Ryan Farquhar is relishing the challenge of taking on the might of the factory-supported teams as the KMR Kawasaki star makes his return to the Superbike class this year.

The Dungannon team owner’s last competitive outing in the blue riband class was at the Skerries 100 near Dublin in July 2012, when Farquhar defeated Michael Dunlop in a scorching race to win the feature Grand Final.

Sadly, the 39-year-old’s uncle, Trevor Ferguson, was killed the following month at the Manx Grand Prix in the Lightweight race while riding Farquhar’s 650cc Kawasaki ER6, prompting Ireland’s most decorated national road racer to announce he was quitting the sport.

Farquhar concentrated on running his own team in 2013 but last year returned to the sport on a smaller scale, competing in selected races in the Supertwin class.

However, the outspoken Ulsterman will be back on the grid this year in a bigger way as he returns to the Superbike and Superstock classes once more on Kawasaki ZX-10R machinery, with title backing once again provided by SGS International.

Farquhar’s budget pales into significance in comparison to the resources available to the biggest teams in the paddock like Milwaukee Yamaha and Tyco BMW, but the Co Tyrone man loves nothing more than having a go at upstaging the factory-backed big guns with the bikes he prepares himself in his shed at his Dungannon home.

“It will be hard in the Superbike class especially because you have big teams there with factory support,” Farquhar told the News Letter.

“I’m operating on a shoestring budget compared to them and I’m doing everything myself. I’m even going to tune my Superbike engine myself this year, which is something I’ve never done before, but I love the challenge of it all.

“It’s all exciting for me and hopefully I can mix it with some of these big boys.”

Farquhar has agreed terms with Event Director Mervyn Whyte to compete at this year’s Vauxhall International North West 200, when former Grand Prix star Jeremy McWilliams will again ride in the famous KMR Kawasaki colours in the Supertwin class.

Cheshire’s Connor Behan also remains in the Farquhar fold this year, while Canadian rider Darren James – who was McWilliams’ team-mate when they previously raced Harley Davidsons in the AMA series – will make his debut on the 8.9-mile Triangle course on one of Farquhar’s Kawasaki Supertwin machines.

“The deal is done for the North West 200 and I’ll be riding Superbike, Superstock and Supertwin machines, while Jeremy will be out on the Supertwin and Connor will ride a 650 and a 600 for me,” Farquhar added.

“We’ve had the Supertwins on the dyno and we’re quite a bit further ahead than what we have been in the past, so we’ll see where we go from there.”

Lee Johnston, a double winner in the Supertwin class at the North West 200 in 2014, has joined Farquhar’s line-up for the Lightweight TT in June, with Danny Webb also renewing his association with the privateer team to ride a 650 in a four-pronged attack that includes Irish Supertwin champion Behan.

Farquhar’s first race of the season will be at next month’s Spring Cup meeting at Oliver’s Mount, Scarborough.