Roads: Dunlop to ride McAdoo Kawasaki supertwin

Michael Dunlop has announced that he’ll return to the supertwin class in the 2017 season, once again signing up to ride for road racing veterans McAdoo Kawasaki on their Gortreagh Printing backed machine.

Dunlop last rode for the team back in 2013, practicing on their ER-6 bike for the Lightweight TT, but electing not to race it as he instead concentrated on the big bike classes.

However, he’ll have a brand new machine for 2017 developed by roads and MCE BSB veterans MSS Performance, with Nick Morgan’s firm already working on the project, alongside the ZX-10 and ZX-6 bikes that James Cowton will ride for the team in the bigger classes.

And, speaking in a press statement, the team, long associated with both Kawasaki machinery and the likes of Ryan Farquhar, Ian Hutchinson and Conor Cummins, say both Dunlop and MSS are the right people for the job.

“We are thrilled to have Michael race in McAdoo colours again – a man we believe is the number one road racer in the world – and to have Nick Morgan from MSS oversee the project is the perfect combination. Michael’s record of success is sensational and the outright lap record at the TT in 2016 was a mark of his outstanding ability. To have him on board alongside the exciting potential of James Cowton is mouth-watering for the team.

“McAdoo Kawasaki have a long association with ick Morgan and MSS Performance – working on our bikes for Ryan Farquhar and Conor Cummins – and are excited to work with them again in 2017. Nick has a proven track record of building very fast Kawasakis.”

The news comes off the back of the announcement that he’ll ride for the Bennetts Suzuki team in the superbike and superstock classes at this year’s Isle of Man TT. It remains to be seen what machine he’ll line up on for the Supersport class.