John Hopkins to attend Isle of Man TT

John Hopkins will be riding at the Isle of Man TT this weekend - but won't be competing.

Hopper is heading to the Isle of Man to do some ambassador work for Monster Energy and will also join the thousands that take to the TT course on 'Mad Sunday'.

The American will ride a road-legal GSX-R1000 in FIXI Crescent Suzuki livery 'at a safe and comfortable pace', on what will be the first time he has ridden a motorcycle since his recent operation.

"This is a great opportunity and a really big treat for me to visit the Isle of Man and get out there and ride with all the fans on Mad Sunday," said Hopkins.

"I'll basically try and advocate rider safety and how you can ride fast, but still be within your limits and that of the bike, and have a great time out on the road - which isn't my natural style so that should be interesting!

"I cannot wait to get back on a bike after the hip operation, but I'll certainly be taking things steady and being pretty cautious out there!"

Hopkins was forced to take a break from competitive motorcycle racing for the whole of 2013 in an attempt to regain full fitness.

The former MotoGP star injured his hip in a crash at Monza in Italy just over a year ago and although he continued to race for the rest of the season with the FIXI Crescent Suzuki team in World Superbikes, Hopkins was never at 100% and took the decision to take a break and get his health in first-class condition before considering a return to racing.

He recently underwent hip surgery to repair the damage and is making a good recovery.

"I want to say a big thank-you to Paul Denning and the guys at FIXI Crescent Suzuki for sorting out a bike for me to ride... Hopefully one day I'll be back on a Suzuki on the track, but for now we'll have to wait and see what happens!

"I also want to say a huge thanks to Monster Energy for sponsoring the event and having me along to be a part of it. The TT is something I've always looked up to my whole life and one that I cannot wait to experience, so it is thanks to them that I can now finally be involved with something that I grew up hearing stories about!"