Michael Dunlop, 19-times TT winner, will be riding a Ducati Panigale V4 R for Paul Bird Motorsport at this year?s NW200 and Isle of Man TT.

It ought not to come as a massive surprise to anyone that Michael Dunlop has announced he?ll be racing the PBM Ducati at the 2022 NW200 and Isle of Man TT. The deal was made over two years ago, for the Ulsterman to ride ?Birdy?s? Ducatis in 2020, but that never happened for obvious reasons. So it appears Dunlop and Birdy are piking up where they left off, albeit on a newer, sexier steed, the Panigale V4 R.

It is a brave move taking a Panigale to the Isle of Man TT, but it?s a bold one as well. It?s a while since anyone has had any real success with one there. Michael Rutter tried in 2011, on a Ducati 1098R, and managed a couple of top tens, but nothing to write home about.
Before that, you?re probably looking at 2003, when John McGuiness rode Birdy?s Monster Mob Ducati. To be fair he did get a couple of podiums (second in the Formula 1 TT and third in the Senior TT).

Anyway, my point is that Ducati don?t have much of a record in recent TT history. Perhaps that?s all set to change.

Poon-igale

I haven?t ridden the latest Panigale V4 R, but I have ridden the V4 S, and it is a seriously, seriously impressive bike. And we know the the R is like the S, but more suited to super-fast racing. So that makes it perfect for a TT, doesn?t it"

Well I don?t think it?s as simple as that. Going racing on any new b...