The Honda World Superbike Team will travel just 68km for this weekend’s third round World Superbike championship round at the TT Circuit Assen in northern Holland.

The team is based just down the A28 highway at Nieuwleusen and the Ten Kate Motoren Honda dealership, behind which lies the team’s workshop, is a fascinating and convenient stop-off for some of the many thousands of motorcycle race fans who will head to Assen this weekend.

For Jonathan Rea, Assen represents a chance to get his 2012 title challenge fully underway following relatively modest results in the opening two rounds at Phillip Island in Australia and Imola in Italy.

The 25-year-old, originally from Northern Ireland but now based on the Isle of Man, scored a win and a third place at the 4.542km Assen circuit last year and, having been with the Ten Kate-run team since 2008, Rea has completed a lot of laps there.

The circuit is also well known to his Honda World Superbike team-mate, Hiroshi Aoyama, who won at Assen on his way to securing the 2009 and final 250cc Grand Prix world championship with Honda.

Rea and Aoyama were happy with the testing they were able to undertake after the last round at Imola, but a two-day private test at Assen last week was blighted by showers and cold temperatures, which have also been forecast for this weekend.