Anyone travelling to watch it this year? Who’s in the running? Will the weather be kind? Thought I’d start a proper “TT” thread.

Can’t see past Dunlop now he’s signed up for Tyco.

Seriously considering whether to go as foot pax just for a day or two, as my 11 year old is bike mad.  Sadly the other half won’t let me take him on back of R1 yet ☹️

Not followed that closely in recent years but feels like McGuinness may be past his prime, and let’s face it has nowt left to prove.  Dunlops, Michael especially, are proper nuts!!

I’ll be there again on my pushbike for a few days.

Main protagonists on the Superbikes? Michael Dunlop,Hickman, Harrison & Brookes.

It would be fantastic to see McGuiness take the Norton to victory but he only hung up his crutches the other week,so there’s a big doubt over his fitness. Hutchy’s still on crutches…

In the 600’s McGuiness is riding a bike built for him by Michael Dunlop.

The Suter V4 two stroke is back again, with Ian Lougher on board.

I’ll be returning for the Manx GP/Classic TT week in August.Like lots of people I prefer this to the TT, I’ll be on my Street Triple for that week.Last year Brookes got within 5 seconds of Hislops fastest lap on the Norton rotary before it expired.He’s on it again this year against a host of RC30’s,ZX7’s & other early nineties superbikes..

Sadly Dan Kneen lost his life last night in Superbike qualifying. He’d been going very well in practice too.

i saw the death of Dan Kneen mentioned on instagram this morning, but nothing on the BBC pages which i found surprising. I’m just a casual Moto fan but Its a hell of a blow to read non the less. The guys who do this are incredible.

It’s on the BBC website. Another rider was in a collision with a course car that was attending to Dan Kneen, airlifted to hospital but no further updates.

Awful news last night

Usual nonsense from the BBC this morning on R5, reported Dan’s death, but nothing else about him. Same every year, no interest in the place at all until someone dies. Completely disrespectful.

Rest in peace Dan.

I’ve just been reading that Steve Mercer has sustained serious injuries after a crash with the course car that had attended Dan Kneels crash.

Mercer’s wife Caroline wrote on social media: “I’m sorry to say Steve has sustained serious injuries this evening following an accident on his way back to the Grandstand.

“He has been flown to Liverpool where he will be assessed further to ascertain the full extent of his injuries.”

Seems like a very lively start for the wrong reasons. Utmost respect to everyone that does this amazing event.

And RIP Dan. That was a hell of a qualifying lap he had put in. Over 132mph.

Ah man, didn’t teareal it was Steve Mercer that was down. Hopefully he pulls through.

Looks like Dean Harrison is topping all the superbike qualifying. 133.462mph on Tuesday.

That’s impressive.

Dan Kneen & Connor Cummins are the two high profile Manx riders so regarding the event, losing one of them will put a shadow over things.It’s devastating for Kneen’s family & friends,but with the TT being what it is the other teams & Kneen’s team mate (Michael Dunlop) will all line up giving it 100% every time they’re out there.

If you don’t know there was another incident last night in the same practice session,involving one of the Superbike riders colliding with a Course car on track near Balacrye,the rider was airlifted from the scene.

McGuiness obviously isn’t riding as his leg cracked again, & William Dunlop withdrew for personal reasons & is taking time out aiming for the Ulster GP

We get the overnight ferry tonight,mates on pushbikes,me I’m walking this time.We don’t take the motorcycles as the place is over run with Go Pro wearing Power Ranger’s,(there’ll be more incidents involving the Power Ranger’s than the actual racer’s)

Mad as the event is,if you’re a fan of bike racing it should be on your ‘Bucket List’.I just hope the sun’s out,last year was a wet affair…

I’m flying over on Tuesday with my youngest to watch on the Wednesday then back home Thursday.

Not been since the early nineties and will feel odd not being on a bike!

Have booked into the grandstand as we’re only there for the day – a far cry from my Mad Sunday days – used to be up early for a couple of 7am laps then park up and watch the crashes!!!

Quite interested to see what the TT zero is like.

Those Mugen Zero’s are quick!

Last year the commentator said the fastest Zero was faster through the speed trap than any Supertwin!

I’ve also read that they’re very heavy compared to a petrol engined bike.

I’m going over on the Saturday 10pm ferry with the MTB’s and returning on thursday.  My fifth year in a row.

Gutted about Dan Kneen, he was one of the riders i followed and really believed he had a good shot a podium, and even possibly a win this year. Its been a while since one of the top riders lost their lives. I believe that Steve Mercer is on the verge of retiring, so really hope this isn’t one TT too far.

The way things are going there will a 134 mph lap as the course will be well rubbered from the forecast good weather. Difficult to look past Harrison and Dunlop at the moment, with hillier, hickman, johnson, cummins making up the podium places. Hutchinson seems off the pace, which is understandable, so i dont thing he’ll figure as the TT has come too early for him.

Will be a strange TT with McGuiness, Anstey, W Dunlop, G Martin and now Dan Kneen missing

True, feels like a generation shift this year.

Been a fan of Bruce for years, not heard much recently, but what I have heard wasn’t great.

Fingers crossed.

Didn’t know about Bruce being ill, that really is a shit stick for him and his family to deal with.

RIP to any riders and visitors who leave or have left us 😞 this year.

Rusty Spanner
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Awful news last night

Usual nonsense from the BBC this morning on R5, reported Dan’s death, but nothing else about him. Same every year, no interest in the place at all until someone dies. Completely disrespectful.

Rest in peace Dan

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We stayed at his parent’s holiday cottage last year and I asked his (step) dad how the hell they cope with him (and his brother) riding. He said it was difficult but they just immerse themselves with helping out.

Really sad news and my thoughts go out to his family.

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Now this is a controversial opinion I know – but maybe its time the TT made some significant changes to reduce the amount of deaths.

It’s a really tricky one. I don’t see how, other than stopping it or slowing it down. I don’t think there will be much enthusiasm for either from the participants or the spectators (including myself).

and how do you do that on a 37.75 mile road circuit?

The riders know the risks yet they choose to compete.

Now this is a controversial opinion I know – but maybe its time the TT made some significant changes to reduce the amount of deaths.

I think this gets discussed most years when somebody dies, sadly it doesn’t seem possible on a road circuit as it would mean removing every kerb, dry stone wall and creating a safe runoff on the fast corners. Essentially creating a race track and then it wouldn’t be road racing, it would be short track racing.

I guess its time the collective had a sensible conversation about it and I’m not the man to make those decisions.

But to put it in perspective – if 3 GP riders were dying every other round we’d be up in arms about it.

To answer your point teenrat – yes they know the risks, however if you are a pretty average supersport racer in the UK and someone drops £50k down every year for you to head off round the island, perhaps that pays your mortgage for a few years you might put the risks to the back of your mind.  No one has a gun to their head granted, but neither are people lining up to sign ‘X’ rider to ride BSB or SBK every weekend and a ‘safer’ wage.

My point of view is controversial – I am a fan and (have been) a circuit racer, my father named me and my sister after places on the circuit so my enthusiam for bike racing is life long.  However – F1 and MotoGP changed and reduced the deaths to practicaly zero and the fans didn’t leave – there is no reason the TT would finish, just because the race is changed.

Just checked – From the TT and MGP – 59 people have died competing since 2000.

How does that figure compare to other sports over the same time frame? Not looking for a straw man argument just interested. Deaths in rugby, football, boxing and even athletics.

It’s an argument which has been had many times over – rightly or wrongly the death of another racer this year won’t change the debate.  The reality is that it wouldn’t be allowed anywhere else (Irish road circuits aside) and the reason why it continues I am sure is largely down to the dependence of the islands economy on it.  I think there have been suggestions of building a short circuit in the past but I just don’t think people would put the effort in to visit for that.

Having said that I don’t think the inherent risks of road racing should blind us to the fact that where it can be made safer it should be…

The money on offer for most people who race there is negligible so I don’t think that has any bearing on the matter.

Well you would only compare deaths while competing at an actual event surely?

then you would have to adjust to deaths per 100 competitors?

im not an expert, clearly.

however, none of these guys are forced to do it, it’s up to them if they compete.

and the islanders (by all accounts) love the event, so let them carry on i say.

i am very much an armchair fan, but it seems to me that it is inherently dangerous, and if anyone doesn’t like it, well they don’t have to watch.

Gets done every time someone unfortunately dies. Road racing has, is, and always will be, very dangerous, and everybody involved knows this. Some people are drawn to this type of sport, and if the TT isn’t there, I’m sure they’d find something else to do. My heart goes out to the friends and families of the people who die, but most of them admit that you’d never be able to drag the riders away.

I have stated my opinion on the T T for many years, hate it. To many deaths and serious injuries. I personally know 5 people who were killed or badly hurt on the Island.

I would ban the big bikes, just too fast now.

Yes I know people always say you can’t stop the racers from wanting to do it, fare enough but you have to save people from themselves sometimes.

I know there are deaths pretty much every year, but hadn’t realised the extent of deaths over the years on the course!

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Snaefell_Mountain_Course_fatalities

uselesshippy – Unfortunately a similar argurment was used in F1 and GP motorcycle racing in the 60s and 70s and it did change.  Both sports are far more sucessful since those changes.

5% of racers going out for the TT wont come home in 1 peice.

You’re right, the racers love it and the families wouldn’t want it any other way – These guys dont have a death wish, none of them are wanting to kill themselves round there – ALL of them believe its not going to be them.  They are not going to take up an equally high risk sport because the TT is no longer running in the same way.

I wonder how far the electric bikes have come in performance this year, last year they were pretty good so hoping they will be easier and faster this year.

TV coverage is ITV4 9pm as usual..

You can’t make it safer, you either have to cancel it or let it run. Given there is virtually bugger-all prize money, it’s hard to see how the riders are there through sponsor or financial pressure.

my father named me and my sister after places on the circuit so my enthusiam for bike racing is life long.

I’m hoping that means Michael and Helen rather than Bungalow and Gooseneck.

Thems that take part know the risks, so do their families. If you don’t like it or agree with it, then ignore it. People throw themselves out of perfectly good airplanes every day in the name of hobbies/past times/sports, whatever you want to call it and nobody bats an eyelid. Make it a motorbike and it’s all “won’t somebody think of the children”

As I’m sure you can guess, I love it. I don’t want to see anyone killed or injured, but at least they died loving what they did, not sat in an office doing something they hate for a person they despise. We should all be so lucky

Watched TT Blues last night. I don’t ride but am a fan. Even so, to put the mortality rate into perspective, it’s about the same rate as climbing Everest. That’s high for a participation sport.

Only just realised the Palace Lido is gone!  Shows how long it’s been since I was last there!  Had some wild nights in there – Dr Feelgood and Steve Gibbons band in particular stand out (not that I remember much of them)…

For me it was always about the vibe as much as the racing.

How awful is Jodie Kidd at presenting. Talk about reading from a script

News today seems slightly more positive for Mercer so let’s hope he pulls through OK.

Seems he was riding (wrong way) back to grandstand when he collided with the course car.  The inherent danger of road racing is one thing, but I have to say this seems unacceptable.  A new red flag process has now been put in place with all riders staying where they are until collected.

Tomboy, that was my big concern when I heard. There is no way a rider should be able to come into contact with a course vehicle. I think race control and the marshals do a fantastic job but there was obviously a flaw in procedures there. RIP Dan and best wishes to Steve Mercer and both families.

Jesus H Christ. And I thought Mick Doohan was nails…

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/motorsport/44083363