Man TT 2026: The Complete Overview – Schedule, Riders, Teams & Results. Find all key information on this topic in one place.
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