COMMENT: Michael Dunlop and Tyco BMW - a match made in heaven?

Michael Dunlop has joined the Tyco BMW team for the Superbike races in 2018.

Confirmation last Tuesday that Michael Dunlop had agreed terms to ride a Superbike for Northern Ireland's Tyco BMW team took many within the road racing community by surprise.

The Ballymoney rider had been heavily linked with a move to Philip and Hector Neill’s TAS Racing squad throughout the winter, but in some quarters it still seemed inconceivable that the 15-time Isle of Man TT winner would make the switch.

The relationship between both parties has been less than cordial over the years, with Dunlop himself acknowledging the existence of a ‘feisty’ divide.

However, past differences have been set aside and upon closer scrutiny, the alliance between Dunlop and TAS Racing is not so implausible.