VOLUME 56 ISSUE 30 JULY 30, 2019 P89
W
inning any TT race in the Isle of Man is a
significant achievement, let alone doing so 19
times, as Ulsterman Michael Dunlop has so
far managed up until now. But repeating one such vic-
tory in successive years with the very same bike speaks
volumes for that motorcycle's qualities, too—and
that's what Michael achieved with the Italian-built
Paton S1-R in 2018-19, in the closely fought
Lightweight TT for 650cc Twins.
One year ago, Dunlop celebrated the
historic Paton brand's 60th birthday by
winning the four-lap, 106-mile, 2018
Lightweight TT at a record average speed
of 120.601 mph on the factory S1-R, 14
seconds ahead of Kawasaki-mounted
Derek McGee, and in doing so set a new
lap record on his street-derived 650cc twin
at a remarkable 122.750mph.
In doing so, he headed home five Patons in
the first six places from the grid's 47 starters, a
convincing demonstration of the sweet handling and
reduced weight of the Kawasaki-powered Italian bike.
But this year Michael repeated that victory on the very
same motorcycle, albeit by a much tighter margin,
DUNLOP'S
DOUBLE
THE MACHINE MICHAEL DUNLOP USED TO TAKE
TWO CONSECUTIVE LIGHTWEIGHT TT WINS DOESN'T
COME FROM JAPAN. IT'S A TINY, BESPOKE ITALIAN
COMPANY WITH A STORY TO TELL.
BY ALAN CATHCART I PHOTOGRAPHY BY KEL EDGE
43mm Ohlins FGRT 204
forks are top grade, as are the
Brembo Monoblock M4-108
calipers and OZ wheels.
