Image: Russell Colvin.

Former Moto3 World Championship regular Arthur Sissis debuted the Honda CBR1000RR SP1 that he will complete the Yamaha Motor Finance Australian Superbike Championship (ASBK) aboard during testing at Morgan Park this week.

Sissis, still just 23 years of age, has impressed aboard a privateer Suzuki across the first four rounds, however has now gained support from Penrite Honda Racing.

While not officially joining the factory Honda team alongside points leader Troy Herfoss, Sissis will ride the Fireblade that Herfoss completed last season’s Phillip Island round aboard and will benefit from a newfound association with the ER Motorsport-operated organisation.

It’s understood that Penrite Honda Racing will maintain and transport the bike of Sissis throughout the final stages of 2018, however the program will still financially depend upon the former Red Bull KTM international and his supporters. Development, including the specification of K-Tech Suspension, will be in line with Herfoss’ bike.

“After the last round in Darwin, a week later Deon [Coote] rang me and he asked if I wanted to ride one of his Hondas,” Sissis told CycleOnline.com.au. “It was a pretty easy decision really. I’m not joining the team, they are just giving me the bike to ride.

“It’s still the same thing as what I was doing before, but the only difference now is that the Penrite Honda Racing team are letting me ride one of their bikes now… If I crash it, I still have to pay for it.

“Tuesday was my first-ever ride on the Honda CBR1000RR SP1 machine and it feels quicker and it handles really well. The Honda is a better bike than what I have been racing in the past few rounds, so obviously I would like to be further up the front of the field now.

“We still have the race weekend, so I’m hoping to be where I should be come race time next week. If I’m running ninth or eighth on a standard bike, I should be quite a bit better on a better bike, being this CBR1000RR SP1.”

In his first season aboard a Superbike on return home to the Australian championship, Sissis currently sits 10th in the point-standings with a best overall result of eighth at The Bend Motorsport Park’s third round.