Isle Of Man Tt

Unfortunately not but hope you enjoy and have a great time. Don't forget some sort of review with pictures to pi55 us off with envy

 

The first place I'm going when I retire...3 years

 

Do it now why wait when you don't know what's around the corner, Tempus fugit and all that.
Once retired you can always go back at a relaxed pace and take as long as you'd like

I've been in 1994, 2010, 2011, 2017 and still find new areas of interest

 

Can I make a recommendation for a poor weather day?
There is no point being up at the Bungalow etc when the weather is shi7e and visibility limited.
Before Crosby there is a fast, possibly 6th gear, left hander unfortunately of Jefferies fame, with a little chapel. The money raised goes towards the chapel roof etc. and they provide cheap hot/cold food, drinks, toilets and is just 2 metres or so off the racing line

What's not to like, you don't have to be religious and the food is spot on. If it rains between sessions go sit in the hall and parking is on the steep vicarage drive in the next garden

 

We went every year from '87 to '95 and also the MGP from '89 to '99 but not since. A lot of the seafront hotels around back then are now private flats apparently. On one particularly bad weather day at the MGP one year, we went on a pub crawl starting at Bushey's at one end of the Prom, to the Pub at the other end at the railway terminus, then caught the train to Laxey and on to Ramsey to sample some more hospitality. That's another option. Can't remember exactly how the day ended but we got back to the digs in Douglas, somehow!

 

Heading over tomorrow with the caravan for 3 weeks. Staying at a site near Kirk Michael. Got my Streetfighter V4S and Sp370 Suzuki in the van loaded up ready. V4 for the mountain and the SP to go for an ice cream with the missus
Very excited !!

 

SP370 now there's a blast from the past, any pictures?

 

Tight squeeze in the van lol!

 

Nice I remember them as a kid along with the TS 185ER, DT 175MX etc.

 

Lovely little bikes. This one has 4000 miles on it. Wish I was wearing that well for the age haha

 

Maybe it's just me imagining things but "proper" trail bikes seemed much more popular back then before the term "adventure bike" had been thought of. I cut my teeth on a DT250MX. XT 250 and 500's were the 4 stroke options from Yamaha but more expensive than the 2 smoke offerings. They all fetch good prices now in good clean condition.

 

Ah but, in those days the off road route availability and access was far greater than what it is now thanks to the CROW act; successfully reducing access not increasing it!!!
Rides set off from home collecting people along the way, not from hoardes of vans and trailers. No mobiles remember so prior planning was especially important.
Even with good local and map knowledge I've had many a day out with others leading and besides a few bits here and there very little clue as to where we were. There was a chap called "one armed Gordon" and he knew the Yorkshire Dales inside and out, very impressive knowledge. He had lost his right arm in a motorcycle accident years prior but it didn't stop him trail riding one bit. I could tell you a few stories about days out with him...... sadly he's now no longer with us after a further and final motorcycle accident.

 

Aahh yes, the good old CROW act, supposedly aimed at making access to the "countryside" easier but was a poison chalice as far as off road riding/driving was concerned. Pre-CROW I used to meet up with some riding mates in the PEAK District where off road routes were a plenty. The act just classified all routes and downgraded many to footpaths and bridleways along with the creation of many SSSI's with big fines and vehicle confiscation under "section 59" possible if you were caught off piste, even on the relatively few remaining legal routes left open to vehicles. Many more have also been closed since thanks to ongoing campaigns by the NIMBY's and self righteous ramblers and ECO fruitcakes.

 

If anyone is thinking of going to the 2023 TT note that the Steam Packet ferry are taking bookings now.

 

Thinking of going this year but i've got a hospital appointment on June 8th which I don't want to miss as i've been trying to get a hernia sorted for over two years. Might still book to go May 31st come back June 7th. The fare isn't cheap though at nearly £300 for me and the bike.

 

Hi got a ttr 250 Grt bike go on some of the trails fantastic over there windy corner down the mountain outside the circuit is a right giggle but touch gravity takes over be careful

 

I used to have one of those, purple and white. Ideal for commuting and light trail riding, pop a wheelie up in first and you can keep it up through the box until fourth with a bit of practice and jiggerypokery

 

What's the CROW act, @Pegscraper??

 

It's the Countryside and Rights Of way Act, which came into force for England and Wales in late 2000. Prior to this, many of the tracks and "green lanes" used by off road vehicles were unclassified, ie., no one really new if vehicle access was legal. The act put them all into one of a few categories and while it opened up new areas of open country to access on foot it effectively made many of them out of bounds for vehicle use. Categories were:

1. Byway Open to All Traffic, known as BOAT's, all users including vehicle use legal.
2. Public Bridleway, no vehicles allowed, walkers, cyclists and horse riders only.
3. Public footpath, obviously walkers only, not even bicycles allowed strictly speaking although many do use them.
4. Unclassified Road or UCR, vehicles allowed although local restrictions can apply with no right of way guaranteed as on BOATS's.

I had a break from off road riding from around '95 to 2010 and came back to it to find many of the routes we used to ride were now illegal. The fact that practically every man and his dog now has a camera-phone and is encouraged to record illegal use by vehicles makes the situation pretty well sewn up! I guess this is a consequence of living in a relatively small overcrowded island. I reckon you could fit most of England and Wales in Arizona alone! I've no idea what the land access laws in your neck of the woods are Sandi but it looks like off roading heaven although the heat could be a problem for me!