One day I will race here. One day...

The Greatest Show On Earth

 

Big deal. I'm sure I could ride it, Full Out, WFO (on my 50 cc minibike) and live to tell about it (once I changed my underwear and stopped screaming). Anyone can do that (as long as they've lost their mind and have a death wish). They should put themselves to a real test and try it on a racetrack (where they can complain about chatter, or lack of front end feel on the ducati GP bikes) instead of putting around on city streets. haha

Man, that takes really big *****.

If you haven't read it find a copy of Island Man by mark gardiner - really great reading for sportbike guys and IOM fans. supposed to be a film version too but haven't ever seen it.
definitely worth reading.

 

I never get tired of watching the TTs!

 

aja do you really want to go 170mph within arms grab of throngs of drunken blokes?

When I got my race license I thought I could do something like this but 12 yrs on track make me realize no way would my brain allow my wrist to do it.

Great to watch tho

 

Only race in the world that death is accepted, and is a sure thing to happen. One to two drivers lose their lives almost every year.
Makes it even a better show to watch when you see the danger that these guys are
willing to face.

 

If I had the skill and opportunity I would do it in a heart beat. I'm going to die anyways, id rather die doing something I love than an old man in diapers.

That and I am a pretty big thrill junkie. If my heart isn't about to explode from adrenaline, I'm not REALLY living.

 

I agree, unfortunately for me, the diapers seem to be my path
Having kids will do that for you.

 

first race of isle of Man 1907.
237 deaths to date (including the 2 spectators and one course marshal)....2012 those numbers are for both the isle of man TT AND the Grand Prix



List of Snaefell Mountain Course fatal accidents - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

And of course NO competitor deaths this year

Still, a dangerous race for sure. And one you better have your affairs in order if your racing, or watching from the roads edge. Five spectators died this year..

A Bucket list event for me, the wife, and younger son.......

 

Amazing video. Thanks for the post.

 

[QUOTE=aja;339345]One day I will race here. One day.../QUOTE]

in your freakin dreams aj.......but it's okay to dream.

Definitely some radical ****. I love the IOM. thanks.

 

[QUOTE=nath981;339477]I never said race what

 

Heres another good watch.

 

Aja

Thanks great video. Always was a fan of the TT. Would love to go there to WATCH only, I'm too old now to dream of doing that.

 

my motto used to be: "ride hard, die fast, leave a beautiful corpse".

I rode hard, didn't die but was hospitalized. It ain't all that much fun or as romantic.

I learned where my limits are, I push them a little, I have a lot of fun and I plan to live a long time!

 

Yeah, I think thats what people forget. What doesnt kill you can maime you horribly and leave you a young man in diapers. (and doesnt make you stronger). Going fast on a bike is easy. Going REALLY FAST is very difficult or else everyone would do it.

I've raced for 12 yrs and it STILL hard to lay off the brakes that extra second or gas it earlier. But at least I wont bash into a stone pub if I get it wrong.

 

true, the IOM takes big *****, but it's all about playin the probabilities and lots of luck for all of us. I was sitting right in front of peter lenz when he got hit at Indy.....terrible sight, sitting upright in the middle of the track, back toward traffic, bikes flying inches past him on both sides, waving arms straight up to increase visibility. Racer panicked and hit the brakes in lieu of avoiding him(target fixation I would guess)....DOA. I haven't seen any videos of this except the one in my head.

The closer you are to the front of the pack, the more likely you are to get T-boned. For example, mike alessi but at least he lived:


Generally, in terms of risk, i would rate IOM as the worst, street riding second and track riding the safest. You ride the war zone NYC streets and this has to be close to IOM risk-wise, but your race skills and reaction time coupled along with your defensive skills increase the probabilities in your favor.

A friend crashed last week traveling with a group of Harley riders on a straight road(interstate) going the speed limit. Rider in front applied the brakes so he followed suit. He immediately went down hard and fast, slammed into a Jersey barrier as the front wheel lost grip, smashed the **** out of his foot. Sand on the road, just like hitting ice unexpectedly. The sand was next to a big curtain where they were sandblasting the overpass, so beware of this situation, one that i never would have thought of.

This was one instance where sport riders are at a distinct advantage as compared with the cruiser mentality of emphasis on rear braking, often the exclusion of front. We are generally front brakers and this was his demise in this instance. He said he just touched the front brake and he was down.
I told him to sue those fockers for not warning of sand on the roadway.