MICHAEL DUNLOP AND MILENCO BY PADGETTS MOTORCYCLES UNITE FOR 2026 LIGHTWEIGHT CLASSIC TT
Two of the most iconic names in road racing history will come together at this year’s Classic TT when Michael Dunlop rides for Milenco by Padgetts Motorcycles in the Lightweight Classic TT. Dunlop will campaign the same 250cc RS Honda that Bruce Anstey rode to victory in three Lightweight Classic TT races between 2016 and 2019.
The Kiwi won on the RS250 Honda in 2016 before creating a piece of Classic TT history the following year when he became the first and only rider to record a 120mph lap on a 250cc machine, lapping the 37.73-mile Mountain Course at 120.475mph on his way to victory in 2017. After missing the 2018 meeting due to cancer but returned in 2019 to secure an emotional third win in the class and complete a remarkable hat-trick aboard the iconic Honda.
In 2019, Anstey secured an emotional third win in the class and completed a remarkable hat-trick aboard the iconic RS250 Honda.
Riding the iconic machine, Dunlop will have his own high hopes of further Classic TT success. He emerged victorious in last year’s Lightweight race when, aided by the fastest lap of the race, 115.285mph, he piloted his own MD Racing Honda to a 47.1s victory over Ian Lougher. The Ballymoney rider lapped slightly quicker during qualifying with a lap of 116.491mph.
While the partnership marks the first time the 36-time Isle of Man TT winner has ridden for the Batley-based Padgetts team, it is not the first time the Dunlop name has been associated with the famous rainbow-liveried machines.
Michael follows in the footsteps of his father, Robert Dunlop, who rode 125cc and 250cc Hondas for the Padgetts team at the start of the 1994 season. Robert enjoyed immediate success, winning the 125cc race at the North West 200 before arriving at the Isle of Man for the TT.
At the TT, Robert topped the 125cc practice leaderboard and was also second fastest on the 250cc Padgetts Honda for the Lightweight race. However, an incident at Ballaugh Bridge in the preceding Formula One race forced him to withdraw from both the 125cc and 250cc races, leaving an intriguing chapter of the Dunlop–Padgetts story unfinished.
Clive Padgett said: "I'm super excited to be working with Michael. We have so many happy memories of working with Robert towards the end of '93 and into '94, and it's a great connection with the Dunlop family. I almost feel like I'm cheating on Bruce a little bit because that bike has been his baby for so long! The team are working hard behind the scenes to get the bike ready for the Classic, we’re looking forward to a great week of racing.
More than three decades later, Michael’s appearance aboard the Milenco by Padgetts RS250 Honda provides a remarkable link between the Dunlop family and one of the most famous teams in British road racing. Combined with the machine’s unique place in Lightweight Classic TT history through Bruce Anstey’s victories and record-breaking 120mph lap, the 2026 Classic TT will see another notable chapter in the Dunlop story.
