North West 200 highlights on BBC NI Friday 12th May 10.40pm, Sunday 14th May 10.30pm, Monday 15th May 10.40pm Enjoy
Was in portrush yesterday, everything coming alive, the paddock is filling up nicely and the track looks amazing, not to good in the weather forecast but feck all anyone do about that.. now let the games commence.
I'm not so sure but i think it might be streaming on the bbc sports site. I could well be wrong though. Info is scarce!
Full stream is on the iPlayer. Even if you miss the live show, it's available to watch whenever you want. That's Saturday night viewing sorted then!
Spoiler**** A total debacle just before the Superstock race.with FHO withdrawing from the whole event due to carbon wheel?!? that are homologated to the bmw rr with apparently aren't permitted and that were used last year,wasnt the wee-wizard on a bmw !?.strange also why Dom herbertson has left the Wilson Craig team to return home.but must admit loved the super sport race and a great win for padgetts and davey todd.
I'm heading over tomorrow on a (very) early ferry, can't bloody wait. Forecast is full sun all day and 22 degrees, I'm actually packing some sunscreen! Planning to park my bike somewhere around Portstewart and get as close to the action as possible.
We walked to the circuit, but there was plenty of parking at £5 a bike and £3 to get into a field right next to the circuit
It’s a right mess that. Carbon wheels generally aren’t permitted in most race series for obvious reasons and concerns over safety. But the organisers totally missed the bmw coming with them stock (you can’t use aftermarket in stock either). probably what should have happened was the beamer run the optional forged wheels as dispensation instead like they do in stk1000. bit of a cluster. I’m surprised fho didn’t query it before hand, because they’re not usually allowed full stop anyway, BUT also the NW200 officials have dropped the ball a bit as well.
What I don't understand is that Seeley is entered with a 'S1000RR' which apparently is running forged alu wheels, because it comes with them, but he's actually blatently running a M1000RR, at least the whole fairing. So he's either not running the bike he entered, or he's running an M1000rr with different wheels, which by proxy also isn't allowed. I guess FHO 'could' have just fitted the forged wheels, and made some tweaks to the suspension to compensate, but like you say, poor communication on both side.
I'm still not entirely sure what went on. They were not allowed to use the stock carbon wheels, even though they had been used in previous years, and were not allowed to use forged wheels that you can order from BMW with the bike because they are factory options and not the stock option? Something seems a bit odd about this and it's not a good look to lose those bikes and riders from the event.
No idea mate. Does seem a right cluster doesn’t it. the forged are an option but you have to pay for them. Not sure how that’s viewed. Pretty sure the stk1000 bikes run the forged ones
It's a farce. Not sure what to think. The rules are published and should be understood, if it states no carbon wheels then I'd have thought the fho mob would have known it, obviously not though. I assume seeley had forged wheels? If as Advikaz says above, forged wheels are an option then It's a massive oversight by the fho team. It's a mess no matter what, shame not to see hHicky and Brookes not lining up on the big bikes. Hicky still on his trumper but i think Brookes is now travelling home. On a more cheerful note, that 600 race was stellar! Made me want to be there in the hedgerows.
The fact that somebody got away with breaking the rules previously is not a justification for breaking rules again now.
Away from the safety issues and concerns with carbon wheels, there’s not really anything gained by using them anyway as the carbons aren’t really any lighter than the forged ones. So it’s not like anything was gained previously. It is a proper shit show though, it’s not even like NW organisers can use the excuse of it being last minute organised, if they’ve been used in the past. Stuff like this isn’t good for the sport of road racing that’s already struggling for insurance
