Dunlop has first test on Buildbase Hawk BMW superbike

Michael Dunlop has had his first test on the Buildbase Hawk BMW superbike that he will race on the roads in 2016. The 26-year-old rode the S1000RR at Cartagena on Thursday at the start of a four day test at the Spanish track. He also debuted a new stock version of the German machine.

“We’re just running the bikes in today.” the Ballymoney man said after completing four sessions on track on Thursday morning. “I am just taking it easy and getting comfortable with the bikes again at this stage.”

Dunlop won at the North West 200 and the Isle of Man TT in 2014 on the Hawk built BMWs and returned to the Leicester based team after a brief dalliance with the Milwaukee Yamaha team last season.

“We have plenty of options open to us over the next four days.” team boss, Steve Hicken explained. “We have two brand new bikes and we are running them with kit electronics and Ohlins suspension today but we will also test the Motec system and Bitubo suspension over the next few days. We will eventually run what ever suits Michael best.”

One new addition to the Dunlop camp for 2016 is veteran spanner man, Graham Parker. Parker has been a mechanic in the winning teams of John McGuinness, Bruce Anstey, Ian Hutchinson and most famously in Joey Dunlop’s Formula One TT winning SP1 team in 2000.