It was a hat-trick of success for Öhlins at this year’s Isle of Man TT races, as the hard charging Michael Dunlop took wins in the Superbike, Supersport and prestigious blue-riband Senior events, including victories using ‘off the shelf’ TTX customer products.
Further adding to the success of the renowned suspension brand, William Dunlop and fan favourite Guy Martin also secured podiums on their Tyco Suzuki machinery.
With bad weather plaguing practice week, BMW Motorrad new-boy Michael Dunlop went into the opening race of TT week, the Dainese Superbike event, an unknown quantity with new, untried machinery at this event. However the North West 200 victor demonstrated once again why he is a TT legend in the making, taking an early lead and posting two laps under the existing lap record on his BMW S1000RR to build an unsurpassable 20s advantage, ahead of the enigma that is Guy Martin. Dunlop’s victory marked the first for BMW Motorrad at the event since 1939.
It was a similar story on Wednesday for the second Monster Energy Supersport race as Michael Dunlop and his MD Racing Honda CBR600RR took a comfortable victory using an off the shelf TTX GP rear shock. Completing the podium in third was Michael’s brother, William Dunlop on the Tyco Suzuki GSX-R600.
Warm and sunny conditions graced the 37 ¾ mile TT circuit for the final day of racing on Friday and for the blue riband Senior TT. It was the elder Dunlop brother, William, who took an early lead on the opening lap while Michael suffered an uncharacteristic slow start, coming through the first check point in seventh. However following a 130.628mph average lap, Michael was in the lead by the end of the opener, a position he would not relinquish for the remainder of the six lap event, to take his eleventh TT win, joining legends such as Steve Hislop and Phillip McCallen.
Harris Performance, a UK Öhlins Service Centre, have a long experience at the event and was in attendance in the paddock throughout the two week event to not only support the BMW Motorrad and Tyco Suzuki team, but the Milwaukee Yamaha duo of Ian Hutchinson and Josh Brookes as well as Michael Rutter on the Bathams IWR Superbike and Superstock bikes and Conor Cummins on Superstock and Supersport machinery, plus a number of privateer riders.
Speaking after a highly successful Isle of Man TT event, Chris Witter, Business Development Manager, Öhlins Racing UK said, “Congratulations to all riders using our suspension during such a competitive week of road racing and our thanks to the Harris Performance team for their support.
The Isle of Man TT races are probably the most testing event in the World, offering a perfect opportunity for Öhlins to show the performance and durability of our TTX road and track products. So with three important victories at the TT it endorses the TTX range as the preferred choice for road racers and circuit racers alike.”