Josh Brookes made his Isle of Man TT debut on the Tyco Suzuki in 2013.

Australian star Josh Brookes is understood to have tested the Tyco BMW in a hush-hush shakedown at Bishopscourt in Co Down as he ponders his options for 2017. 

Brookes won his maiden British Superbike title for Shaun Muir’s Milwaukee Yamaha team in 2015 before switching to World Superbikes this season. 

The 33-year-old, though, has struggled with the Milwaukee BMW S1000RR and Muir has signed Eugene Laverty and Lorenzo Savadori for next season’s championship in a new factory-supported Aprilia squad. 

Brookes previously competed for Moneymore’s TAS Racing outfit in BSB from 2011 to 2013 on the Suzuki GSX-R1000. 

He made his road racing debut with Philip Neill’s team in 2013, competing at the North West 200 and Isle of Man TT. In 2014, Brookes finished as the runner-up in the feature NW200 Superbike race behind Michael Dunlop in only his second appearance at the event. 

Ulster’s TAS Racing team failed to make it into the BSB Showdown with Michael Laverty and Christian Iddon this season for the first time and Brookes could be the man to resurrect a title challenge in 2017, when a return to the NW200 and TT may be on the cards. 

However, current BSB title challenger Leon Haslam and ex-WSBK champion Sylvain Guintoli are also thought to be in the frame for the number one seat at Tyco BMW.