Norton prepare for the Isle of Man TT Races 1948

The earliest road race I attended was in 1953. I watched Geoff Duke pass all the leading Manx Nortons with one big swoop with the 4 cylinder Gilera, as they were going into a corner. 1948 was the year a friend Baldo Meli achieved a 12th on the IOM with a rigid frame 500cc Triumph twin. I thought he was a bullshit artist, but his name is in the Motorcycling Year Book. He must have been pretty good to achieve that - he worked for the Triumph factory.
I shudder to think what it would be like doing that. Those old shit-heaps were capable of doing well more than 100 MPH.