Isle of Man TT…

[Buffalo Bill]

Those Irish races sound just as fabulous!

Sorry to hear about Robert Dunlop, just got to know about him from the TT 2002 DVD. In that he talks about how his bike was the fastest in the NW 200 and so could win the TT. But it developed a cracked head, so he only finished 3rd, (not for the rest of us to feel disappointed if that were our result).
Do they let the public sample the courses on their own bikes?
Bill

[oldgrumpy]

Tt races ....

hi guys ,,,the story goes as such... that joey dunlop.. who was a true road bike champion,, he used to actually walk the course to check the road,, anyway,, he came to australia and visiting queensland ,,somewhere a dealer racer loaned him a road reg. bike to ride soooo joey rode off.. and pretty soon his was pulled up by a upset cop ..that came up to him ,,and said who do you think you are,,, joey dunlop... with ,,,,er, yes i am,,, and needles too say the story did end well at that time ... regards david

[Buffalo Bill]

They say lightning never strikes the same place twice…

hi guys ,,,the story goes as such... that joey dunlop.. was pulled up by a upset cop ..that came up to him ,,and said who do you think you are,,, joey dunlop... with ,,,,er, yes i am,,, and needles too say the story did end well at that time ... regards david

Oops, I heard the same story about Sterling Moss…
Or did I see that in a Road and Track cartoon?
I bet it'll' never happened to me! …

[Johnny Drummond]

Hey guys back again now that my little girl has gone to bed!,Yeah there are lots of stories like that here about Joey, my favourite was told by Liam Beckett(his mechanic) they were trying to set up the Aaron slight engine that Honda gave him for the 2000 TT, and he left the house to go up and down the road and went screaming past the police, no lights or any legal niceties so he went into someones farm yard to wait for a dressing down, but was surprised that no-one showed.That's because the police had gone to his house and said to Liam "Joeys just gone past us,absoluty flying.We thought about chasing him but new we'd never catch him-wish him luck from all the lads in the station for the TT"!!.Robert died 2 days after he crashed in practice for the North West 200 in 2008, unfortunatley for his family it was caught on webcam that the television had set up for the races.His son Michael went out on the saturday and won the 250 race on a bike that his dad set up for him,when he crossed the line everyone and I mean everyone was in tears, the course commentator was so choked up he just stammered for a few seconds then went silent.Yes Bill you can ride the circuits-because for 362 days a year mums take their kids to school,the postman delivers letters-you get the idea, so if you know how they go you can ride them as many times as you like!! that is one of the many reasons that racing is so popular here,some people even buy specific houses so they can sit in their garden and watch the guys rub their leathers on the walls/gateposts on raceday.Johnny

[Charlie G]

Heh heh heh, you didn't think I'd miss this thread did you Charlie?, glad to hear you plan to come over, how did you get on with my suggestion of renting a classic bike?. The only advice I can give you is to bring sun screen&good waterproofs and carry them to each race as you can need both on the same day!,if you just want to go to the smaller events-the North West attracts 100,000 plus every year either of the races you mentioned are good starting points pity the Cookstown is in April and the Bush is in June! as I said to you before if you want to see both types of race ie. National and International in the same small time frame come in August as the Armoy races and the Ulster Grand Prix are on consecutive weekends, there is a whole week of events and practice sessions at the Ulster leading up to raceday so you can come back home from the Bush on Saturday and then go to Dundrod( the village beside the race circuit) on Monday to get around the course on Monday.It should also be of interest to any fan of the TT to see if you can find pictures of it's most successful rider Joey Dunlops memorial garden, they have now added one for his brother Robert beside, his which is in Ballymoney beside Joey's bar-and we WILL be going there if you make it Charlie-ok?.Johnny

Joey's Bar ....Now that sounds like a plan. Still working on the classic bike hire. Most of what I've found rates as high as newer models, of course we're talking Bsa, Triumphs and Nortons. Not what I really need. An old SV 650 would be fine. Great stories about Joey Dunlop.

cg

[Johnny Drummond]

Thought that might interest you!!, it has most of his trophies in there,also his present from Honda for his loyalty to the brand- the full works RC45-that HRC GAVE to him at the end of the season!!!, can't see Rossi getting an M8 free from Yamaha can you?. I only met Robert once and it will stay with me forever, I was at a motorcycle show over here and went for a smoke and saw him and one of his sons sitting in a corner at 2 tables so I went over because that is where the ashtrays were,I asked if he minded that my wife and I sat down and he said no that was ok-only one problem, 4 people and only 3 chairs.He said "here have my chair" I didn't want to take it from him as I knew to look at him he was sore from standing all day(check to see if you can find footage of his crash on the Isle of Man in 1994 and you'll see why I say this) he replied "don't worry about it-I'm not going to get any taller" then asked me for a light!- what a guy.Ok Charlie Joeys bar is counted as an official tourist destination and while we are up there I can show you the Armoy circuit and some really nice roads on the way back to ours-that is if you want to stay with us?. Johnny

[DMorris]

Hi Gyus, the TT is a unique event in terms of difficulty and distance but here in Ireland-North and South,we have just as long a history of racing on public roads. I grew up beside such a track (now sadly not run) and went to my first race aged 3 and 36 years later I still get to as many as I can ,usually 5 or 6 out of the 16 race season.I have been trying to "encourage" Charlie over for some of the races here that are great value compared to the likes of World Super Bikes or MOTO GP, how does 13 races in a day featuring everything from full works spec superbikes to Manx Nortons for a £10 entry fee- (you also get a program of all the races of the day and rider profiles as part of this) sound good?, you can in most of the national races (the North West 200 and the Ulster Grand Prix are international events) walk around the paddock and chat to the racers and have a good look at the machines for the best price I've heard of-FREE so go on come over between April and September and have some fun standing a foot away from these machines!- and NO I don't work for the tourist board-OK!!!, here are 2 photos to get you going. Also look up www.roadracingireland.com in Feburary-March to get the dates of all the races.Johnny

Damn, Johnny.
You've gone and gotten an old man thinking about a new vacation destination!

[Charlie G]

Thought that might interest you!!, it has most of his trophies in there,also his present from Honda for his loyalty to the brand- the full works RC45-that HRC GAVE to him at the end of the season!!!, can't see Rossi getting an M8 free from Yamaha can you?. I only met Robert once and it will stay with me forever, I was at a motorcycle show over here and went for a smoke and saw him and one of his sons sitting in a corner at 2 tables so I went over because that is where the ashtrays were,I asked if he minded that my wife and I sat down and he said no that was ok-only one problem, 4 people and only 3 chairs.He said "here have my chair" I didn't want to take it from him as I knew to look at him he was sore from standing all day(check to see if you can find footage of his crash on the Isle of Man in 1994 and you'll see why I say this) he replied "don't worry about it-I'm not going to get any taller" then asked me for a light!- what a guy.Ok Charlie Joeys bar is counted as an official tourist destination and while we are up there I can show you the Armoy circuit and some really nice roads on the way back to ours-that is if you want to stay with us?. Johnny

Sounds like a good plan Johnny.

cg

[Ross]

Jonny, you say a large commercial even is not your cup of tea..?
ahh.. the entire Island and half of Europe will be there for the IOM. take him to the Northwest 200 maybe less crowded.. I have on many sites proclaimed Joey Dunlop to be the greatest motorcycle racer to ever lift a leg over. I always add, To anyone who will post up the little Italian Rossi. As a equal foe..Dunlop did it in every size bike all in the same day. On many occasions. Then the BIG spread is,.. Rossi gets into a corner way too hot.. he goes off into a perfectly manicured sand trap. Gives you a pretty safe way out even when you make a mistake. That is GP racing all controled with no fear in the back of your mind should you get too aggressive. In TT racing,...
you mis an entrance or an exit by 1 inch... death is almost certain. Joey could do what Rossi does, but Rossi could never do what Joey did.

[shedman1300]

My wife and i went over last year. We hired a 08 Triumph Bonnie for two days and did a few laps of the curcuit. plus rode everywhere we could in a couple of days.
I was even held up and then passed a GSXR1000 on the twistys with the biggest chicken strips i have ever seen
Would have to be the most enjoyable moment in riding that i have done.

[Johnny Drummond]

Hi Shedman,You would'nt believe how many bikes over here are like that!-I guess that you are in Perth New South Wales,Australia not Perth Scotland? I've lost count of those people going screaming past me on their new CBRZXRRGSXRYZFR whetever then at the first hint of a corner the back end's snaking around/ almost in the air as they slam on the brakes to go round a kink in the road only to scream off into the distance again-okay I'm exaggerating(slightly) but you know what I mean. But 1st prize in the idiot stakes are a pair my mates and I saw at the North West 200 4 years ago- they squeaked around all day in full Dianese race suits&boots carrying at least £500 of Arai helmets and when the races were over we followed them to see just what they were riding, just for a laugh-and boy did we laugh when they went to a beat up family saloon, lifted the boot, took their boots off, put the helmets in the bags and got in, the driver took off his pristine knee sliders just so he could drive home!!!! A%^*&@#~s.Johnny

[Big T]

Anyone planning to go should go next spring (2011)

It's the 100 year aniverssary and they have a big show planned

http://www.iomtt.com/TT-2011.aspx

Go to the link above for lots of info on racing and attending

[Buffalo Bill]

Manx Grand Prix…

Anybody here attend the Manx Grand Prix, or even race in it themselves?
Sounds like a fabulous event to be a part of.

“The Manx Grand Prix motorcycle races are held on the Isle of Man TT Course (or 'Mountain Circuit') every year for a two-week period usually spanning the end of August and early September. The 'MGP' or 'Manx' (as it is more commonly known) is considered to be the amateur riders' alternative to the Isle of Man TT Races held in May and June.”
Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Manx_Grand_Prix

[Ross]

I think the reason why he was so admired and had such a huge fan base was because he didnt see himself as anyone special. He was just regular guy the way he saw it. To his fans he was a legend. To a fan being able to walk up and say hello to him was something special. His passing devastated so many because a lot of people felt that they knew him. He made you feel that way if you did. Try speaking to some of the premadonas in GP or NASCAR. I meet two legends in racing that could compare. Big Daddy Don Garlits, and the King Richard Petty. Both down to earth real people. Made you feel welcome like they had knew you.
One thing I found mind boggling about Joey and his skill level. Was that he was a very heavy smoker until he hit 40 years old. A lot of the older footage will show him on the grid having a smoke. This was normally after he had ran the 125 & 250's getting ready for the TT. Anyone who has road raced knows it is very physical. they say he would get so tuned in thinking about the laps, he never got tiered.

[downsyred]

Joey Dunlop

Joey Dunlop was the best ! went to visit his statue in port rush when visiting the Northwest 200 in Northern Ireland in 2006 ( see photo attached) I was even wearing the same boots as he used to wear !
Isle of Mann too expensive , stayed at Bed and breakfast in Bushmills Brilliant ! great place ,great beer, great people and great hospitality and the racing was pretty good too