MCN’s top ten road racing riders: 1st

The 2014 road racing season promised to be a vintage year and it didn’t disappoint. The defection of Michael Dunlop from Honda to BMW during the winter set the tone for a year of change that saw new names push their way in amongst the established figures and make their mark in the sport. These are MCN’s pick of the top names and their standout achievements between the hedges in 2014. 

1^st Michael Dunlop

• Wins: 5
• Podiums: 9

When Michael Dunlop left Honda to race BMW S1000RRs in 2014 he posed himself the question; “Who in their right mind wins four TTs in a week and then goes back again on a bike that has no pedigree whatsoever?”

With a BMW never having finished on a TT or any major road race superbike podium it was a huge gamble for the Ballymoney man but it has been one that has paid off handsomely. After winning the feature Superbike race and the Superstock event at the NW200, Dunlop went on to present the German factory with their first TT win in 75 years with victories in the Superbike, Superstock and Senior races. A Supersport race win on a Honda CBR600RR also saw him become the first rider in history to win four TTs back to back. With 11 TT wins on his CV at just 25 years of age, the Ballymoney rider promises to completely rewrite road racing’s history books.

And after what he achieved on the untested S1000RR this year, who would want to bet against even more Michael Dunlop TT wins in 2015?