Roads: Michael Dunlop gets first taste of Bennetts Suzuki GSX-R

Michael Dunlop had his first ride on the Bennetts Suzuki that he hopes will carry him to victory on the roads in 2017. 

The 13 times TT winner completed a series of steady laps on the unliveried GSXR at a dry but windy Mallory Park, the home of his Hawk Racing team.

His crew worked into the wee small hours to have the machine ready for the Ballymoney man to ride in a planned test day alongside BSB Bennetts team-mate Sylvain Guintoli as well as Hawk’s Superstock riders and Buildbase Suzuki rider Bradley Ray.

Unlike his team-mates, Dunlop was riding a machine fitted with trick Yoshimura parts including carbon fibre sub-frame, seat unit and factory tank. The only Yoshimura part not fitted to the machine was the factory swingarm, which will be tested in Spain next week.

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No times were available for the session but Dunlop appeared comfortable on the bike before he returned immediately to the workshop and back home to Ireland. 

The 27-year-old will not ride the Suzuki again until the March 1-3 at Cartagena in Spain. He is also scheduled to take part in a two-part test at Almeria before the Donington Park BSB test and racing in the opening round of the series.

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