Since the announcement during Motorcycle Live at the NEC in November, that I would be joining the Milwaukee Yamaha team, things have been pretty busy. It's been like a dream come true for me to sign up with a factory supported team like Shaun Muir's and with the Milwaukee Power Tools backing, and the enthusiasm and support they have all shown me so far - I really can't wait to get started.

Many of you at home in Northern Ireland will also have had the chance to see the new team colours at the Adelaide Motorcycle Festival in the Kings Hall Belfast, and I'm sure you will agree - the new red and white Milwaukee colours on the Yamaha look really superb.

Everyone seems very enthusiastic about the move, although you do tend to constantly get asked the same questions at the show: what do you think the R1 will be like; how do you think you will fair against Michael [my brother] in the Supersport class on the R6; are you doing a full British Supersport season - but it's good that folk are interested in me. I'm chuffed about that.

I'm counting down the days now to the official Dunlop tyre test at Albacete in Spain with my new team-mate Conor Cummins, but I've been keeping myself busy training in the build up. I know a few of my mates will be shocked when they hear that [the 'body beautifuls' like Glenn Irwin!] but I have been doing weight training in the mornings to build my strength and football training in the evening. It's all coming along great.

I also got the chance to meet one of my new personal sponsors for this season at the Belfast Bike Show. Thanks to support from Milwaukee, one of Northern Ireland's leading builders merchants, Haldane Fisher, will be backing me this year.

They are a well know company and have a strong brand presence locally, so hopefully I can give them something positive in return this season. I met one of the branch managers at the bike show, Darren Mawhinney from Bangor. He's a bike enthusiast himself so that always help when a sponsor understand the sport, but I'm delighted to have them onboard.

I will also have Torquetronix, a tuning software company based in Northern Ireland, with me this year and I can't thank them all enough. It makes life so much easier coming into a season not struggling financially and I know both David Wishart at Torquetronix and the Haldane Fisher people will enjoy being involved in such a professional set up.

Shaun Muir at SMR runs a great team, and in British Championship this year there will be a great buzz around the place with James Ellison hopefully fighting for the BSB title alongside Australian Superbike rider Josh Waters.

I'll obviously be making my debut in British Supersport with a full time ride and I'm looking forward to the challenge. The plan is to be competitive and with the backing of Shaun and his team and support from Milwaukee and all the other team sponsors, I don't see why we can't.

There is an option to do some national road racing later in the year with CD Racing [after the TT] but for now I want to concentrate on the British Supersport job and arrive at the North West 200 and TT in the best form of my life.

I believe I can be competitive in every class this year on the roads, but my best chance of a TT win will probably come in the Supersport class. My brother Michael will obviously start as favourite, but with a top class Yamaha under me I believe I have the tools for the job, but it's going to be fast.

Michael reckons the Supersport lap record could go to 129mph this year if conditions are right at the TT. Some people may laugh at that but I have to agree with him.

Thanks for all your support so far…

William Dunlop

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