The Yorkshireman had been competing at the North West for the first time since 2022 and his stable of machinery also included a factory-backed Triumph for the Supersport class and BMW bikes for the 1000cc categories.

He has achieved podium finishes at both the North West and the TT in the past and had posted sixth places in the opening Superbike and Supersport races on the Thursday evening of this year’s event, before crashing two days later.

“I felt really good and on that first race day at the North West. I had some really strong results after being away for two years.

“I can remember exactly what happened [in the crash]. I tried to go past somebody into the last corner. He went defensive, as you do on the last lap of the race, and as I grabbed the brake I lost the front end. When I hit the floor I blacked out and I can’t remember anything else until I woke up in the hospital.

“In previous incidents and crashes there, people ended their careers.”

Coward’s racing itinerary in the coming weeks will include a return to the Armoy road races on 25-26 July.

He was named man-of-the-meeting at the event in 2024.

“I’m hoping that the confidence is still there when I get back on the bike and I’ll be trying my best to get back to where I was,” added the KTS Steadplan Racing rider.

“I absolutely love the Armoy road races. It’s very reminiscent of the Southern 100 races where I started my road racing career.

“The committee, the people who run it, are really friendly and I love the circuit and the spectators come out in force.”

Last year Coward won both Supertwins races, setting a new lap record for the class at 100.536mph in the process, and also achieved two third positions and a fourth in other races at the meeting in County Antrim.

“You cross the finish line and people are waving their programmes at you. There’s no other feeling like it.

“If I can find that confidence I had before the crash then we should be there or thereabouts and fighting for podiums and wins again.”