Isle of Man Q’s

Probability not in the dirt bikes crowd but Road Racers would be a much better place for information 

There's an IOM TT fans facebook page, should be some useful stuff on there and more than helpful people to steer you the right way. 

If  you want some comfort the casinos used to be good places to stay, flights over from Manchester or get a ferry over. You'd have to fly into the Uk and travel to airport or ferry locations so gives you a good chance to get out of London and see some decent places. I've not been over since a mate of mine was killed there a decade or so back so not really up to speed any more. 

King George should be along before long and would probably be best to point you in the right direction of any of the UK Vitards. 

Fly into the uk and fly into the Isle of Man. I think the flights are from Manchester or Birmingham, if you fly from Birmingham and have some time to kill go and stay in the Cotswolds or in south Warwickshire not the city itself as it’s a dump. ( nothing new, it has been for about 200 years). Book accommodation early early early as it’s a very popular event and it’s can be really hard to find anywhere to stay. 

As for watching you want to watch somewhere fast, people stand at parliament square or the goose neck which I are pretty slow, I want to watch bikes at 180mph. Bray hill is the classic, you can also watch up by the bungalow on the mountain but there are loads of spots. You can bus around when you are there, the ideal way to do it is on an enduro bike but you will be fine with no transport.

I’d also say dont discount the Manx/classic.

The Manx is the next generation of TT riders and the classic has a massive array of old bikes including rotary nortons and gp 2 strokes and you will still see the top lads racing as they all do the classic.

I am starting to feel the same way tbh.

I have been short circuit racing for 3 seasons now but I’m stopping as I can’t do it with my daughter. It’s nowhere near as dangerous as road racing but people do get killed.

Doing the Manx or TT as an amateur when you have kids just blows my mind. I don’t understand how they do it.

I would never want it stopped but the amount of people killed does turn my stomach. 

2 died at the Classic / Manx this year.

Their decision to race.

 Though, the consequences for them And their loved ones, can be horrendous. 

I've been to The Isle many times (TT Only  - Work related, so, in a way, I've not seen that much of the Event ) - I'm thinking I might go to the Classic /  Manx instead, to avoid the crowds and actually 'do' it as purely a spectator.

Deano doing, what was it, a 132mph lap in the McG '30th Anniversary Parade'. I liked his reasoning that a tribute to McG should be fast, and, he did it safely / respectfully to the others. 

But 132mph (lap average speed, for those that don't understand the numbers) just (sort of) cruising '- 😲

McG getting the Historic Senior Classic win in his 30th year of racing on the Isle -  plus his 3rd in Historic Junior = fantastic!

Michael Dunlop doing 129.078 on a 750 SRAD in Formula One , and winning the 250s, and the Senior.

Plus the 125s being back - mind you, I've never understood the grouping of 125 2 strokes with 400cc Four Cylinder 4 strokes. 

Johnny Stewart winning 4 races in the Manx was a heck of a thing!

A work colleague of an old friend told me a few years ago, the NUMBER ONE issue is getting from the mainland to IOM.  

FERRY TICKETS, specifically. If you go by bike, that's the only way to get there. 

He said "book them a year or two in advance".  He was from there, so I figured he'd know. 

Slightly off topic but I was just listening to Neil Peart's audiobook of "Traveling Roadshow, Landscape With Drums" and he gives a very nice description of what it's like to visit Isle of Mann, although it wasn't during the race. He said he took the ferry and the place is very colorful and cool.

Neil loved his riding , that’s for sure.