Sportbike vs Supertwin: What will be faster at the TT?

Supertwin bikes will continue to race at the Isle of Man TT, however, they will now do so in the revamped, and renamed ‘Sportbike TT’ class.

What the changes mean is that riders who have specifically entered the TT to race in the supertwin class, will now have the option of choosing a sportbike-spec machine instead, as part of the wider development of the sportbike category, both in the UK and internationally.

Some of the bikes that fit the mold of a sportbike, such as the Yamaha R7, Aprilia RS660 and Kawasaki Ninja 650, were already raced by some riders during this year’s Isle of Man TT.

None of the bikes mentioned above were victorious however, as Paton dominated both races thanks to Michael Dunlop taking his S1-R machine to the top step of the podium.

The Paton S1-R is one of, if not the motorcycle to beat in the previously named supertwin class, but with more motorcycles likely to be available as part of the updated category, that could change.

Other bikes that are homologated for racing in the UK, and could therefore begin to be used as part of the sportbike class going forward, include the Honda Hornet 750, Suzuki GSX-8R, Triumph Daytona 660 and the CFMoto 675SR-R, which made its racing debut in 2025 as part of the Pirelli National Sportbike Championship.

Without stating the obvious, the Supertwin TT class currently consists of twin cylinder engine-powered bikes only, but with the class now becoming the Sportbike TT, we could get variety in that area. That’s because bikes like the Daytona 660 and CFMoto’s 675SR-R feature three cylinder power units.

Now, until we know what bikes are raced as part of the sportbike class at the 2026 TT, it’s hard to know exactly what spec of bike will work best.

Riders could opt for the traditional, known commodity, that is the supertwin because of years of experience racing at the TT, not to mention the huge amounts of data that will be available from over the years.

But if more brands join the fold with different bikes, there’s no reason why success can’t be had, and all it will take is for a non-traditional supertwin bike to win once, before heads get turned.

It’s a safe bet that in year one especially, we could see a line-up of bikes very similar to 2025, which would mean supertwin-spec bikes were the preferred option. But if you ask me, this change to the class from TT organisers is one that could make racing even better in the years to come.

As fans of racing, or any sport for that matter, all people want (in most cases) is for a competitive championship, where many athletes (riders) are involved in the battle for wins. The same goes for teams or brands if they are part of that sport, because it makes everyone better.

Opening the supertwin class out to more motorcycles, and crucially different bike specs is likely to do just that.

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