Dean Harrison and Richard Cooper sign for Ulster team BPE/Russell Racing in Supersport bid

Bradford rider Harrison will also compete on the Yamaha R6 at the Isle of Man TT. He was given the green light by his DAO Racing Kawasaki team to seek an alternative machine after they pulled out of the class this year.

The highly rated duo are a coup for Glenavy man Alister Russell’s team, which will again be sponsored by Portadown company Boyce Precision Engineering after Ian Hutchinson rode under the BPE banner in the Supersport class last year.

TT winner Harrison clocked his fastest ever lap time during a test on the Yamaha at Cartagena in Spain and believes the YZF-R6 holds a competitive edge over the Kawasaki.

“I rode the BPE Yamaha during a test at Cartagena in Spain and did my fastest ever 600cc time around there on it,” Harrison said.

“The R6 doesn’t move about as much as the Kawasaki and on paper it should be quicker, which will provide an advantage.”

Nottingham rider Cooper has quickly established himself as one of the top contenders at the North West 200 after making his debut in 2019.

The former Superstock 1000 champion finished on the podium in third place in the Superstock and first Superbike races last year on the Buildbase Suzuki, before clinching a fine runner-up spot in the headline Superbike race behind Ulsterman Glenn Irwin.

He rode the BPE/Russell Racing Yamaha for the first time last year in the British Supersport at Brands Hatch, securing two podiums, and claimed a double at the Sunflower Trophy meeting at Bishopscourt in October.

“I rode the BPE Yamaha for the first time at the final round of the British championship at Brands Hatch, finishing second and third,” said Cooper.

“Then I had two wins on the R6 at the Sunflower meeting and I knew the bike was the business.

“At Brands I was running at the front with Lee Johnston who is winning TTs and North West 200 races, so I think I now have the package to do the same at the North West.”

Team principal Russell has worked as a crew chief to a raft of star road racers over the years, including Keith Amor, Cameron Donald, Guy Martin and William Dunlop.

Last year, he ran Ian Hutchinson on the BPE Yamaha R6 in his first season as a team boss and Russell feels his new-look line-up can make further inroads in 2023.

Russell said: “It was a positive start for the new team with Ian and we hope to build on that in 2023 with Dean and Richard on the roads and short circuits.

“It is great to have two top class riders, both proven winners, on board for 2023.

“Richard proved the potential of the Yamaha during the final round of the British Supersport championship at Brands and with Dean joining him in the squad we now have two riders who should be fighting for podiums this year,” he added.

“It is a big thing for the team to have riders of their calibre. We will do selected rounds of the British championship and a lot more racing this time around than we did last year.”

The fonaCAB and Nicholl Oils NW200 takes place from May 9-13.