He began testing on the V4 this week at Oulton Park <\/a>alongside the British Superbike field, but admits he is dealing with \u201ca completely different beast of an animal\u201d to what he was used to before.<\/p>\n\u201cEverything\u2019s good,\u201d he told BBC Northern Ireland.<\/p>\n
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\u201cI feel good. This here\u2019s just a completely different beast of an animal to what I\u2019m used to.<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd I think that anybody who hasn\u2019t ridden a Ducati is finding that.<\/p>\n
\u201cI was talking to Kyle [Ryde] earlier, he loves his, but he just says it\u2019s a complete different game plan.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe just said he was fortunate enough he was in Spain riding a stock bike of one of them so he could learn the difference.\u201d<\/p>\n
Dunlop\u2019s Superbike deal came together late last year, too, with the TT\u2019s all-time leader in race wins left with just two weeks before the North West 200.<\/p>\n
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“When you get something like this, the level changes,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt’s a very technical bike and there’s a lot of stuff going on.<\/p>\n
\u201cHopefully, we can push to get ourselves in a good place.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt’s one of those where you were hoping this project would be a lot earlier, but it hasn’t so we’re left a little bit behind the times.<\/p>\n
\u201cHopefully it doesn’t take us too long to get in a good, comfortable place.\u201d<\/p>\n
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Asked if he relishes a challenge, Dunlop replied: \u201cYeah, well I seem to have no choice.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe know the project, the bike\u2019s good. That\u2019s a fact. The bike has got stacks of potential.<\/p>\n
\u201cSo, I\u2019m looking forward to getting it [on track] and hopefully at the North West we can make it fit into place.\u201d<\/p>\n
Dunlop\u2019s wins last year on the V2 marked the first for Ducati at the TT in 30 years, while the brand hasn\u2019t had big bike race podiums since 2003.<\/p>\n
He was due to ride the V4 Panigale at the TT in 2022, before the deal with PBM fell through at the 11th hour.<\/p>\n
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