Intriguing paddock whisper about two Michael Dunlop Isle of Man TT bikes
"🉐Apparently, allegedly,ꦜ" claims about spec of Michael Dunlop machinery

The specifications of two of Michael Dunlop’s bikes for the Isle of Man TT have been given high♏ praise.
Dunlop will enter this month’s TT with bet♏t﷽er preparation than ever, it has been claimed.
Dunlop comple꧟ted a treble of victories at the North West 200 after two wins at the Cookstown 100.
All attention turns to th♑🍃e TT, which begins on May 26, and the machinery at Dunlop’s disposal.
He has swapped Honda for BMW in thꦓe Superbike and Superstock classes. He has changed from a Yamaha R6 to a Ducati Panigale V2 in the Supersport class, but will stick to a Paton for the Supertwin.
Hawk Raꦐcing and MD Racing remain loyal backers for the man to beat𓄧 at the TT.
“It’s the team and the backup,” ex-racer Phillip McCallen told the Belfast Telegraph about what makes Dunlop so formidable this year.
“For the last few years, it’s looked like he’s had his bikes at the last minute or he’s come here still building bikes and🌌 doing differe🔯nt things and he’s not really ready.
“This year, he’s been racing, he’s done an endurance race, he’s done other races this year, and I know these are new bikes but the teams are r🥂eally, really good.
“He’s got the same🌳 teams as he’s had for years and he’s totally confident with those people because there is a big worry of ‘who is working on my b🧸ikes and what are they doing with it’.
“So, he’s hap🥃py with his teams and he knows he’s got good bikes.
“That Ducati, apparently there is no higher-spec Ducati in Europe than that; his BMW Superbike, a𝐆llegedly – and it looks like it – therౠe’s no higher-spec than that in the country as well.
“His production bike is definitely good and the Hawk boys, t𝓀he team that he is so, so happy with, they have built him TT and North West-winning bikes, although more so at the TT.
“He’sꩵ happy wi𓃲th them, and in my mind, if I had that Ducati, I’d be happy; if I had those BMWs with that spec, I’d be happy as well.
“I think that’s al☂l showing now, and lots of other years he hasn’t had the miles he’s wanted.
“He has come [to the North West 200] with maybe a few race miles done, but this year, he has come mentally prepared, he’s definitely physically prepared and he’s mechanically prꦑepared, so why would you not be happy?”
Last year at the TT, Dunlop broke his uncle Joey’s record for the most winsꦡ at the famous event.
His four wins in 2024 took him ಌto a total of 24, which is eager to extend further this year.
Dunlop will face stern competition from riders including Pete🌊r Hickman and Davey Todd, who have formed their own 8TEN Racing team together.

James was a sports journali🤪st at Sky Sports for a decade covering everyth𒆙ing from American sports, to football, to F1.