Mainly fun. (Long)

I'd sooner not pay an inflated price if I want to go any other time of
the year tyvm.

 

The incident on Friday certainly was a downer. My NHCA mate and I both
recognised Hillary's name as a TT rider and NSA competitor. My mate
remembers having a long chat with her at a Curborough twisty sprint. I
had no idea at the time of the UKRM connection with Janice.

The crash involving spectators at Four Cross Ways on the Billown circuit
this Saturday also brings home to everyone the risk involved in being so
close to fast moving vehicles.

The TT Essentials booklet handed out to certainly every motorcycle rider
boarding the ferry at Heysham is perhaps surprisingly silent on the
subject.

We managed to watch at four places for the first time this year (still
plenty not yet visited after 36 years of spectating). Each was a
definitive IoM section. Churchtown, Bungalow Bridge, Kirkmichael (in the
park) and Bishopscourt. Churchtown looked the scariest for the riders,
but Bishopscourt (on a bank reached by walking from the Orrisdale road)
was the scariest vantage point. We actually moved twice before the race
started. Partly to get a better view of the approach but also because we
calculated correctly that the fast bikes would be drifting v. close to
our side of the road (wimps eh?).

We were a bit surprised to find that, as far as we could tell, the two
marshals' points there seemed not to have line of sight contact. We know
they all have radios, but when we did the hill climb in 96 and 97 there
was lots of stress on the need for each post to be able to see the next
and hence postponement due to mist even given the long gap between
riders starting at Whitegates.

BTW I can't claim the fastest ride over the mountain by a long way but I
claim the most traffic free. On Thursday morning my Morini 1200 Corsaro
mounted companion and I set of for Port Erin for a combined marque meet
(seven Voxans and only one Morini attended). The mountain road was
closed. We enquired politely of the officers on duty and were told that
"the Hibernia road is open as the incident is at waterworks". "Ah the
road up to the Gooseneck we said". The officer gave a knowing smile.
We joined the mountain road at the Gooseneck and not one power ranger
twigged why we had turned off the coast road. An awesome run over,
seeing speeds hitherto not achieved, and passing only two other machines
(and not seeing anything else) all the way to the Creg where we gibbered
with laughter as we waited for the traffic lights.
--

+-------------------------------------------------------------+
| Pete Fisher at Home: |
| Voxan Roadster Gilera Nordwest Yamaha WR250Z |
| Gilera GFR Moto Morini 2C/375 |
+-------------------------------------------------------------+

 

I have a few hundred to sort out, resize and bung up somewhere.

 

Plenty banjo music, but that was mainly from Laxey.

 

I'd agree with that. Loved the Hodgson/Toseland banter at the sunday
do, and Toseland's band wasn't that bad either.

Overall, I'm counting it as a good time. There's a lot to be thankful
for, considering last week's events.

Quite right too. I was cackling like a goodun once we'd set off through
the hairpin though.

No comment.

 

I could swear the fastest were literally brushing the hedge on the far
side from us before drifting within inches of the pavement a little
further along.

Fair enough. I suppose the new technology must enable virtually instant
post to post communication.

I might have guessed at least one UKRMer would have grasped the
opportunity.

Once much beyond three figures I tend not to notice what the clock says.
I am pleased to report though, that the top speed gizmo on the Corsaro
indicated that my mate had to screw it up to 127 to keep in touch with
the Tart. A piffling figure by UKRM standards but not bad for old
gimmers on naked bikes.

--

+-------------------------------------------------------------+
| Pete Fisher at Home: |
| Voxan Roadster Gilera Nordwest Yamaha WR250Z |
| Gilera GFR Moto Morini 2C/375 |
+-------------------------------------------------------------+

 

Sunday thru Wednesday of the main week IIRC

 

"Because I want it"

 

Quite!