Isle Of Man TT

[JimmyMac]

It's thirty years since I saw a race on the IOM and it was Mike Hailwood's last run against Alex George.

I often think of those days and will return this year.

Caught in Time: Mike Hailwood’s Isle of Man TT comeback, 1978 - Times Online

YouTube - GUY MARTIN TT Isle of Man Lap on-board Honda 1000 - 1 of 2

 

[Eric Johnson]

Jimmy,

Thanks for the nice article. It brings back many good memories. My friends and I were astonished with that comeback win at IOM that year. The win elevated his hero status to a fever pitch.

Here is link to an excellent video of Mike at SPA. It has some excellent onboard footage for the day:


YouTube - MIKE HAILWOOD: GOLDEN YEARS

Have fun at the TT mate!

 

[Fred/Belgium]

men,

I remember this period when I was a kid ...Mike the bike ...that s why i went to bikes on 24H endurance and GP a the time of Ago and Barry Sheene at Spa ...
These guys are just legend because I could not afford racing cars but ended up racing bikes and after the bikes, driving/tracks days these cars at our age realising my child dreams to drive a GT40 as my hero Jacky Ickx and the others heros

these were the days of black leather suit and Cromwell helmets .. smelling the 2 stroke oils whilst hearing the noise of 4 strokes ..i must geeting old but it feels great

 

[David Sturch]

Gent's,
Mike was a Icon riding MV's, along with Agostini and the rest. He turned me on to Italian bikes. I think Honda tried to clone every engine they built back then.
Dave

 

[Jos]

I often think of those days and will return this year.

I don't know which day but a proper racer is due to be there to do a demo lap : Rossi

 

[JimmyMac]

Yes he sure will, but the thirty year old "proper racer" will be behind the course car.


MotoGP legend Valentino Rossi to ride Isle of Man TT course - The official Isle of Man TT 2009 website

 

[Mike Pass]

I remember seeing Mike Hailwood in the paddock at the TT in 1966 or '67. He had just won the 250 on the amazing Honda 250cc 6 cylinder. he was walking alongside the bike as it was pushed across the grass. I looked at the bike which was very small and was staggerd to see that the rear tyre had big chunks of the tread missing and he had just been flinging this thing round at an average speed of well over 100mph. I also recall him in the senior race on the Honda 500cc which was very fast but handled like a pig. He came flying into bedstead corner and as soon as he opened the throttle the bike lurched sideways and then back the other way as soon as he backed off. He went round the corner in a rapid series of lurches at undiminished speed and won the race. If you look at his lap times they are incredible when you think that they were set before the road surfaces were smothed out. If you travel fast today on the old road surface that remains you get a real impression of what Hailwood and others did. My other top rider was the fearless Bill Ivy who did the first standing start lap on a 125cc. I watched him at quarry bends on that lap - terrifying!
Cheers
Mike

 

[JimmyMac]

Mike,
Ah the notorious V4 JAWA 350
Some said that Bill Ivy was just as fearless on four wheels.

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