Jenny Tinmouth has been speaking of her surprise at securing the biggest break of her pioneering career.

The Ellesmere Port rider, 36, has signed for the Honda Racing team, which gives her the chance to race in this year's MCE Insurance British Superbike Championship on a competitive bike.

Tinmouth, the first and only female racer in British Superbike history, has previously competed as a privateer, funding her own team through sponsorship. But in signing for Honda Racing, she has entered the big league.

She will become a full-time member of the Louth-based team, competing alongside Jason O'Halloran and Dan Linfoot for the entire 12-round championship as they make their return to the series after spending 2014 working on the development of the CBR1000RR Fireblade bike. Honda won the championship in 2013 with Alex Lowes.

Chester-born Tinmouth said: "I'm absolutely over the moon and cannot believe I'm riding for Honda Racing. The offer was totally unexpected.

"I went for a meeting to discuss the season and had a few cheeky questions I wanted to ask about Honda helping me out with bikes, and when the offer came I couldn't believe what I was being asked. I went into the meeting thinking it would just be some help and came out as a full-time Honda rider. It's always been my ultimate dream to ride for the team and to have the opportunity this year is just amazing. I'm riding the Honda BSB bike for the first time during a team test in March and I can't wait."

Honda Racing team manager Havier Beltran said: "This is a fantastic opportunity for Jenny being part of the Honda Racing team, alongside Dan and Jason. She's been on Hondas for a couple of years now running her own team. This year will be a huge learning curve, getting used to the team and the bike, but will also really push her in the series and hopefully generate some good results. It will also be a learning curve for us, but we're excited for the challenge."

Tinmouth has been a ground-breaker in the Superbike championship since first joining the series in 2011 and has achieved many firsts for women in motorcycle racing, including becoming the first female rider to score a Superbike point. She has also experienced success at the Isle of Man TT races, where she currently holds the record as the fastest female around the Mountain course with an average lap speed of 119.9455mph.