Isle of Mann TT

[Suzsmokeyallan]

Video showing some TT action, mostly POV from the riders perspective. Note at around 1:34 a bike crashes just ahead of a rider and burst into flames while that rider slides along the road. The on board camera shows the following rider simply riding through the flames, picking a new line around the fallen rider and continuing without any fuss. You've got to have your wits around you at all times when on the TT course.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vx1LAaJdrRE" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[GT750Battleship]

Put the Isle Of Man on your "bucket list" any form of bike racing there is terrific ! but the TT is rather special,the atmosphere & the event itself have to be experienced ! How the "top men" manage to get round the course at the speeds they do..is something you must see for yourself, & not from your lounge room !!! PS Love the DVD's from Duke Videos,good to see these come out so quickly after the event every year..

Cheers,
GT750Battleship.

[tz375]

Any video of the IOM is worth watching. That one has a lot of older footage and the video is a year and a half old already. The fire was Guy Martin I believe and he is one lucky fellow. Did you see Closer to the Edge?

[Suzsmokeyallan]

Yes Richard, the posted date was Jan 2012 which means it was the 2011 TT or older, but still good POV on board action. I really must get my butt around there one of these years to see the action up close and personal.
It will be difficult to go and not ride the course, so that would have to happen as part of the deal.
Riding in those conditions at those speeds is not for the faint of heart, besides all of the rider related skills, it also requires 110% memory of the course to get around in a timely fashion.
Its usually not the fall that kills you, its what you hit before you finally stop that does the most damage.
Closer to the edge vids and the snippets from the main video are all on You Tube to have a look at.

[tz375]

If you have a multi region DVD player you can oredr a UK (or whatever) version of Closer to the Edge. It's interesting though Guy Martin is hard to understand

[GT750Battleship]

If you have a multi region DVD player you can oredr a UK (or whatever) version of Closer to the Edge. It's interesting though Guy Martin is hard to understand

Hi,I'm an Ozzie,don't have a problem with Guy's accent,every time I've been to the UK, I get accused of talking to fast
Cheers,
GT750Battleship.

[tz375]

I'm a pommie and I still have a problem with his accent.

[MikeH1A]

Thanks for posting that. Found myself being fascinated but also terrified on their behalf I'm always intrigued by the abilities of such folk, not just the bike handling skills but also the amazing cognitive skills and abilities. Watching the images in real time gives an idea of just how focused they have to be, you get a sense of how fast their mental processing is - to take in the relevant information at such speed and coordinate all the body's parts such as eye, hand, foot, weight distribution. Mind boggling to us lesser mortals I say Interestingly, there is some neat research coming out now in the human sciences around the thrill seeking gene. This suggests that there may be some important differences between such fellas and us average cabbages that go beyond the size of our respective gonads

[GT750Battleship]

Just finished watching The World's Fastest Indian yet again,great movie,great guy !
Cheers,
GT750Battleship.

[MikeH1A]

Yep, one of the real characters of motorcycling ... and life. Love the way he approached what he was doing, didn't see that it couldn't be done and had a never ending acceptance and belief that he'd get there in the end. Plus, we now know how to make lemon trees grow

[titan performance]

The TT never ceases to amaze me, and i have been nearly 30 times ! It's magic, and I shall go all the while I can draw breath.
This year we met a guy from Australia, who had shipped his bike over for the TT fortnight, it cost a good few quid, but he was so amazed by the place, he said he would be back......so if you guys who live further afield manage to make it, and I hope you do, prepare to come again, as once will not be enough.
On the down side, the UK has become so over run with health and safety, that the circuit riding experience has been heavily sanitised as the years have gone by. Back in the 80s, the circuit was mostly unlimited, but now, the Mountain section between Ramsey and Douglas, is the only section where you can seriously get your head down. Its about a 7 mile blast over mooreland, and the road is in great condition of course, but to ride near 30 miles for those 7 can be tedious.
If anyone is seriously thinking of a visit, and needs any help at all, don't hesitate to ask me......I will assist if I can, even if it's only places to spectate ! But be warned, transport and accomodtaion is not easy to find, so you need to be booking a full 12 months in advance.