New posts

Reply to thread

Message

Rohan, I suggest you have a spectators' point of view of the IOM. I once ran into a friend of mine at a race meeting, whom I hadn't seen for a long time. He told me he had been away racing on the IOM. I asked him how he liked that. He said ' the first time I went there I did an 84 MPH lap, but if you keep going there you get faster'. He used to ride a 500cc manx, and they didn't call him 'Speed' for nothing, he was a risk taker and a crasher. Jack Ahern did a 100 MPH lap in practice at the TT in 1963. With only 50 BHP, you don't have the luxury of making up time on the straights, it is more about cornering than it is with modern bikes. These days the manxs have trick suspension, great tyres, six speed boxes, extremely reliable motors with perhaps 5 more BHP, so it might be a bit easier. I've had a fair bit of racing experience, however I would still have to get my head straight to race there on ANYTHING. A 100 MPH lap on a manx would be beautiful. If you compare Duke, Surtees, Hailwood or Agositini, and particularly Read with modern riders, I think it would only take any one of them 5 minutes on a modern bike to catch up, and then we'd have a problem. I might be a bit strange, however I believe that motorcycle road racing is generally safe, especially when all riders are up to speed and competent. The IOM is dangerous, there is too much of it to be committed to memory.

<blockquote data-quote="acotrel" data-source="post: 206934" data-attributes="member: 4295"><p>Rohan, I suggest you have&nbsp; a spectators&#039; point&nbsp; of view&nbsp; of the IOM.&nbsp; I once ran into a friend of mine at a race meeting, whom I hadn&#039;t seen for a long time.&nbsp; He told me he had been away racing on the IOM.&nbsp; I asked him how he liked that.&nbsp; He said &#039; the first time I went there&nbsp; I did an 84 MPH lap, but if you keep going there&nbsp; you get faster&#039;. He used to ride a 500cc manx, and they didn&#039;t call him &#039;Speed&#039; for nothing, he was a risk taker and a crasher.&nbsp; Jack Ahern did a 100 MPH lap in practice at&nbsp; the&nbsp; TT&nbsp; in 1963.&nbsp; With only 50 BHP, you don&#039;t have the luxury of making up time on the straights, it is more about cornering than it is with modern bikes.&nbsp; These days the manxs have trick suspension, great tyres, six speed boxes, extremely reliable motors with perhaps 5 more BHP, so it might be a bit easier.&nbsp; I&#039;ve had a fair bit of racing experience, however I would still have to get my head straight to race&nbsp; there on ANYTHING.&nbsp; A 100 MPH lap on a manx would be beautiful.&nbsp; If you compare Duke, Surtees, Hailwood or Agositini, and particularly Read with modern riders, I think it would only take any one of them 5 minutes on a modern bike to catch up, and then we&#039;d have a&nbsp; problem. I might be a bit strange, however I believe that motorcycle road racing is generally safe, especially when all riders are up to speed and competent. The IOM is dangerous, there is too much of it to be committed to memory.</p></blockquote><p></p>

[QUOTE="acotrel, post: 206934, member: 4295"] Rohan, I suggest you have a spectators' point of view of the IOM. I once ran into a friend of mine at a race meeting, whom I hadn't seen for a long time. He told me he had been away racing on the IOM. I asked him how he liked that. He said ' the first time I went there I did an 84 MPH lap, but if you keep going there you get faster'. He used to ride a 500cc manx, and they didn't call him 'Speed' for nothing, he was a risk taker and a crasher. Jack Ahern did a 100 MPH lap in practice at the TT in 1963. With only 50 BHP, you don't have the luxury of making up time on the straights, it is more about cornering than it is with modern bikes. These days the manxs have trick suspension, great tyres, six speed boxes, extremely reliable motors with perhaps 5 more BHP, so it might be a bit easier. I've had a fair bit of racing experience, however I would still have to get my head straight to race there on ANYTHING. A 100 MPH lap on a manx would be beautiful. If you compare Duke, Surtees, Hailwood or Agositini, and particularly Read with modern riders, I think it would only take any one of them 5 minutes on a modern bike to catch up, and then we'd have a problem. I might be a bit strange, however I believe that motorcycle road racing is generally safe, especially when all riders are up to speed and competent. The IOM is dangerous, there is too much of it to be committed to memory. [/QUOTE]

Verification