Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunter's Campfire Isle of Man TT 2016

Its in the works, for me and my son, first week in June. My brother and two of my nephews are planning on making it too

'Case anyone is out of the loop; for a motorcyclist going to the Isle of Man TT races is like a pilgrimage and a lifelong dream.

'Spect I might even haul my bicycle to England while I'm at it and revisit my childhood haunts, and maybe even mosey around England, Scotland, Ireland, Normandy and Wales for a bit. The same 2,000 miles I did last summer will cover all those places, easily.

Tough world; can't go this summer 'cause I gotta chaperone some kids around the Tropics

Now, all of this TT stuff ain't actually happened yet and life can always get in the way, but in the meantime.... Dang! Life is sweet sometimes.

Birdwatcher

Sounds like a great adventure

You will enjoy it. A very good friend of mine and serious motorcycle enthusiast goes every few years.

Birdy! That will be great fun!!! Good on you!! Wifey and I miss the UK. We have several good friends in Scotland.

There is nothing on the planet that compares to the TT.

That is exactly the way I feel too











....skylarks and meadow pipits..... with the sublime wail of motorcycle engines echoing off of stone walls somewhere in the background

Back in the late 80's, I sent some time at the old RAF camp at Jurby Head on the IOM, and I can say you can keep the sh1t hole place, TT or no TT!

Over the years I've been asked to go over to watch the TT a fewtimes, but the memory of my previous time on the island is still too raw! lol

Be sure to try the local scallops, known as "Manx Queenies."

BTDT, and there ain't nothing on the planet compares to the IOM TT

First off, it seems important to know that four racers out of probably ~200 competitors died this year over a two week period.hey do everything they can to keep it as safe as they can short of shutting it down, but people do get killed pretty reg'lar in this event.

https://ultimatemotorcycling.com/2016/06/13/2016-isle-of-man-tt-recap-winners-fatalities/

And for those that missed my prior posts over the last year, this video gives the gist...



When you are there, on the island, the IOM TT is more than a series of motorcycle races, its a social event; an island in the Irish Sea 32 miles long and 13 miles wide, 86,000 people. Doesn't seem like a "biker" place at all, no "show us your tits", entirely different from Sturgis. Just a friedly community of 86,000 people for whom motorcycle racing is a part of their cultural tradition. The TT is 104 years old.

Got some pics with my new iphone, but plainly I ain't the photographer Leighton is.

The two week event runs last week in May/first week in June. Limiting factor in getting to the TT is getting on and off the island. You're already getting late booking the ferry or flight if you want to go next year. We flew into Heathrow Sunday 5th,took the three hour ferry from the little town of Heysham Tuesday afternoon. Had to leave on the 7am ferry Friday morning, the morning of the last day of racing. If we had missed that ferry we would have been on the island for about a week waiting for available space to open up, even tho we were foot passengers. That many people attend.

OK, random ferry pics. The attendees are overwhelmingly male, mostly over thirty, mostly British, mostly longtime motorcycle enthusiasts. Lots of tattoos, lots of guys who prob'ly have a story or two, but all in all about the most peaceable crowd you'd ever want to meet. Motorcycle people sharing a common passion.

Waiting to get on the ferry....



The lounge on board....



The view from deck of the Irish Sea, knocking off species I got gannet, kittiwake, razorbill and manx shearwater.....



Windmills, the Irish Sea is full of 'em....



From a distance, the first sign of Man are the cumulus clouds, clouds that form over land....




Then as you get closer the island emerges from the mist...




Birdwatcher

Thank you for posting this Birdwatcher!

sure have been a lot of deaths on the circuit this year.

Lucky chit. Just watching it makes me wet my pants.

That would be the town of Douglas, largest on the island, and the place where the ferries dock and the airplanes land.



Warmest temperature on record is 85F, in July I think a few years back. Like the rest of the British Isles only more so; figure 70 - 50 in the summer and 50-30 in the winter, a lot of rain, mostly intermittent. First week of the TT is for practice and dialing-in the bikes, second week is racing every other day, every other day to allow for rain days.

Weather was great this time around, but even so persistent mist at the higher elevations of the 37 mile course delayed the start of the races (scheduled for 10:30am??) about 90 minutes the day we were watching.

View from the boat pulling into the dock, the grandstand/start-finish line for the race course would be way back in the trees uphill of the waterfront maybe 75% over to the right of this photo...



Long line of motorcycles disembarking from the ferry, crowd of bikes to their right waiting to board for the trip back. I have no idea how many motorcycles arrive during the races, but they were all over the island, everywhere. A sprinkling of Harleys, but mostly Euro and Japanese brands, LOTS of classics.

The view from the sidewalk outside the front of the terminal....



Time was around 6:30pm, four hours of daylight remaining. At this point we weren't feeling too swift, we had no reservations, came in cold. Of the campgrounds around the course, the closest was St George's Football (Soccer) Club, which pitch is turned over for camping during the TT.

Our first goal was that one on account of it was the only one within a long walk (45 min) of the ferry. My worry was that if taxis weren't around or were too usurious like 5:30am Friday morning, we needed to be within walking distance. As it turns out, neither concern was merited.

We were on the tail end of the crowd getting off the boat and all the taxis were gone, but about 25 minutes later this gentleman showed up, our first introduction to the Manx



He could easily have gouged us, it ain't like we had many options, instead for both of us with our backpacks it was eight pounds, about $12. Friendly and informative as all get out, allayed our fears immediately, brung us to St George's and I believe surreptitiously gave the nod so we could get in.

Its an island, a small town really, everybody knows everybody. The guy who runs this campground during the races is also the Chief of Police. To put that in context, the crime rate on Man is spectacularly low, so much so the five police vehicles on hand are all civilian vehicles with metal magnetic decals attached. None have a cage to transport suspects, for that there's an SUV with a cage separating the luggage area.

Neither do they feel an obligation to pack the campground, preferring to preserve the pitch and have it quiet after hours. Hot showers and real flush toilets laid on, food wagon selling good food right there.



I wish I were more inclined to take photos of people. The guy running the food wagon was a sergeant in the IOM Constabulary (Police). Seen Braveheart? Take Gibson's big red-hairy buddy with the axe, shave his head and make him really, really pleasant and ya got an image of the guy. Him and his pretty blond co-worker/girlfriend from Poland.

The British Isles is full of attractive women from Poland. They come for the jobs and have a reputation as hard workers disinclined to accept the dole (food stamps/welfare etc.).

Anyhoo, the parking lot at St George's, motorcycle parking only, of course....




Gotta go watch England vs. Wales in the European Cup, hosted in France this year. Seems like there's been a resurgence this year in British football hooliganism.

More to the point the "Ultras" from Russia have been making headlines. Years ago England pioneered the "firms", that is organizations of football (soccer) fans that go to games specifically to brawl and riot.

Turns out this year the Russians have upped the ante. IME yer average Brit football hooligan looks about like what he is; a skinny working class lout with an attitude, especially when he takes his shirt off. The Russians all got prison tats and muscles, and allegedly all came equipped with brass knuckles and a plan. More than anything else they are supposed to hate Americans, and next to them the Brits.

Gotten to be hazardous wearing England team colors in France so they say, and naturally some among the British crowd are more'n willing to thump back.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/201...h-louts-and-russian-ultras-among-dozens/

I don't climb on the bicycle until next week, might still be awhile before I can get back online tho.

Birdwatcher

Never been a motorcycle guy but it's on my bucket list.


https://youtu.be/fcSnu-zyUl4

$2,500 return for everything from San Antonio gets your feet on the island.

$15 a night to camp, and that's during TT week. Cheap food, WONDERFUL beer, great conversation.

I expect this place is closer than you think, it was for me, shoulda done this years ago.

FRIENDLY people, no crime to speak of as we in the US understand the term, the IOM rocks and then some. Pretty too, I got some pics to post when I get time.

Birdwatcher

I have been watching that race for years. It has to be the most incredible motorized racing event that a man can enter.

I seriously don't think anything can compare.

+1 110% crazy. I get it, we rode dirt bikes way too fast for many years. Nothing to the extent these guys are doing but pushing the edge of control is exciting and addictive.

It's possibly the prettiest thing ever done with internal combustion.

Michael Dunlop laid down the fastest lap ever this year.

Here's what it looks like from the bike... Just amazes me a human can do this.

The helicopter is not keeping up with the bikes, on the long straights