12/22/24
May 29, 2007
100 Years of TT Racing on the Isle of Mann.: The longest, oldest, most dangerous course in motorcycle racing. When they do it well, it's beautiful. When it goes wrong, it really goes wrong. If you're lucky, you survive to tell the tale. 200 people haven't been lucky in the last 100 years. [previously discussed]
Those are some crashes. I'm not a huge bike fan, I do remember when Joey Dunlop was killed (not on the Isle of Mann) in an accident, he got some turnout for the funeral.
posted by Fence at 08:46 AM on May 29, 2007
Great friggin' post.
posted by sfts2 at 08:56 AM on May 29, 2007
If we could favorite posts, this would be in that list for me.
posted by NoMich at 09:34 AM on May 29, 2007
I have mates who go over to the Isle of Man to watch the bike-racing and bike round the circuit at slightly less crazy speeds than the actual TT racers. They say it's absolutely marvellous, but I guess it's something you need to be into bikes to properly appreciate.
posted by squealy at 01:52 PM on May 29, 2007
I find it crazy that people even stand by the side of the road to watch it. Words can't even describe how mental I think the racers are. Still, whatever floats your boat and all that...
posted by afx237vi at 02:08 PM on May 29, 2007
Weren't there two spectators killed a year or two back? I LOVE the TT. I highly recommend the Duke Video onboard DVD's. Nothing but onboard footage of the ENTIRE lap of the TT course from various bikes. The one I have has commentary from the actual rider you're riding with. Superb stuff. For cars, it's the Le Mans 24 Hour. (Less than 3 weeks baby!) For bikes, it's the Isle of Man TT. I love both. I am a motor racing junkie, but it has to have four wheels for me to follow it and be interested. Despite having no interest in bike racing though (I've tried Moto GP etc... It bores me), for whatever reason, I adore the TT. I have no idea why, I just do. Excellent post. That BBC article was pretty good too!
posted by Drood at 03:37 PM on May 29, 2007
I loved the slant of the BBC piece - that the TT is a final bastion of grown men doing what the hell they want in the face of a government that one of these days will be telling us how to wipe our own arses in the safest possible fashion.
posted by JJ at 04:48 PM on May 29, 2007
Drood, Whats the title of the best video in that series in your opinion...I'm going to buy one for a biker friend movie night I'm planning...TIA
posted by sfts2 at 11:06 AM on May 30, 2007
"His brush with the wall was also (dramatic pause) a brush with death." Gotta love cheap TV. Your "it's beautiful" clip is ruined by background music, unfortunately. When will the guys who put these together learn that less is more in sound design?