The Bathams AJN BMW team has signed Conor Cummins for the 2026 Isle of Man TT, replacing Michael Rutter who won't race.
Rutter’s 2025 TT saw him compete only in the Supertwin class (renamed Sportbike for 2026) and he sustained significant injuries during the second race. He will be present at the TT this year, but will not race.
The Bathams AJN team has switched to Ducati for 2026 in BSB, having run BMW machinery in the past (as well as Hondas in road racing), but it’s the BSB bike of 2025 that Conor Cummins will ride at this year’s TT.
Cummins will only race for the team in the Superbike class, having already put together his own Conrod Racing team for the Superstock category, while in Supersport he will ride a Suzuki GSX-R750 for the North Lincs Components team.
“Getting to ride the Bathams AJN BMW in the Superbike and Senior TT races will be a great addition to my 2026 TT plans,” said Cummins.
“The team has got a lot of experience at the TT and with the BMW, so when the opportunity came up, it was an easy decision.
“The bike is the one which Storm Stacey used in BSB last year, so it’ll be really interesting to see what it’s like.
“In the meantime, it’s full steam ahead getting everything sorted at my end ready for what’s going to be a busy TT for me. I can’t wait.”
Michael Rutter added: “Going to the TT with the team this year and not riding is going to be very strange, but while my recovery is going really well, it is taking a long time to get back that last bit of fitness, so I’ve got to be sensible and give my body more time.
“Getting Conor [Cummins] on our bike instead is a really great opportunity for the team and all our sponsors.
“Conor is a class act, and we’re bringing him Storm's BSB bike from last season which we know is a real weapon.
“I must also say a big thank you to BMW for their help and support with getting Conor into the black and gold of the Bathams AJN race team. It is a real highlight for us, and we’re all really revved up about it.”
Cummins is riding this week at the Oulton Park BSB test. From the first five sessions, he's set a best time of 1:39.495.
