Rutter buys Suzuki superbike to race at TT

Michael Rutter will race a Suzuki in this year’s two superbike races at the TT.

In the two days since parting company with the NW200 Yamaha team, Rutter has arranged to buy his own K9 GSX-R1000 from Crescent Suzuki, the Verwood-based company behind the Worx Suzuki that Sylvain Guintoli races in BSB this year.

He’s also picked up sponsorship from Midlands-based Bathams Brewery and Pirelli tyres and says the bike will be ready to roll by next Thursday.

“It’s incredibly exciting pulling all this together,” said Rutter. “It’s great how people are pitching in to help. It’s costing me personally about £32,000 to go to the TT but I’ve also got backing from Bathams, Pirelli and help from Crescent. 

“I’ve even managed to borrow a van from Bathams so I can get the bike there and because we’ve not time to get PR postcards printed to hand out, I’ve got thousands of beer mats to sign!

“The bike is going to be very similar to Guintoli’s so it’s going to be very competitive out of the box. And Crescent are also offering technical support to help me set it up.”

The main differences between the BSB bike and the TT racer will be that Rutter’s bike will have less radical cams, stock gearbox, K-Tech forks, Ohlins shock, and the less complex kit Suzuki engine management system.

Rutter said: “It’s going to be close to the Worx bike for BHP and we’re getting the same suspension link as they use, though I’ll be running an Ohlins stock. I’ll also have K-Tech forks which I was really pleased with on the Yamaha I raced in BSB.”

Once the TT is over, Rutter aims to piece together the budget to continue with the bike in BSB, but added, “I’m off to Donington this weekend with my leathers to see if there are any rides.

“It’s the first time I’ve ever done this in my life (what riders term as ‘ambulance chasing) and it feels weird, waiting around to see if anyone crashes out so I can take their ride but I need to be out there if at all possible this weekend.”