IOM - TT races
John
GRRRRR!!!,
Bloody Jeffles (UK). Rubbing it in that the TT is on again. - this year
all the old time greats going over for a race - along with honda's, MV's,
etc.....
I really think Sam ought to fix Jeffles for teasing us.....one or two smart
tea-bags should do it!
Cheers.
--
John.
Suzuki Bandit 1200, No ABS, (MixMaster)
Naked bike of the year, complete with half fairing.....
Jeffles
In article <01bd920b$52622060$481221cb@varcs>, John <va...@lynx.net.au>
writes
>GRRRRR!!!,
> Bloody Jeffles (UK). Rubbing it in that the TT is on again. - this year
>all the old time greats going over for a race - along with honda's, MV's,
>etc.....
>I really think Sam ought to fix Jeffles for teasing us.....one or two smart
>tea-bags should do it!
>
>Cheers.
Thursday and Friday morning, Busheys is closed and had to be set up in a
marquee across the road, I dropped Camorra twice on the campsite on the
first night (thankfully without damage) and to cap the sodding lot I missed
the Classic Parade - bwah!
Everything else was bloody great though, I'll see some folk on IRC and maybe
post something tomorrow, but for now I need a bath and a sleep - just did 180
miles at an average speed of 85mph in a stiff northerly wind - I'm knackered.
Bye for now folkses!
Oh - I managed to wear aus.moto T-shirts all week but didn't get a single
comment, or see another aus-motoer - still, the newsgroup was represented at
the road-racing capital of the world!
<snore.....>
--
Jeffles PP#999 SMARTARSE
Sam Michaelson
John wrote:
> GRRRRR!!!,
> Bloody Jeffles (UK). Rubbing it in that the TT is on again. -
> this year
> all the old time greats going over for a race - along with honda's,
> MV's,
> etc.....
> I really think Sam ought to fix Jeffles for teasing us.....one or two
> smart
> tea-bags should do it!
Now now, John, there's no reason to Be Like That - if Jeffles has easier
access to the IOM than some of us, think of it as fate compensating him
for having to put up with such wretched British weather for the colder
part of the year - hurling teabags just because you're geographically
differently abled would be Very Uncivilised Indeed.
And anyway, I'm sure that Jeffles wouldn't purposefully tease you,
because he's not That Sort Of Boy. Are you Jeffles? <glares at Jeffles
over tops of glasses>
Great Aunt Samantha
Jeffles
In article <3584596D...@dsto.defence.gov.au.ANTISPAM>, Sam
Michaelson <sam.mic...@dsto.defence.gov.au.ANTISPAM> writes
as always, unfortunately the weather was a washout, it rained everyday
except Thursday and the Friday morning, forcing a cancellation of the Sidecar
'A' race (which provoked a storm of protest) and setting back the Formula 1
TT a day (till the Sunday, which meant that the usual one-way traffic over
the Mountain from Ramsey to Douglas wasn't instigated; a pain because out
of built-up areas or designated speed limits, there is NO speed limit on the
Island, and most people go round the course at least once on Mad Sunday, as
it is known, with the freedom to use the whole road width without fear of
oncoming traffic). Where else in the world can you legitimately race and pass
Police patrol cars at over 100mph?
Camorra enjoyed herself, getting very into the whole experience by eating a
whole range of sports bikes, including a couple of very surprised Fireblades
and a way-too-clean R1 with its posing rider at the Gooseneck <grin>.
Dontcha just love torquey V twins?
My mate and I did an early lap at 6:30 on the Sunday morning, but there was
so much mist up on the Mountain that we were down to 30mph in places - not
the usual! Still, it was his first visit and he got a good look at some of the
places at a lower altitude. Our other two riders were in their doss-bags till
about 9:30 and they went off for a circuit only to tell us later it was no
better, so we wandered off to Ramsey to watch the Sprint. This is an 1/8th
of a mile drag competition for all classes, plus a run-what-yer-brung thingy,
so it was full of GSX1100's and Blackbirds trying to run sub 7 second 1/8ths,
as well as a host of other machinery - some very quick, some not so.
I thought about giving Camorra a run but figured as she'd just had a new
camshaft it was a bit cruel (also I'd probably make an arse of it!).
Sunday night was spent without bikes down on Douglas Promenade for the
street party, lots of hooning, doughnuts and burnouts, wheelies and stoppies
up and down the main front street. Some very friendly young ladies
demonstrating that they didn't have silicone implants (for all to see) and
some knackers (including one of my mates) showing just what arses they
were/had. The Police are a very very tolerant bunch at this time of year, laid
back and low key - we talked to a few and found their policy was largely non-
intervention, the paperwork just wasn't worth it, but if someone was being a
perpetual hoon they'd pull him over, caution him and watch him for anything
further, after that he'd get a ticket/points or a fine, or for those who were
being too mental they'd get pulled and locked up without question - a fair
policy and it seems to work well. The result was that everyone behaved pretty
well, despite the lunacy, and the atmosphere was relaxed - why can't it always
be like that? By midnight the prom was full of black lines and circles
providing testimony to the wear characteristics of messrs. Dunlop, Michelin,
Avon, Metzeler et al. I don't know what an average person who had mistakenly
booked a weeks holiday on the Island without knowing about the TT would have
thought - it was sheer motorcycling hedonism.
I succesfully managed to wear Aus.Moto t-shirts all week (not that they were
always on display due to the bloody weather!) but didn't see another one, or
get any comments/meet anyone else - but at least I did my bit and
represented the virtual bike-club <grin>. I did bump into a Victorian when we
were getting off the ferry at Liverpool on the way home, but he didn't know
anything about the newsgroup. Ah well.
As far as the racing went the Formula 1 race was won by Ian Simpson on a
Honda RVF750 -the start of Hondas TT98 domination.
Several of the other races were cut short from 4 laps to 3 and so on, so the
overall programme got a bit of a chopping.
The races were something of a Honda benefit, with wins for Honda in
everything except the single cylinder class, which went to a Chrysalis BMW.
Joey Dunlop got his 23rd TT win in the Lightweight (250 2-stroke/400
4-stroke) class and his brother Robert won the Ultra Lightweight (125).
There were a whole crowd of New Zealanders racing this year, many
sponsored by John Shand Honda, notably Shaun Harris who unfortunately had
a horrific week of mishaps. In the Lightweight race 7th place went to Paul
Williams on a CBR400RR, with Bruce Anstey down in 26th on a TZ250G.
The Lightweight saw John Hepburn 20th home on the ubiquitous Honda RS125.
Dave Moyneaux (a Manxman) won the Sidecar 'B' race - the only sidecar race
held this year.
The Junior TT was taken by Michael Rutter on a CBR600 - a machine that
tended to domininate the field! The Kiwis were out in force; 12 of them,
mostly Honda mounted with the exception of Doug Fairbrother and Ian Miller
on Yamaha 600's. First of them home was Blair Degerholm in 12th position,
with Paul Williams, John Hepburn, Jeffrey Latimer, Nathan Spargo, Paul
McQuilken, Brett Richards, Hugh Reynolds, Warren Turner and Doug Bell
following in places from 18th down to 43rd.
The Production class saw Jim Moodie bring in the CBR900RRW in first -
everyone was watching to see what the Yam R1's could do, as it turned out the
first R1 home was in 5th place.
Once again the Kiwis were out, with Blair in 18th finishing position on a
CBR900. Nathan, Paul, Hugh and Doug also finished, Hugh Reynolds being on a
VFR800.
This was Hondas 50th year and they were keen to make it a special event for
them, that was cemented on the Friday when they were given their 100th TT
win by Ian Simpson on a Honda RVF750 in the Senior TT after an epic battle
with Michael Rutter, Jim Moodie, James Courtney and Ian Lougher, the full
details are on the Isle of Man website
(http://www.isle-of-man.com/sport/tt/98.htm)
Shaun Harris finished 8th with the first 250cc machine home, ahead of the
other Kiwis, Blair Degerholm getting 16th spot, Bruce Anstey in 20th, Nathan
Spargo 27th, Hugh Reynolds 28th, Paul Williams 30th and Warren Turner in
38th.
That was the racing bit, but the whole experience of being at the TT is more
than that, it is something you can't really express with words, pictures or
even video, all I can say is that if you ever get the chance to go, do yourself
a favour and make it a go, I guarantee that you'll find it the most amazing
motorcycling meeting ever.
I took rather a lot of photographs, but most of them aren't of the racing... in
fact my mates mentioned to me the day after we'd been to Summerlands to
watch the live music and *ahem* 'all-female dance group' that my holiday
snaps were likely to be something of a hit with the chaps at the office... oh
dear. I think I also managed to capture something of the atmosphere, but I'll
see what turns out and what is likely to be of interest for the website. (And
what is printable!)
As my funds for coming to Australia in January seem to be way too inadequate
at this stage I am faced with a dilemma - do I wait till later in the year and
come over, or do I give it up for much later in the year and go to TT99?
If I end up going next year I will be as much assistance as possible to anyone
wishing to make the journey from Australia, I'll probably be taking m'lady if
I go, so we'd be going for a cottage/house rather than camping. I guess we'll
just have to see what happens.
Anyway, sorry this has been so long, hope it has been of interest to some
folks.
Cheers!
PS - I missed the Classic Parade but there was a chap on an MV Agusta 750S
rorting up and down the Prom. What a soul shivering noise, one of
motorcyclings truely unique noises.
--
Jeffles PP#999 SMARTARSE
Dacious
John wrote:
> GRRRRR!!!,
> Bloody Jeffles (UK). Rubbing it in that the TT is on again. -
> this year
> all the old time greats going over for a race - along with honda's,
> MV's,
> etc.....
> I really think Sam ought to fix Jeffles for teasing us.....one or two
> smart
> tea-bags should do it!
Most interesting think re: IOM is the signs everywhere in German saying
"Keep left". Apparently the 'herren' automatically go to the right when they
scare themselves shitless - which happens at legal pace on the course! This
years' bad weather appears to have dampened the deaths. Last year it was 9
visitors and three locals. This didn't include spectators.