Isle of Man TT

[MrRiden]

5 days until practice starts. If you have never heard of this race let me introduce you to a new addiction. You tube has a lot of video
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mc7tD9fIvz0&mode=related&search=
Rich

[thrang]

Good vid. I liked the Mad Sunday shots on the mountain.
The Isle of Man is bike heaven. No speed limits, and you can get done for furious driving.... I'm lucky as I live in Cumbria and the island is only a couple of hours on the Heysham ferry away and we get a fair bit of coverage on the local telly station.

[SCJJR65]

Wish we got more TV coverage over here!  Usually, the best we can hope for is an hour or two on the SpeedVision channel!  

[Ed Miller]

Good vid. I liked the Mad Sunday shots on the mountain.
The Isle of Man is bike heaven. No speed limits, and you can get done for furious driving.... I'm lucky as I live in Cumbria and the island is only a couple of hours on the Heysham ferry away and we get a fair bit of coverage on the local telly station.

I want to ride the mountain course on my Bonneville.  I read that in '69 a guy on a Bonneville was the first person to average a hundred miles per hour for all (3?) laps, the whole race anyway.  That's for the production 750 class; dunno why they ran a 650 in it.  I spoke with a guy yesterday, on a Vincent Black Shadow, who's ridden it before on his Vincent, and says your doing good if you could average 70 on a bike that vintage, but that the modern guys do it at more like in the 120s.  Starting in '70 Triumph started winning it with Tridents, so I guess my Bonnie was obsolete that fast.  

Is there really no speed limit?  Just natural selection in action?

[thrang]

Just natural selection in action?

When your out on the road on Mad Sunday it feels something like that.

There's a bit of a fuss about a proposal to bring in a speed limit a while back, but as far as I know out side urban area's the Island's still free from the speed limits, and the thieving Gatso camera that acompanys them.

[MrRiden]

There are a number of videos of Mad Sunday on Youtube.com taken by gents that were kind 'nuf to plop a camera on their bike as they rode the course. Ah my dream vacation.
Rich

[NC Steve]

Peter Egan wrote a great story about going to the Isle of Man races back in the early '80s, that's also included in his 1st book, Leanings.
I re-read it not long ago, and it really "puts you there".

I'm sure you know this, Rich, but the "track" is 37 miles long!
Apparently dangerous as hell, too...

[thrang]

I would not call the track dangerous as such, after all it is all on public roads and at normal speeds its just a dam good bike ride, but push your luck past your ablity and the Islands will hurt you...

[MrRiden]

Dangerous could fit. It's not like there are any broad gravel runoff areas like those sissy tracks that GP racers play on. No sir, when your off on the Isle your off for certain. No mistaking that. It's a course that could make the weak tremble and whimper. Yet there are those who compete there year after year. Better men than I and they have my respect for that. I would still like to make a run of it on Mad Sunday just to see what I could stand.
Rich

[suecanada]

I understand that this is the 100th anniversary of the TT and we have one member of our Vintage Club that raced there a long time ago...and crashed there once too and had to wait 5-6 weeks to heal. He said he was distracted for one tiny nanosecond and he got through the very next corner OK BUT then couldn't make the second corner as he was then off the line. He is over there this very moment celebrating the anniversary with other Canadians like Michelle (Mike) Duff who rode there as well. Michelle was Mike before....

[thrang]

The offical IOM TT website link is http://www.iomtt.com/

And yes it is the 100 aniversary, and guess whose really pissed off that I'm stuck working! Still cannot afford it anyways with buying the new R65 last month and throwing a couple of hunderd pounds at it sorting out the suspension and other niggles that needed sorting.

[MrRiden]

Geeze I can't even get to any of the online sites theyre all jammed! Oh well I did order my 100th pin months ago, guess I'll go polish it?
rich

[Dick_Stilton]

Dick Here.

Stranded as I am in central europe and right on the edge of the Astra 2D footprint I have been forced to install a 1.5m dish just to ensure I get crystal clear and uninterupted reception for ITV4s coverage of the 100th IOM TT. I have never been but its high on my wish list. My elder sister has been every year since 1972 but claims not to drink the local beer anymore as it makes her fart terrible.

[thrang]

The only prob with the ITV4 coverage is the time its on 9pm while I'm still buggering about at work!
Sill 'She who is to be obeyed' says she'll tape it for me if 'there's nothing else on!'

[MrRiden]

Just listening to manx radio and they report 48 accidents 16 major and one fatality with a plea to just enjoy the holiday and be careful.