Suzuki collector Steve Wheatman has confirmed that Michael Dunlop, the hottest property in Isle of Man competition at the moment, will again ride for him on a 1980s-spec 1216cc XR69 in the Formula 1 Classic TT on August 31.

The 25-year-old Ulsterman has continually swapped manufacturers at the modern TT races in recent years. In June he will ride for Milwaukee Yamaha, which will represent his third bike swap in consecutive seasons, after leaving Honda for BMW in 2014. Now he has to adjust to a YZF-R1.

But in classic racing he has remained faithful to Suzuki and Steve Wheatman, who he first joined in 2010 as a 21-year-old.

“We started with Michael at the Classic Manx Grand Prix, and won that race with our eight-valve bikes twice,” Wheatman said. “He also won the 2013 Classic TT on our 16-valver. He has ridden for us more consistently than for any other team.”

Wheatman, a Northamptonshire businessman, has some 100 classic bikes, the majority of them Suzukis, from the 1970s to the 1990s, and fans and organisers have benefitted from the presence of his Classic Team Suzuki operation at many meetings in recent years.

Dunlop lost the chance to compete for victory in the 2014 Classic TT when his XR69 suffered a persistent and mysterious misfire throughout practice week and the race. Bruce Anstey won the race on Clive Padgett’s Yamaha YZR500, but Wheatman and Dunlop will be seeking revenge this year.