As well as the practice sessions and racing, and the semi-responsible action on the course during the day, the island put on an amazing show, including some awesome stunt riders and a jet powered quad (with the engine from a Westland Sea King fited with an afterburner - successfully toasted the front row on blindingly fast runs up and down the arena).
We watched practices from Ballaugh Bridge, the Sulby Straight (the fastest straight on the course, where sidecars appeared to be coming straight at us at 150 odd MPH), and Bray Hill. We wached the racing from Braddan Bridge and Kirk Michael.
And now the editorialising: Firstly, hats off to the people of the Isle of Man for putting on a great show at considerable inconvienience to them, and with generally very good grace towards to the hoards of visiting bikers. And even bigger hats off for not gouging the tourists. Apart from reports of overly foamey beer, and the ridiculously expensive ferry tickets, the Manx didn't seem over keen to take our tourist ££s. Campsites were cheap, food was inexpensive and on the whole, really good. Even the TT merchandise was cheap (£7.95 or about $20NZ for a T-shirt!). Some tourist attractions in kiwi-land could try this approach...
Second, how good is Bruce Anstey? I hope he's getting the exposure he deserves back home, he even features on the official T shirt.
Thirdly, go the IoM police! Speed traps through the towns and on the largeer part of the course, to protect the safety and quality of life of the locals and spectators, but a generally relaxed attitude to all but the most numbskulled behaviour over the mountain. And importing German motorcycle police for the event - a significant incentive for good behaviour, if ever there was one. I take all of this back if there is a letter from them waiting for me at the rental company tomorrow.
And finally, one thing I choose to take away from the event, or from the spectacle of the British motorcycling scene as it was presented at the TT, is pride in NZ motorcycling. A large proportion of the British bikers present seemed to be more concerned with having the most bling bike and gear, and desperately trying to get your knee down, and less about just riding the damn bike. So many times we were passed on the mountain by riders on flashy sprots bikes (we chose to stick to a steady but a wee bit naughty 100mph, even past the Manx Cops - a pleasingly pragmatic as I say)who would then slow right down and hang off the bike to try and drag a knee, and who would end up holding us up through the corners
, on our 'boring' sports tourers and in our 'plain' corduras. While I realise that this happens in Unzud, it doesn't happen nearly so frequently, and (certainly amongst the riders I meet) the focus of the kiwi riding scene is less on being a peacock and more on being a biker. And we have Bruce Anstey as well! Obviously this is only based on what I saw at the TT, and I'm sure there are plenty of Brits out there who will be happy to argue the point[/rant].
More piccys:
1. 954 Fireblade. Run what you brung at the Ramsey Sprint: I missed mad Sunday for this? (Best time for the 1/8 mile while we were there was about 6.1 sec from a Turbo Hayabusa, with Harley Destroyers close behind. Harley Destroyers don't destroy Harleys, which I call false advertising).
2. Bruce Anstey screams through Kirk Michael on his way to victory in the Supersport TT.
3. Caught in the act! Your scribe doing a wee launch off Ballaugh Bridge on Mad Sunday. I couldn't help myself (officer).
Tomorrow I will ride into London to meet my partner, and we will head off to the Emerald Island on Thursday.
Cheers
A
Nobody knows what human life is, why we come, why we go,
so why then do I know, I will see you in far off places?
Stephen Patrick Morrissey
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......bikes are all good and most of the potplants are alive......
Originally Posted by Peeteey
This happened 3 more times on the trip. 
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