Michael Dunlop makes long-awaited Ducati Superbike switch at 2026 Isle of Man TT

Michael Dunlop has announced a change of bike for his 2026 road racing campaign.

Dunlop has raced numerous bikes over the years, but last year in the 1,000cc classes switched to BMW for the first time since 2016.

He found road racing success with the package, taking Superbike and Superstock wins at the North West 200, but he did not win a 1,000cc race at the Isle of Man TT last year. The Senior TT did not run in 2025 due to bad weather, Davey Todd won the only remaining Superbike-class race, and Dean Harrison won both Superstock TTs for Honda.

Dunlop also changed his Supersport machinery last year, winning both middleweight TTs on a Ducati Panigale V2. It’s the Bologna factory that Dunlop has turned to once more for this year’s 1,000cc campaign, as he takes on the newly updated Panigale V4 R.

The 33-time TT winner announced the switch via social media, posting a photo with the newly delivered Ducati.

Dunlop delivered Ducati’s first TT victories at the 2025 edition since 1995, but it is still without a ‘big bike’ win. He was due to race a Ducati in the 2022 edition of the TT for PBM, but the deal never materialised and he raced a Honda instead.

The Panigale V4 R has undergone numerous changes for 2026, most notably a new double-sided swingarm and an updated aerodynamics package, as well as other changes to chassis characteristics and engine behaviour.

The bike has gone unbeaten in World Superbike since the start of the season in the hands of Nicolo Bulega, who in today’s (18 April) Race 1 at the Dutch WorldSBK won his seventh win from as many races in 2026. In fact, Ducati riders locked out the top-four positions in Race 1 at Assen, with Iker Lecuona, Sam Lowes, and Alvaro Bautista behind the victorious Bulega.

The updated V4 R is also due to make its debut in BSB this year with a number of teams and riders running the bike, including former PBM and Scott Redding, and reigning champion Kyle Ryde and teammate Glenn Irwin with Nitrous Competitions Racing.