Michael Dunlop will ride a Hawk Racing Honda Superbike at the Isle of Man TT, ending speculation over his plans for the class.

Dunlop unveiled a Ducati V4R at the Oulton Park British Superbike test but the Ballymoney man didn’t ride the Italian machine at the North West 200, saying the V4R needed ‘more testing and development’.

The 37-year-old finished on the podium in third at the North West on the Hawk Honda in the opening Superbike race.

He has proven form on the CBR1000RR-R Fireblade, winning the Superbike TT in 2023 and recording his fastest lap around the Mountain Course on the machine at 135.970mph in 2024, when he was in control of the Superbike race until an issue with his visor forced him to stop to make adjustments on Bray Hill.

placeholder image — Michael Dunlop set his fastest TT lap at 135.970mph on a Hawk Racing Honda in 2024. (Photo by Tim Keeton/Pacemaker)

In 2024, Dunlop made a late switch from a Triumph 765 to his trusty Yamaha R during practice week, while he also changed from a Yamaha R1 Superbike in 2015 to ride a BMW S1000RR.

However, it seems he has settled on the Honda after riding the machine in the opening untimed practice session at the TT on Monday,

Davey Todd, last year’s Superbike winner, said Dunlop “will be fast” on the Honda after noting that the Ducati project is on hold for now.

“I don’t think you can ever fully confirm, even the day before the TT, what bike Michael will be riding,” Todd said.

“There was a lot of hype about him riding the new Ducati V4. Whatever’s happened with that, he’s ended up deciding not to ride it and has pulled out a Honda Fireblade instead.

“We know he’s going to be fast on that – he set his personal best lap time around the TT on a Fireblade – and a BMW I think in the Superstock class, which again he proved last year he’s very fast on.”

Todd won’t be racing at the TT after he was declared medically unfit as he continues to recover from injuries he sustained in a crash at the Daytona 200 in the USA in March, which included two broken legs.

Dunlop rode his MD Racing BMW Superstock machine at the Cookstown 100 and won three races, setting a new outright lap record at the event April. He will ride the BMW in the Superstock TT races.

Dunlop will also ride a Scars by MD Racing Ducati Panigale V2 Supersport machine again after winning both Supersport TT races in 2025, earning Ducati’s first TT wins in 30 years.

The record 33-time winner has stuck with a Paton in the Sportbike races and claimed a double on the Italian machine last year.