Seeley remains “baffled” that he has been unable to secure competitive machinery for next month’s North West 200 road races despite winning a record 29 times at the event.

“I went there last year and had two wins, two seconds and a fifth place but I’m left with nothing. I wanted to ride for one of the premier teams and there only are a select few of those.

“I feel sometimes, with me doing the North West it can be a hindrance. If I did the Isle of Man TT as well they would say ‘we’ll build bikes and we’ll get value out of the rider’, but just one week’s event at the North West is going to cost teams a lot of money.

“I can’t see any other reason given my CV there and my pedigree.

“The only reason I could see me being there is if someone tips off, but you never wish a rider to be hurt to take their seat. It does happen though, so if something does appear and I feel it is competitive then maybe we could do a deal and go for it.”

Instead of gracing the Triangle circuit in early May, Seeley is set to be carrying out his ‘day job’ as a postal worker with Royal Mail.

“It would be frustrating not to be there but I’ve told my boss that at the minute I’m not due to go to the North West now so I’d like to work that week to take my mind off not being up at the north coast.

“It is what is, I might miss this year, but I’m not going to announce a retirement because I still feel I have plenty left in me, so teams might look at me and think there’s a rider who missed a year, he might be hungrier for next year.”