IOM TT Fastest lap

Incredible isn't it? Just don't make the mistake I did and watch it on the big telly after a few cans left me feeling quite all over the place!

On a stocker too!

Special stocker with aero and carbon wheels! But till amazing!

Just don’t make the mistake I did and watch it on the big telly after a few cans left me feeling quite all over the place

Went one better and tried it on the vr, then found some 360 on boards

Amazing and insane, so visceral. Utmost respect for anyone who races there.

The course is pretty bumpy in places and the speeds they ride it at are just incomprehensible.

I used to really enjoy the TT, both watching it and visiting. But the death toll is just too much and the constant need to break the course speed record is only going to lead to further deaths.

One thing that always struck me, was at the end as finished riders come in, there are their families there to welcome them back. Wife, kids even babies. 'Oh look, daddy made it home alive'

Sorry for the bummer, but exciting as it is, it is an amateur race and thats the majority of the competitors. Nowhere should you risk death just for a bit of a tin trophy or certificate of completion.

It's complicated that... Nobody's doing it for sensible career reasons, it's always a passion thing. But it's still brutal to see. Like, think of Michael Dunlop, incredible racer from an incredible family of incredible dead racers. And that nw200 when his dad died... Ah, heartbreaking but also kind of amazing. I don't like it and I decided eventually to stop watching, but could you take it away from them?

Watched it last night, it's so far above what I could comprehend doing that it just seems other-worldly.

As for the danger side, it's one of the last gladiatorial events left. No-one is forced to do it, everyone is there because they want to. That takes into account their assessment of the risks, their their attitude to the consequences and the effect on their families. The only time I feel like they're idiots for doing it is when you hear of their family asking and even pleading them to not do it, then it becomes a risk too far.

Whilst every death is not good for everyone involved if you took the TT away these riders would just find something else to risk their lives doing.

Absolutely mind boggling, I've only been round the circuit on a couple of occasions & just thinking about taking into account the change in wind, surface grip & lighting conditions that can occur between each lap is enough to fry my brain.

Was chatting to a retired nurse at the Manx GP last year, she usually leaves the island during racing weeks but had to stay this year because of her own health issues, it's the knock on effects of racers crashing that can sadly have lasting effects on others too

@dyna-ti I think you've missed the point of the TT. The top few may be out there to chase wins and records, and dare I say it fame and legend, but trust me, the rest are there for pure enjoyment.

I've lost two good mates through racing the TT, and I've got mates that still race. I think it's an incredibly special event and I am glad so many others feel the same so they can pull so many volunteers to run it.

Yes it's high risk and there is a scary death toll, but the riders are there because they want to be there. No one ends up on that start line unless they really want it.

I had a good chat with a racer recently who has two young kids. Before they had their first he'd told his partner he had no intentions of stopping racing as he literally lives for racing the mountain circuit. He only races short circuit so that he's ready to race the roads, otherwise he has no interest in it. In his eyes it's a different sport, probably like a mountain biker would compare DH and XC.

@dickyboy There's also plenty of healthcare professionals from around the UK that choose to work on the Island for the fortnight because they want to be involved.

Watched that vid earlier. Really appreciate his skill as a rider, it’s truly remarkable that he managed a lap at that average speed, unbelievable. And that bike sounds bloody amazing.

I watched a IOM on board footage a few years back that had the speed and revs overlay and it’s just incredible the speeds they are racing at - on roads through villages etc.

I remember the first time a racer managed the first 100mph lap and I know that bikes have just got better and better, but an average speed of 136 mph - freakin’ hell. Hats off to him, A M A Z I N G.

I stopped taking much interest after David Jeffries died - because the marshals didn’t have radios. Mental.

Doesn’t detract from what the riders achieve though, they are absolutely amazing.

I enjoy a bit of risk with my fun, I’ve accepted a few broken bones along the way. But this is so far beyond that, their focus must be incredible.

If you haven't already, check out Dave Hewson,  Obsession Engineering on YT....  excellent coverage and insight  from the paddock and pit wall.

A bit of perspective is needed here.  There are a lot of idiots on public roads who drive and ride in the most selfish possible way and kill themselves and a lot of innocent bystanders as well.  The TT is a closed road circuit that those with proven skill and expertise can challenge themselves whilst those that barely comprehend look on.

We don’t have the same qualms about mountaineering, or climbing, yet there isn’t the same degree of collective hand wringing about either of those sports. One mountain, Everest, has an annual death toll of 5-10 people a year and that is also a commercial, licensed money making activity.

The people that do the TT love it.  They know the risks and so do we, yet still they go and we watch.  Nobody is making them do it and just because you wouldn’t and would prefer them not to is not a reason to stop it.  If we collectively stop going, or the racers all decide not to go then it will stop.  Until then it is one of those events that is unique and have to be experienced in person to really understand the mentality.  I for one am glad it still exists, in a  world that often seeks to limit such activities.

As long as the riders aren’t being coerced by their sponsors and teams against their will, then I’m all for it.

an incredible part of motorsports history, and one I’m happy to see keep going, even if I feel I lack the knowledge to fully appreciate it