Ian Lougher is Suter's 500cc TT 'warhorse'

Ten time TT winner Ian Lougher is to race the 500GP-inspired Suter in this year's Isle of Man event.

The 52-year-old Welshman claimed his wins between 1990-2009 and now runs Team ILR in the British Championship, but has been tempted back into TT action by Eskil Suter's exciting MMX500 two-stroke project, which will go head-to-head with the four-stroke Superbikes.

"I liked the approach of Suter on this project," Lougher explained. "Despite the emotions, which naturally come with such a project, Suter works very objectively and professionally.

"We want to improve the MMX 500 over the next three years and do the TT step-by-step. It's clear that winning takes some time.

"But from the start we are sure spectators will be delighted to see, hear and smell us on a two-stroke!"

The Suter MMX500 is actually powered by a 580cc V4 engine featuring the latest technology, including electronic fuel injection and counter-rotating crankshafts.

99 of the machines will be built, with a price tag of 120,000 CHF. Some are to replace the increasingly rare (and tough to maintain) original 500cc race machines at events such as 'World GP Bike Legends', while Suter is also planning a road version.

"That's the reason why we want to go to the toughest road race in the world. For us this is the perfect testing ground," said Suter, who raced against Lougher in the 1991 European 250cc Championship.

"I'm known to be quite fearless," he added, "but the TT is now something where I would prefer to let another rider go first."

In addition to his TT wins, Lougher has nine victories to his credit at the NW200.

Upon announcing the shock TT project earlier this week, Suter's marketing director Philippe Soutter said: "We want an experienced rider, best would be an old TT-warhorse."

The Swiss company was also talking to another former TT winner, suggesting Lougher may yet have a team-mate...