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INTERACTIVE

Gotta be thereThere is no spectacle in motorcycling to compare with the Isle of Man TT. Fast riders performing stupendous feats – right in front of you. If you’ve never been, goWords Matt Hull Pictures Stephen Davison and Matt Hull

WEEKEND2009 TTPREVIEW

John McGuinness on his way to TT glory on his Padgetts CBR600RR. This year the TT lap record holder is back with the factory-backed HM Plant Honda team

“The riders are all heroes, but so understated, you could walk past them in the street”

www.ride.co.uk july 2009 ride 85

The scale of the Isle of Man Tourist Trophy is mindblowing. Just look at the numbers: the event is 102 years old, and in

two weeks in June racers fom 14 countries will tackle the 37.75 mile lap with 266 bends, the fastest of them posting an 130mph average lap speed.

You read it correctly – a 130mph average lap speed, over a lap nearly 38 miles long. The top riders in the superbike races are hitting more than 200mph and holding their 200bhp+ bikes flat out for longer than on any other circuit. And for most of the year this circuit is a road.

The TT is steeped in history. Apart from two world wars and one outbreak of foot and mouth it has carried on true to the original rough-and-ready road racing spirit, and there lies its strength. For the racers it is the ultimate test of man and machine – and it’s totally different to racing on a short circuit. There is no run-off at the corners,

though many have stone walls, so it demands respect. The big bike races are six laps – that’s more than 226 miles of racing, with riders pitting just twice, briefly, for fuel and tyres. And while we call it a race, it is in fact a time trial, with riders heading off at 10-second intervals.

The riders are heroes, but so understated you could walk right past them in the street. The TT is largely free of the spin you find at other races , none of the normal sponsor filled interviews here – if a bike is crap the rider will say so. Pop down the bar in TT fortnight and you could quite possibly bump into one of the racers you’ve been watching. Many racers go down to Fairy Bridge for a little fairy luck – Guy Martin tried last year but they weren’t listening. Can you imagine a MotoGP star doing that?

First week is for practice, which is held in the evenings. There are then five main bike races – the Senior, the Superbike, two Supersport and a Superstock race, along

with two sidecar races and the new-for-2009 TTXGP race for electric and alternative-fuel bikes. The 125cc and 250cc two-strokes don’t race on the main TT course now, but will be racing on the final Saturday on the Billown road circuit further down the Island.

The main man to watch is John McGuinness, currently lap record holder at 130mph, and winner of no fewer than 14 TTs. Riding for HM Plant Honda team, McGuinness has a new team-mate in Steve Plater, still classed as a new boy in the TT but already a winner and an incredibly experienced and adaptable racer.

Guy Martin is another man hungry for a win. Devastatingly quick last year, Martin was beset by mechanical problems with his Fireblade. Still on the Honda and with the Hydrex team, he is amazing to watch on the track and a real character off it. Just don’t get him started on combine harvesters...

The Relentless by TAS Suzuki team

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