Isle of Man TT 2023

[72gmc]

A practice run to start the week:

[TonyP]

Oh my.

[Dave Thompson]

I went to the IOM in 78. That place is so steeped in the motorcycle racing culture. I rode the TT course on Mad Sunday and to this day I’m stunned how fast these guys can go, for so long, with the scenery ripping by at blinging speeds and retain their concentration. They are gods.

[darkmother]

Not at all familiar with motorcycle racing, but I just watched that practice run video. That is hard for me to wrap my head around-that is silly fast! Do the riders have a heads-up display to tell them what is coming next?

[72gmc]

Not at all familiar with motorcycle racing, but I just watched that practice run video. That is hard for me to wrap my head around-that is silly fast! Do the riders have a heads-up display to tell them what is coming next?

I believe their speed is largely based on practice and course memorization, which is either admirable or even more nutty. Some people race year after year.

From the website:
"Every May and June the Isle of Man, a small country nestled between England and Ireland, turns into motorcycle nirvana as the world’s greatest road racers gather to test themselves against the incredible ‘Mountain Course’ – a 37.73 mile beast of a course carved out of the Island’s public closed roads.

The TT takes place over a 2 week period with the first week dominated by practice sessions followed by a week of racing."

[72gmc]

IoM is the most famous but there are other road races. I watched Road a while ago (on Netflix, I think) and it was a good show. More than a few people make a habit of riding like this.

[darkmother]

I believe their speed is largely based on practice and course memorization, which is either admirable or even more nutty.

Thanks...and wow.

I suppose I will stick to my pedal bikes though. I seem to be more than capable of injuring myself repeatedly on my various bicycles at a small fraction of that speed.

[sk_tle]

Not at all familiar with motorcycle racing, but I just watched that practice run video. That is hard for me to wrap my head around-that is silly fast! Do the riders have a heads-up display to tell them what is coming next?

Newcomers have to do mandatory laps behind experienced riders during practice to be shown decent lines and braking point. Usually they have seen a number of onboard videos before registering for the first time. I never rode their but have followed the TT for years and could probably visualize the course with my eyes shut. They also need to carry an orange vest on top of their leathers so that more experienced riders take more care when they need to overtake them.

[darkmother]

Newcomers have to do mandatory laps behind experienced riders during practice to be shown decent lines and braking point. Usually they have seen a number of onboard videos before registering for the first time. I never rode their but have followed the TT for years and could probably visualize the course with my eyes shut. They also need to carry an orange vest on top of their leathers so that more experienced riders take more care when they need to overtake them.

Interesting, and that makes sense.

How much traction control/ABS do these bikes have? I guess what I am wondering is how effective is it, if it is there at all?

[TonyP]

Thanks...and wow.

I suppose I will stick to my pedal bikes though. I seem to be more than capable of injuring myself repeatedly on my various bicycles at a small fraction of that speed.

Yeah, me too.

[sk_tle]

Interesting, and that makes sense.

How much traction control/ABS do these bikes have? I guess what I am wondering is how effective is it, if it is there at all?

They have traction control but I doubt anyone would want ABS.

They use to have different regulation, when the top category was named formula 1 you could see superbikes racing alongside 500cc gp machines or dedicated prototypes. Now they are regular supersport, superstock and superbike following BSB regulations. I think only supertwins and electric bikes have dedicated regulations.

Note that while suposedly slower on paper, some riders end up sometimes posting better lap times on their superstock bike than the superbike one. While the difference is much higher on smooth race track, the increase in chassis and swingarm rigidity, or better brakes do not necessarily translate to later braking and faster cornering on real roads and race conditions and rider practice/confidence on the bike makes sometimes for a faster setup. Some riders choose the superstock machine for the senior TT (last race of the week allowing both superbike and superstock) because they feel more confident on it at the end of the week (or because they don't have budget for SBK) and are competitive on it.

[72gmc]

This event seems made for GoPros and drones.

[sk_tle]

Michael Dunlop is so close from his uncle record now.