TT 2023

The Island is stuffed with visiting bikes now and there were plenty parked up along Douglas prom today, including a few nice oldies

I couldn't afford the 'big' Brit bikes I lusted after back in the day on my Tiger Cub, still can't, which is a shame as most are a smaller & lighter for an old codger than the big Jap bikes that replaced them.
We had a ride to the grandstand today for a look around the paddock - lots of bikes there too
 






Maybe he's had a row with his girlfriend.....? 



A nice race rep for a 16 year old.......



and is this one for Carl ? 

The weather's adding to it - in the 25 years I've lived here I've never known it as good as this, just hope the rest of the summer is as nice.

Then it was time for the start,



here goes McPint



and MD, who won the race

Well, I've never been on the starting grid before, but I guess the scouts are lined up there to continue their involvement with the TT since the old scoreboard, operated by them for years, was demolished recently. They did get in the way a bit for taking photos though 
No racing today, so we went up to Ramsey Sprint, where a friend Voirrey was sprinting her pink Hayabusa. 





Then it was off to Peel Day; lots of bikes on show
















There was also a stunt show with Steve Colley, and a guy called Lee Bowers who performed his stunts on an Interceptor 650!






The hole in the seat's for his foot, standing on the seat doing a monster wheelie!

I thought some of their kids might take on the mantle & carry it on, but it doesn't look like it.
We've been going up the the fan zone at the grandstand where you can watch the race on large screens as well as being able to see them flash past the start start/finish line. After each race the podium finishers come on stage for a bit of a chat. Today it was the sidecar race followed by the Supersport 600 race won by Michael Dunlop with Peter Hickman 2nd, both exceeding 130mph to break the previous lap record & Michael setting a new record of 130.403 mph. Dean Harrison completed the podium, and here they are on stage with the trophy.

I'd never heard of the NSR 50, so I had to google it. Never sold in the UK, apparently they were sold as street legal in the States, and pit bike for racing in some markets, so maybe they'd be ok for a 16 year old on L plates in the UK.