Michael Dunlop’s Superbike machine for the 2026 Isle of Man TT has been confirmed at the start of practice week.

Dunlop is no stranger to late bike swaps in road racing, most recently in the Supersport class where, during practice week in 2024, he switched the Triumph Street Triple 765 RS he was originally due to ride for the Yamaha R6 he’d been successful with in previous years.

It’s the Superbike class that has brought the uncertainty over Dunlop’s machinery this year, with the Ballymoney rider taking delivery of a Ducati Panigale V4 R ahead of the North West 200. Having ridden the Ducati at a BSB test at Oulton Park, though, Dunlop reverted to the Honda CBR1000RR-R he’d last raced in 2024 at the North West.

The Fireblade remains in the MD Racing tent at the TT, too, as practice began today (25 May), with Dunlop retaining support from Hawk Racing.

The opening day of practice week is, as Davey Todd suggests, arguably the point where it’s possible to be sure what bike Dunlop intends to race.

“I don’t think you can ever fully confirm, even the day before the TT, what bike Michael [Dunlop] will be riding,” said Todd, who is missing this year’s TT due to injuries sustained at the Daytona 200, on the Isle of Man TT official broadcast today.

“There was a lot of hype about him riding the new Ducati V4. And, whatever’s happened with that, he’s ended up deciding not to ride it and to pull 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.”

On the surface, switching to the Honda seems like a step back for Dunlop, but the 33-time TT winner was in control of the Superbike TT aboard the CBR1000RR-R in 2024 before a visor change went wrong in the final pit stop and forced him to stop. His fastest ever lap of the TT course also came on the Honda at 135.970mph.