Stuart Easton is gunning for a fantastic five at the 49th Suncity Group Macau Motorcycle Grand Prix this weekend as he bids to defend his crown in South China.

The 32-year-old Hawick rider made a successful return to the infamous road race last year for the first time since 2010 and showed he had lost none of his class at the Armco barrier-lined Guia street circuit, where he powered to his fourth win on the PBM Kawasaki.

Easton had been due to ride a ZX-10 for Paul Bird’s team alongside Yorkshireman Ian Hutchinson at Macau, but the Scot – dropped by Bird for next year’s MCE British Superbike Championship with Ulsterman Glenn Irwin joining Shane Byrne in the Cumbrian’s new-look Be Wiser Ducati team – will instead ride a Yamaha YZF-R1, which is understood to have been leased from Shaun Muir Racing.

The former British Supersport champion will remain in BSB in 2016 after joining American John Hopkins in Tommy Hill’s team to ride Yamaha machinery and will have his first competitive ride on the R1 at Macau, where Easton will ride under Robin Croft’s SMT Racing banner.

It will be the first time that Easton has not raced for Bird at the event, where he won three times on the trot between 2008 and 2010.

The pint-sized racer has been out of action since a crash at Brands Hatch in July left him with a fractured leg and injured knee and admits that he is heading into Thursday’s opening practice at Macau ‘cold’.

However, Easton is hopeful his spell on the sidelines won’t prove too much of a disadvantage when he attempts to find his groove this week on the Yamaha R1.

“I tried to ride [since his crash in July] but I wasn’t able to do so. This will be my first time riding since the injury,” Easton said.

“Hopefully the practice sessions will be enough but this will be one of the drawbacks with the lack of preparedness and time on the bike.

“There isn’t a lot that prepares you for Macau anyway because it’s a lot different from other circuits. I just have to see how the event goes when I get there,” he added.

“I’m completely healed from my injuries. I’ve done physiotherapy and exercises and I’ve done everything I can to get ready for the race.”

Easton took his fourth win last November from Michael Rutter, who holds the record for the most victories at Macau after tasting victory eight times.

He faces formidable opposition in Saturday’s 12-lap race, which is scheduled to take place at 7.05am [GMT].

Bingley Bullet Hutchinson, having his final ride on the PBM Kawasaki after moving to Northern Ireland’s Tyco BMW team for 2016, will be gunning for his second Macau win after taking the honours on the Milwaukee Yamaha in 2013.

Circuit specialist Rutter remains a major threat at Macau, where he will ride for the Penz13.com team on a BMW S1000RR alongside Lincolnshire’s Gary Johnson.

Fermanagh’s Lee Johnston will have his sights set on the podium at least on the East Coast BMW as the 26-year-old attempts to become the first Northern Ireland rider since Phillip McCallen in 1996 to win at Macau.

Honda Racing’s John McGuinness and Conor Cummins, Martin Jessopp on the Riders BMW and Peter Hickman (Briggs Equipment BMW) are also among the leading challengers.

Saintfield’s Davy Morgan will also make the trip with Irish pair Brian McCormack and Michael Sweeney, while Ivan Lintin is a high-profile newcomer (RC Express Kawasaki).