So not sure where to put this, would have normally been in the gallery but couldnt find one so here we go .... I started this thread i think around a week after returning from the TT, though due to other pressures i have only just got around to publishing the videos and hence the thread only materialising now... Hope you enjoy, and with the Classic TT fast approaching it'll get you in the mood i'm sure! Well there goes another TT, and what a year it was, damp yes, but what a hell of a year! So I have a new bike, a 2016 Multistrada 1200s - and what a phenomenal thing it is. Traction Control, ABS, Anti-wheelie, Skyhook suspension ... truly an epic bike. And unlike previous years i dont look like a travelling garbage truck lol. Some protective measures to help prevent damage caused by our lass getting on and off. To be fair she didnt catch them once. Still, i wasnt taking any chances with this being the first trip fully loaded .... The majority of stuff went in the panniers and the top box. The bin liner covered items you can see are a self inflating mat on each side, two umbrellas across the back of the bike and the tent poles across the front of the top box... True to form it threw it down on the way to the ferry. Torrential on the motorway, luckily i stopped just before it started and donned waterproof's just incase the few spec's of water on my visor at the time got worse. Very lucky indeed! Once at the port we waited with the rest of the rather damp bikers .... By the time we boarded it had stopped raining and we looked forward to a pleasant comfortable journey .... well in the exectutive lounge you wouldnt expect any different right? A few hours later we arrived ... yayyyy!
Friday saw us relaxing, due to the weather practice and racing all week was disrupted. As usual as soon as the mountain road was opened it was closed within several minutes as another overenthusiastic rider crashes out .... Back down to the camp site it is then! Funny on the IOM how one end of the island can be hot sunshine and the other end not so. Still, nice to be somewhere familiar, even if the weather was against us... The following day saw us back upto the North of the island once again seeking sunshine. The first races of the week had been cancelled due to the weather (and this would be the theme of the week unfortunately) and so we visited the motor museum. To be fair it was an interesting place to visit, i would highly recommend it to anyone visiting the island... Same car as mine ... know the owner of this one as we are in the same owners club.... Couldnt resist this rather good photo oppotunity on the way out .... The next day saw "Mad Sunday" cancelled and racing taking place instead. We spectated from Hillberry corner. Peter Hickman in action.... Later we called down to the paddock. Couldnt resist taking this photo. Lovely looking machines, just a shame they dont perform as good as they look...
Monday the 3rd June we were at Conker Tree's. A brilliant place to spectate, make sure you check it out of you are across to watch the racing.... Harrison closely followed by Hickman.... Hillier... Back at the camp site one of the visitors was leaving, i loved this way of getting a full sized bike on the back of his camper... Bushy's Beer Tent! Now theres a great place! Cheers! The next day we were going down to the start line, no bike needed. This is how i made sure nothing went missing out the tent. Two meter long security wire though everything. We had some rather unsavoury characters in the same part of the site as we were and so i wasnt taking any chances... Wheres that taxi???
Looking forward to a great days racing..... With entry into the Monster Energy VIP area for the day.... Free booze and grub all day .... Private grandstand just down from the main grandstand.... Brilliant! We even had "Milky" Quayle talk us through a lap of the TT course. Milky teaches new comers the circuit in the months leading up to the TT and so he knows his stuff. It doesnt come across in the video actualy how good it really was, but you get the idea.... Unfortunately we didnt get to actually see any racing from there though as due to weather once again the racing was cancelled. Gutted. But what better place to spend the day? Better than been sat on a grass verge thats for sure. Another beer? Oh go on then.... ahhh sod it.....
The very next day saw us at Braddan Church .... and what a lovely little place it is! Cost is £8 per person but the facilities are second to none. Theres access away from the place too should you need to leave whilst the racing takes place. Recommended! BBQ warming up nicely.... Tea and cakes gallore! ho-hum.... A few action shots..... Hickman.... Rutter..... Johnson.... Harrison..... Mitchell Brothers....
Before the roads fully re-opened we left, it was teatime and we had a one hour window before the roads shut again for the last race and practice session. And we had somewhere to be ..... The grid! Those Nortons once again. This time being warmed up, what a sound They let anyone in this place these days you know ... Pick a bike, any bike .... TV crew still at it.... The future, like it or not ...... Its going to take some getting used to aswell when the time comes. Not that exciting to listen to ....... The TT Zero is only over one lap and so it wasnt too long before they arrived back again.... some alittle faster than others it has to be said! Time will tell how soon we as road riders are forced onto the things?! One thing being so close to all the riders was seeing how different they all act whilst waiting to race. John McGuinness just sat and pondered life it seemed..... Rutter was so/so. This was the most happy i saw him, apart from when he had won the race lol Dunlop was always busy, never stopped moving .... The before we knew it, it was time for the Bennetts Lightweight Race, John McGuninness heading them off.... I captured some of the bikes setting off on video .... just so you get the idea Once they had all set off we had to quickly come off the start line so that they could get all the equipment off the track. From the paddock / grid area theres nothing to actually see whilst they are racing. The walls too high to see over and so there wasnt anything to do but to keep on wandering around taking in the scenes. At this point the teams starting bringing up the 1000cc bikes ready for the evenings practice....
Time went by fast though and it wasnt long until the lightweights were back .... Rutter.... Johnson.... Hickman.... See what i mean about Rutter not always looking too happy... Johnson... John back from the race.... Meanwhile Dean Harrison was getting ready for the practice session that was fast approaching, seemed lighthearted and happy.... James Hillier was chatting away.... Connor Cummins seemed quiet and reserved .... James Hickman was most upbeat and chatty. I quite fancied a selfie with him, but didnt want to interupt him... Didnt stop some others though... He did give me nice smile though ... The waiting game continued on....
Time to Race! .... errr.... Practice rather! Once again we saw them off from the start ..... ..... and then retired back to the paddock. It was only a one lap affair and so before not too long the roads were back open and it was time to head back to camp. What day it had been! Later that evening i was able to bag these couple of rather nice shots, i had been eyeing up the location over the week and the light turned out just right.... And that would have been the last photo, but i thought i would end on a word of caution. The ferrys are tightly packed, abit too tightly at times. The deckhand was trying to get me to park closer to the bike to my left. I told them no chance as when i got off the bike it would lean onto the next one, he asked me to show him. I put the bike on the side stand and it sat less then an inch off the next bike. OK he said. I just thought whatever and went off to find a seat for the trip home. Once back on the mainland i returned back to the bike to find this.... Which was slightly annoying and maddening at the same time. Luckily there was no marks on either bike! How i dont know as they would have been touching each other for a good few hours! Phew! Just bear it in mind if travelling across yourself! Anyway, lets not dwell on that, i'll leave you with a nice pic. The last one taken on the island for this year ......Cheers
Fantastic and inspirational write up, great pictures definitely on my bucket list. Don’t fancy the look of how they strap all the bikes down on the ferry though. Would have to factor in the cost of buying a tidyish hack rather than get something nice damaged.
Next time i will mask up the side of the pannier just in case the same thing happened again. Also with the weather been so wet a few fasteners on the bike have also dulled off which has annoyed me, even more so as i keep the bike in a dehumidifed tent at home to stop such things from happening lol!
Great write up I've been lucky enough to go to the island a few times I love it there always feels like home when I return
