Unemployed 11-times TT winner Michael Dunlop is thought to have missed out on a factory Kawasaki deal for 2015 after failing to turn up for a meeting where they were apparently set to sign him up.

Unconfirmed reports say Dunlop lost favour earlier this year with BMW race bosses for his behaviour off the bike and refusal to do PR events for the BMW team.

The Ulsterman won three races for BMW at the 2014 TT but was left without a ride when the German marque opted to switch its support to the TAS team for 2015.

Rumours suggest Dunlop has now annoyed Kawasaki UK top brass who were ready to throw him a ZX-10R for the 2015 roads campaign.  According to Bike Social sources, Dunlop was set to put pen to paper with Kawasaki last Saturday at Motorcycle Live but missed the scheduled meeting, leaving the team to reconsider their options.

It is thought the 25 year old isn’t keen on riding for a factory outfit as he wants to be able to work on his own bikes. He’s also not a fan of the PR commitments that come hand in hand with riding for a manufacturer directly.

However, we understand he’s still not completely ruled out of a Kawasaki ride. Some rumours suggest he could join Ian Hutchinson in the Paul Bird Motorsport team while others claim he could run a brace of Kawasakis under his own MD Racing banner.

He's some character! I can't help wondering if he wouldn't be perfectly suited to partner with Wilson Craig?

MCN has him ready to sign with Crescent Suzuki?????
You go Boooooie

I am a big fan of Micheal and his maverick style, but mayby it is time for him to make some serious life choices, and decide how he wants to advance his career! With the money involved these days team's are a lot less willing to take any bad press involved with off bike antics. There are a lot of tallented alternatives available.

(03-12-2014, 06:08 PM)cpt_pants Wrote: I am a big fan of Micheal and his maverick style, but mayby it is time for him to make some serious life choices, and decide how he wants to advance his career! With the money involved these days team's are a lot less willing to take any bad press involved with off bike antics. There are a lot of tallented alternatives available.

Michael is Michael just like guy is guy they don't like all the PR stuff they just want to get on with racing the bikes.mind you guy does do a bit of telly which is good.

Their best PR is him riding the bike and winning on it at the TT which is fast getting world wide audiences thanks to technology. He`s a maverick but that`s what makes him what he his. Uncle  Joey was the same so it`s a Dunlop thing. I like him and I think the majority do.
He`s not going to change so they need to use him as he is. Whatever bike he rides he will win ( providing the bike is up to it) and queues will be forming around the world to buy them.
What problems has he been causing other than the jacket??

CPT!!  

and decide how he wants to advance his career!  !!!

25 and 11 TT wins under his belt!! Don't think he is doing a bad job of running his career

If he throws the towel in now he will have done more than most,  and would you be happy running a team knowing he was sat there just waiting to pi555 all over your strawberries

Look back over the last few years and he is never signed up till last minute,  till he gets what he needs to keep his head in a strait line

Just give him sum slack he will be there and will be the bookies favorite. For a win or two or three

(03-12-2014, 07:30 PM)Steady the Edward Wrote: CPT!!  

and decide how he wants to advance his career!  !!!

25 and 11 TT wins under his belt!! Don't think he is doing a bad job of running his career

If he throws the towel in now he will have done more than most,  and would you be happy running a team knowing he was sat there just waiting to pi555 all over your strawberries

Look back over the last few years and he is never signed up till last minute,  till he gets what he needs to keep his head in a strait line

Just give him sum slack he will be there and will be the bookies favorite. For a win or two or three

"unconfirmed reports,"rumour has it"......in other news re the dunlop saga which also joins the loooooooooooooooong list of rumours and storys from mates is that cresent suzuki are waiting with pen and paper....

Dunlop in Crescent Suzuki talks for 2015?
Published: Today 11:30

Dunlop in Crescent Suzuki talks for 2015?
The latest rumour regarding Michael Dunlop's 2015 plans is that he is currently in negotiation with Paul Denning's Voltcom Crescent World Superbike Suzuki squad. The eleven time Isle of Man TT winner is currently a free agent after splitting with BMW after a highly successful 2014 TT.

Still unsigned for 2015, he has been rumoured to be in talks with most of the main manufacturers regarding his future.

The Northern irishman was left in a similar position this time last year, before a last minute link with the German manufacturer gave him the factory-supported ride that took him to two TT superbike wins
motorcycle news

I still think md will be on yamaha machinery next year

Blimey BMW want their cake and eat it don't they. Since when is 3 TT wins not enough to hold up your end of the deal.

So bmw have given michael the boot because he doesnt do the pr stuff. Signing guy martins a great idea then... Hope he does sign to ride suzuki's though. Those bikes are much better than people give them credit for.

Stand out blokes like M.D, Guy Martin don't really need to do whole bunch of PR they go about there business in a different light and are still know by people even out side of the bike world, some of the manufacturers pr is just so clinical with no saying this that and the other, I remember foggy saying before when he went from Ducati to Honda he was being bal***ed for not having the right colour shirt on it was a red shirt day not white,mad but true these type of guys are an old school breed that's great for out sport in my opinion, but a no show is something els shame. 25 and 11 wins is fantastic he's at hero status all ready. The strange thing about both guy and Michael is they do come across as total characters and a bit set in there ways but they've definitely got there heads screwed on the right way. I recon as the norm with m.d he will sign for someone at the last min.

guy martin gets slagged off for not wanting pr
but dunlop should be allowed to refuse to do it

im a fan off both so not knocking any

Very much like Uncle Joey didnt like PR and wanted to work on his own bikes.The DUNLOP way!!!!!!!!!! If theres a team that wants to win races they will knuckle down to his way of working if they have any sense.


P

Whatever Michael decides to do,I wish him the best of luck.He is his own man and no one will change him.

Who wants to read about "Unconfirmed reports"?

Whats all this "rumour" this "rumours that" craic?

If people are suggesting these options just name them? Who writes this stuff? It's like reading a tabloid paper..

Keep er Lit Micky!

(03-12-2014, 07:30 PM)Steady the Edward Wrote: CPT!!  

and decide how he wants to advance his career!  !!!

25 and 11 TT wins under his belt!! Don't think he is doing a bad job of running his career

If he throws the towel in now he will have done more than most,  and would you be happy running a team knowing he was sat there just waiting to pi555 all over your strawberries

Look back over the last few years and he is never signed up till last minute,  till he gets what he needs to keep his head in a strait line

Just give him sum slack he will be there and will be the bookies favorite. For a win or two or three

YES decide how he wants to advance his career, as stated.


If he were to "throw the towel in" as you stated then he will have decided not to advance, but end his career. If he were to run his own team then he will have decided to advance his career.

Either way I do not see how he is just waiting to pi55 on my strawberries!!!

its a laugh isn,t it i thought they sold there bikes on the back of wins ie TT Worldsuperbike and Motogp this pr stuff is a bit much  Joey hated it and so do many other riders with the exception of the motogp lot who get paid millions to ride the factory bikes ie Rossie,Pedrosa,Martineze and so on i don,t know what Michael got paid but i bet it was,nt millions so what i am saying the the wages go with the job  Michael made a statement for BMW that there bike was good enough to win 3 TTs for them, isnt that enough publicity for them.

"Unconfirmed reports", in other words rumours. Michael's behaviour off the bike....what behaviour?.

NOBODY but Michael knows who he'll be with next season, but expect it to be business as usual.