IT'S DUNLOP V HICKMAN (BUT LOOK OUT FOR TODD | 2025 SUPERTWIN PREVIEW

With five wins from the last seven races, Michael Dunlop and his Paton have been dominating the Supertwin class, but it’s developed into an intriguing contest of late with the newly-crowned ‘King of the Mountain’ going head-to-head with Peter Hickman – the TT’s outright lap-record holder claiming the other two victories.

Two more Dunlop vs. Hickman clashes await, but a new rider-team combination threatens the pair’s dominance.

Blessed with less than half the horsepower of the 240bhp Superbikes, Supertwins naturally lack the outright speed of the other solo classes. When it comes to pure spectacle though, they more than make up for this deficit in other ways. Here, corner speed and aerodynamics are everything. The Supertwin class demands three perfect flat-out laps from all contenders – nothing less will do.

But which bike offers the best chance of success? The class, once dominated by Kawasaki, has been ruled since 2017 by Paton with the Italian marque winning all but one of the last eight races. The recent introduction of the Yamaha R7 and Aprilia RS660, however, has injected fresh competition, so while Dunlop and Hickman remain the favourites for victory, the 2025 races may prove to be more unpredictable than they first appear.

Still, it’s difficult to look past recent results, and the modern-day duellists, Michael Dunlop and Peter Hickman, have become masters of this class. Despite their differences in size and stature, the pair are evenly matched on a Supertwin – Dunlop on his Paton, Hickman now fully committed to the Swan Racing R7 Yamaha.

Dunlop dabbled in the class when it was introduced in 2012, but soon found his focus pulled away – initially by signing for Honda Racing. It wasn’t until 2017 that he made a serious return. Seventh place on a Kawasaki that year was disappointing by Dunlop’s standards, but a switch to Paton in 2018 transformed his fortunes.

HEAD-TO-HEAD

A commanding victory and a new lap record of 122.750mph – which still stands – helped establish the Ballymoney man as the dominant force in the class. Another Paton victory followed in 2019, but Dunlop’s charge was abruptly halted in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

After a two-year hiatus, the TT returned in 2022 and delivered one of the most thrilling races of modern times. Each lining up with a Paton, Michael Dunlop and Peter Hickman went ‘mano a mano’ in a hard-fought Supertwin race; the lead changing frequently and barely a second separating them over the first two laps. Trackside spectators were denied a grandstand finish when Dunlop retired his Paton at Glen Helen, but this fierce contest has set the tone for the class ever since.

Dunlop holds 5 of the last 7 victories

One major shift in the Dunlop vs. Hickman rivalry has been Hickman’s choice of Supertwin machine. As soon as the Yamaha R7 became eligible, he seized the opportunity to switch brands, making it a fully-fledged project for his PHR Performance business. With backing from Swan Racing, he has continuously developed and refined the R7, turning it into a potent weapon.

A fourth-place finish in 2023 for his first race aboard the R7 led many to believe that Hickman had chosen poorly, but aided by the new-look TT schedule, the Burton-on-Trent rider took his second Supertwin victory just a few days later. Though he had to settle for the runner-up spot twice last year, a new personal best Supertwin lap of 121.743mph underscored both the bike’s potential and the progress of his project.

While Hickman hopes to capitalise on the momentum he has built, Davey Todd will be aiming to make an instant impact – something he is more than capable of achieving. Last year marked his first serious Supertwin campaign, riding for three-time winners Dafabet Racing. He secured a brace of sixth place finishes aboard their Kawasaki, but later admitted the bike was capable of more; limited practice time had simply prevented him from fine-tuning the setup.

BIGGEST THREAT?

Switching this year to a Paton prepared by Padgett’s Motorcycles, Todd is likely to pose the biggest threat to another Dunlop or Hickman victory. His physique makes him ideally suited to a Supertwin, and while this is Padgett’s first venture into the class, their vast experience ensures both rider and team will be fully prepared when the first three-lap race gets underway.

Todd will be the biggest threat to the Hickman, Dunlop dominance

So, is this a three-horse race? Perhaps. But one thing the Supertwin class has consistently shown is its unpredictability. Dunlop and Hickman may be enjoying their time in the spotlight right now but make no mistake – Supertwin remains one of the most exciting and competitive categories at the TT.