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Isle of Man TT


hopz

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Just an FYI...

 

Hi race fans... I look forward every June to enjoy the Isle of Man TT race... the time is here.

 

Apparently the Velocity channel will be covering all the races this year. If you have DISH and if I recall correctly that their channel 246.

 

I do not have info on other providers.

 

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I've been watching on Velocity channel. Scary fast! and the death count is proof. 3 died already and it is half over. One split second loss of concentration and it can be curtains; only a few places on the track where one can relax for a few seconds, safely- at 190 mph! pull off a tearoff, take a sip of water. It was always a dangerous race and no less so, today.

 

Larry

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I can't imagine the courage it takes to ride that island!! Now if I could only understand half of what they are saying.

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Bill_Walker

In the Superstock race, one of the riders, I think it was Hickman, had to "reboot" his S1000RR mid-race. The onboard camera shot shows him, at the entry to a low-speed corner, reaching up and turning the key off and back on again! He still finished on the podium, and in the post-race interview, he said his quick-shifter and, I think, traction control stopped working.

 

The BMWs were the only bikes I saw that still had the factory ignition switch. I'm guessing it's impossible to bypass the "smart" key functions while remaining within the Superstock rules.

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I saw that tank slapper too! And that's WITH a steering damper I believe. Incredible that he didn't crash there. I love the Isle of Man TT, but it's amazing to me in this age that an event where 3-4 die a year is still allowed to go on. A lot of the less famous riders are little more than amateurs. They are either fearless, dumb or both. It's riveting television though--especially to a motorcycle rider. The top riders are just amazing to watch.

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Don't get me wrong--I despise bull fighting, but you don't see 3-4 bull fighters die in one event. (Although I do root for the bull).

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All the riders know the danger that comes with competing in the TT. They are not stupid or looking to die, it is how they chose to live their life. Motorcyclists are killed everyday in the US and around the world. It could happen to any of us. Are you going to quit riding because of this?

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Bill_Walker

From 1949 to 1976, the TT was the British round of the FIM World Championship. Following safety concerns with the Snaefell Mountain Course and problems over inadequate 'start-money' for competitors, a boycott of the Isle of Man TT races occurred from the early 1970s by many of the leading competitors, motorcycle manufactures and national motorcycle sporting federations.

 

So, yeah, lots of people have a problem with how dangerous it is. But there's a whole racing series run in Northern Ireland on public roads, and I don't think it's the only one.

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All the riders know the danger that comes with competing in the TT. They are not stupid or looking to die, it is how they chose to live their life. Motorcyclists are killed everyday in the US and around the world. It could happen to any of us. Are you going to quit riding because of this?

 

On any given day I could die riding but the danger of 206mph in the TT civilian-street circuit (which is not MotoGP or a designed/maintained race track) compared to leisure street or GS riding, or even motocross, is apples/oranges. I'm not a nanny -- these guys do what they gotta do I guess. Flying off an Isle of Man cliff at extreme speed is one way to quit riding but "it could happen to any of us" is not apt, IMO.

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Very true. Risk is a part of motorcycling, no doubt, even for us. It's a matter of where you draw the line. If, say, 10 riders died a year would you be okay with it? What about half the riders? What if everyone except the winner is killed? I'm just st surprised in this day and age that 3-4 deaths per year is considered acceptable. You don't see that in many YEARS in moto GP.

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It is the rider's decision as to whether he rides in the TT or not. They all know the roads and the dangers that come with riding at the speeds they do. No one points a weapon at the rider and says ride. MotoGP riders and other make the decision to not ride and they see it as to dangerous, but that is their decision, just as most people who drive cars and do not ride motorcycles chose this form of transportation because they see any motorcycle as dangerous. Interesting discussion.

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I hear you. Not to get too deep, but in most societies suicide is illegal--and in most states so is assisted suicide. All I'm saying is that it depends where you draw the line on acceptable risk for an activity. Right now on the Isle of Man it is acceptable for 3-4 riders to die per year racing. I think if the tt didn't have such a long history they would allow such risk in a newly developed race. I'm all for most personal liberties, but there does have to be some line drawn for acceptable risk I would think.

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The Bull never wins....

 

Once in a while it does...

 

 

Lorenzo the Bull didn't get any trophies. I think he owes his Mom an apology.

 

"Now the lineage of Lorenzo the bull is set to end. As tradition dictates, the rancher will send his mother cow to the slaughterhouse, reports Cultura."

 

Maybe there is something to be learned here that fixes the Isle of Man thingy. I propose new competition rules which do not infringe much on personal liberties. If you crash and die in the Isle of Man TT, we will send your Mum to North Korea to die by a proper artillery shelling. Kindly keep calm and carry on.

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I hear you. Not to get too deep, but in most societies suicide is illegal--and in most states so is assisted suicide. All I'm saying is that it depends where you draw the line on acceptable risk for an activity. Right now on the Isle of Man it is acceptable for 3-4 riders to die per year racing. I think if the tt didn't have such a long history they would allow such risk in a newly developed race. I'm all for most personal liberties, but there does have to be some line drawn for acceptable risk I would think.

 

Peter, isn't "acceptable risk" the responsibility of the individual? What's acceptable for me is probably waaaay down the list for TT riders. I appreciate your point but ultimately, it's the rider's choice, no? And I think that's what makes a free society, free.

 

btw, I'm a two time deer crash survivor so I've accepted a level of risk that balances with the continued enjoyment of my sport. Yes, I've thought about giving it up, but ultimately I came back each time. Just something about a Boxer motor going through the gears I guess:)

 

RPG

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Bill_Walker

I wonder whether it says anything about acceptance of risk that nearly all the competitors hail from the UK or former UK holdings: England, Northern Ireland, Republic of Ireland, Australia and New Zealand all feature prominently. If it weren't for the Aussies and Kiwis, I'd say it was just proximity.

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RPG, personal risk is part of the allure of motorcycling. The risk is part of what binds fellow riders. Non-riders cannot understand taking the risk or the appeal. It's a managed risk. Most on this forum take riding and its risk very seriously. We study and practice technique. We maintain our bikes and add safety farcles. But no matter how much we try to limit risk, a deer can still jump in front of us and make us crash.

Maybe tt riders are just willing to die for the thrill of the competition. Maybe 3-4 rider deaths per year is acceptable since the riders are voluntarily entering the race. But I can't imagine society permitting much more carnage than that. I watch the tt every year simply amazed at the riders skill and bravery. But if the death toll continues to increase as bikes continue to get faster and lighter, I think it will start to get ghoulish to watch. Imagine a death toll of 10, 15, 20 riders. Could you envision sponsors supporting such an event? Would you really want to watch something like that? Would any riders other than the truly suicidal enter such a race? Maybe. I just think if the death toll reaches much higher, either government will step in with regulations, or capitalistic forces will lead to a change the race.

But what do I know? Not too damned much. Cheers!

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Bill_Walker
But if the death toll continues to increase as bikes continue to get faster and lighter, I think it will start to get ghoulish to watch.

 

The death toll has been highly variable, but I'd say "continues to increase" is not a valid statement. I don't think there's been any statistically significant increase over time as bikes have gotten faster. There were 3 deaths this year. Counting only competitors and counting only the TT (deaths in May and June from this list, which also includes the Manx Grand Prix in September), and looking only at years with 3 or more deaths, there were:

3 deaths in 1948

5 in 1951

4 in 1953

3 in 1961

6 in 1970

5 in 1978

3 in 1985

4 in 1986

3 in 1988

5 in 1989

4 in 1991

4 in 1996

3 in 1998

4 in 1999

4 in 2000

3 in 2004

3 in 2011

4 in 2016

3 in 2017

 

It's quite a death toll, but it's hard to see any increasing trend in it.

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roadscholar
In the Superstock race, one of the riders, I think it was Hickman, had to "reboot" his S1000RR mid-race. The onboard camera shot shows him, at the entry to a low-speed corner, reaching up and turning the key off and back on again! He still finished on the podium, and in the post-race interview, he said his quick-shifter and, I think, traction control stopped working.

 

Reminds me of a race I had at Sebring in the 80's. At the start the gas pedal stuck wide open so I'd reach over and hit the kill switches (two separate ignitions) before each turn then flip them back on for the straightaways, managed to get it back to the pits. Talk about an on/off throttle : )

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Yeah Bill, data don't lie! I guess as speed increased, weight decreased, but brakes, suspension, safety equipment and rider skill compensated! Let's hope the death rate stays constant or goes down.

Cheers!

P

 

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DarkLeftArm

Anybody with questions about the Isle of Man and the TT should read "Riding Man" By Mark Gardiner. I'd never been to a motorcycle race before, but when I read this book, I needed to go there. The whole thing really reinforced my riding attitude. I strive daily to be a better rider. I'll never race, but some of the race mentality means maybe surviving to ride another day.

The motorcycle culture is so deeply ingrained in that part of the world, and particularly on the IOM, that I don't think the TT is going anywhere, any time soon.

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Anybody with questions about the Isle of Man and the TT should read "Riding Man" By Mark Gardiner. I'd never been to a motorcycle race before, but when I read this book, I needed to go there. The whole thing really reinforced my riding attitude. I strive daily to be a better rider. I'll never race, but some of the race mentality means maybe surviving to ride another day.

The motorcycle culture is so deeply ingrained in that part of the world, and particularly on the IOM, that I don't think the TT is going anywhere, any time soon.

 

Looks like I found my next book to read. :)

 

I too will never race but I learned a long time ago that Track Days, training, and constantly trying to improve my skills (especially as I age), gives me the best shot at surviving anytime I throw a leg over.

 

Thanks for the recommendation. :)

 

RPG

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I'm about 80% thru the Riding Man and really enjoying it. Thanks to DarkLeftArm for mentioning it. I know NOTHING about racing and this book has been informative & exciting.

Got it for Kindle, $9.99.

Turns out I can share it but only once and for only 14 days. More info here:

Amazon :

You can lend a Kindle book to another reader for up to 14 days. The borrower does not need to own a Fire tablet or Kindle e-reader and can read the book after downloading a free Kindle reading app

Please see my ad in the Classified section. :read:

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