Isle of Man TT
 

as you will probably be aware the 2010 TT is currently underway.

link to web site
http://www.iomtt.com/

Haven't been for about 13 years but now I have the storm I want to go next year, but the wife will need some serious placating!!!

Do they really avg 120 mph?

Oh No! now its about 130mph:evillaugh:
Have a look here
http://www.iomtt.com

Check the video section.........

That's just sick cuz it means they are running way faster then 130 most of the time:eek:

190mph+ and thats just the racers, last time I was there a friend on a Norton F2 rotary was doing 130 on the mountain section and feeling pretty pleased with himself when a German registered bike flew past him two up! As the saying has it, he nearly got off to why his bike had stopped.......

It basically means that most of those bikes are flat out at several places on the track and when I say flat out I really mean top gear, bouncing of the limiter... Now imagine doing that on the hawk and it isn't to intimidating... Imagine doing it on a late model RR bike with a bit extra... :eek:

And then doing it for more than a few seconds :eek::eek:

And on basically the public road past the local pub... (add a few haybales, a rope across the side streets and that's about it, really) ... :eek::eek::eek:

A few years back I was there for the IOM... I did the mountain in 100-110... I felt like an effin traffic cone... And yeah, a few of them was either two up, or hauling ther bodyweigth in luggage...

The feeling of doing 110+ on a mountain road and spending most of your time watching your mirrors to keep away from faster bikes is quite surreal... Doing 70-80'ish like on the "highway" would have been outright dangerous... It's the first time I have felt "slow" at 110...;)

I find its one of the very few races that really gives you the sense of the speeds they are doing. TV usually makes it tamer.

BBB

Tv makes you understand that they are going fast... And it's substitute since I can't afford to go every year... :rolleyes:

Once you have been there though, you really, understand HOW fast, fast is... A camera lens lies to you... The naked eye gives you a much better idea of how fast those bikes approach... I felt the sane part of my brain telling me to hide behind a solid stone wall instead of staying where I was watching them approach, even though I knew I was way back from the road... And I like fast... :rolleyes:

From what I see on the TV the roads are much smoother, they used to have their feet vibrated off the pegs on Sulby Straight. Now they just pop more wheelies, at serious 3 figure speeds I might add!

The only protection these guys have from the street light poles and stuff are a few straw bales, on one curving section the really quick guys scrape their helmets against a rough stone wall, at who knows what speed.

Also don't forget there is a party atmosphere the whole time, some of the locals hate it so much they leave for the whole period. However that doesn't stop them renting there homes out to racers and groups of spectators. It is very odd to walk 10 yards from the racing into a bustling town that seems to in another country.

It would be the best biking holiday in the world if it wasn't for the weather, it can be foggy on the mountain section and four miles away you are getting sunburn.

I remember looking down an alleyway, after getting lost, across the track. The bikes were so fast you couldn't tell what colour they were, just a grey shudder in the air.:eek:

The closest I'll ever get to the IOM is wearing my Manx leathers.

My impression was that if you looked at them dead on from the side you newer saw them go past... Just heard them and felt them...;) To be able too see them you had to follow them with your head/eyes to "home in"...

everyone should try to get to the TT at least once, it's like Le-mans or the Indy 500, very special I first went over in '91 staying in Ramsey, I ended up marrying the daughter at the house we stayed at, so now I get over there 4-5 times a year visiting the inlaws. This year we're giving the TT a miss and going down to Le mans in the TVR instead but I'll be over for the Manx GP in Aug, probably take the VTR over in the van along with the wife and kids.

Hum... It seems your planning/execution was better than mine... All i managed was a bit of... ehem... innocent fun with a local girl... Didn't think about the upside to marrying her though... ;)

See, I really should think these things through before... And certainly before I go drinking ale or whiskey... ;)

BTW the lap record is now at 131 and a bit mph set by Ramsey man Connor Cummins, which is fast!!!! and bear in mind govenors bridge is first gear, standing outside the pub on Sulby straight is great 190+ mph and close enough touch, so close infact the draft created nearly sucks the froth off your beer,

Yeah been wed to a Manx lass as it's good points, ;)

any word on when Discovery is going to air the TT in US?

Now I can post about it.

My mate Dobsy (Paul Dobbs) died there this year.

He'd done a 123mph lap a couple of days before on the 1000, was killed in a 600 Supersport race.

We were chatting a couple of days before he left NZ here for the IoM again, and had been going to meet up for a bit of a practice ride at one of the local tracks on his return here in early September.

Sucks - but that's the way it is at the Island. Dobsy's the 3rd guy I knew killed there - Robert Holden and Stu Murdoch were the others - but the one I knew best.

It’s always terrible to hear about someone losing their life motor racing, the IOM is particularly dangerous compared to probably any other venue, although safety there as improved over the years, the first time I went over in 1992 11 people lost there lives, (the majority of these been spectators). In recent years with the introduction of more speed limited areas and the ‘one way ‘ system over the mountain over the period of the race meeting this figure as been cut dramatically, but it’s still incredibly dangerous. I guess that’s part the appeal, no short circuit comes close in terms of excitement, even pottering about on a road bike gives the kind of adrenalin rush that’s difficult to replicate. The last time I rode there (1999) I managed to get the VTR to an indicated 150mph over the mountain (probably the easiest bit to go fast on) and it felt truly incredible, god only knows what it must feel like to do these speeds (and much more) down twisty tree lined roads and through towns and villages on normal roads with pot holes, kerb stones , houses etc lining the track.
Unfortunately this type of track means that any ‘off’ as the potential to be life threatening and I see no way to change this without ruining the spirit of the event, it’s been debated over the years and the only way to make it safe is to ban it completely, I for one wouldn’t want to see this happen and if it’s down to the residents is won’t happen either most of the islands inhabitants are very proud of the TT, my mother-in-law (I’m married to a Manx girl) is typical and loves the whole thing, the islanders seem to have racing in their blood.
However we mustn’t forget the riders and spectators that have (and regrettably) will lose their lives in pursuit of this obsession, my deepest sympathies go out to all the families concerned.