BIKES: Platter goes under the knife again

Plater was ruled out of the Ulster road race and the Isle of Man TT a result of the accident, with Scottish rider Keith Amor taking over his Superbike ride on the Island and Michael Rutter riding his Superstock machine.

The Woodhall Spa ace will have surgery to plate the front of a broken vertebra in his neck today, following on from an operation he underwent last Wednesday to plate the back of the damaged bone.

Plater also sustained a broken arm in the crash, but the damage to his neck was only discovered after he continued to experience pain in his neck and shoulder.

A winner in the prestigious Senior TT in 2009, Plater has been keeping up to date with all the action at the Isle of Man on television and via the internet.

"I've been watching the TT coverage on the live timings and also the TV coverage and the racing has been incredible and really impressive to watch," he said.

"I'm feeling more confident with how everything is progressing. I have 90 degree movement left and right in my neck which the doctors are amazed about. "I have to go back for another operation on Thursday to have the back of my neck plated, but hopefully my recovery from

that will be as good as this first operation," added Plater.

"My arm is coming on too and I'm getting more feeling back day by day, so hopefully with a few more weeks to recover I should be feeling brand new again."

Meanwhile, HM Plant British Superbike contender Josh Brookes will take over Plater's Metzeler National Superstock 1000 ride at the fifth and sixth rounds of the championship, which will held on the undercard of the British MotoGP round at Silverstone next weekend.