Chris Swallow dies after crash in Classic TT;

The second link says Chris Swallow was an 'experienced competitor'. To me that says something about the IOM. Barry Sheene was also an experienced competitor and refused to race there. If it takes 'big balls to race on certain circuits - don't do it. Your racing skills don't come from your balls. Balls has got a bit to do with ego. Normally you lose your ego, the first time you crash. What does that mean on the IOM ?
 
There were 3 street deaths at Sturgis this year, down from 4 last year. Is anyone amazed this blatant spectacle of carnage has not been shut down? The outrage!
 
It is not a matter of banning anything. People who organise race meetings have a duty of care which involves minimising the risks to a tolerable level. The most dangerous time when you road race is when you are a beginner and are learning the circuits. I road raced a fair bit when I was younger - if I had gone to the IOM with my mentality, I would probably doe very quickly. Ken Blakewas one of the best Australian riders - he lasted one lap. He was not stupid.
Some people enjoy watching on-board videos of the IOM, for me they are a real turn-off. A big risk in motorcycle racing are organiserswho have never raced.
 
A friend of mine, steeped off a TZ750 halfway down the front straight at Phillip Island. He later rode in the NW200 and saw a rider killed in front of him. You need to think about what you do when you race on road circuits.
 
There were 3 street deaths at Sturgis this year, down from 4 last year. Is anyone amazed this blatant spectacle of carnage has not been shut down? The outrage!

Never trivialise a road race accident. Most of them are avoidable. At Sturgis probably half of the idiots ride without helmets. They are not even serious motorcyclists.
 
Places like the IOM are in a time warp, they have tried to improve the condition of the road surface –this was AFTER the deaths of 3 sidecar riders on Bray Hill for example, but there is still a lot of street furniture from kerbs to walls to telegraph poles, it will never be safe to run off anywhere, if you do fall off for any reason you are in the lap of the God and my God is still alive-sorry about yours!
 
Never trivialise a road race accident. Most of them are avoidable. At Sturgis probably half of the idiots ride without helmets. They are not even serious motorcyclists.

Never trivialize ANY motorcycle death. Those who race next to stone walls, trees and buildings are considered idiots by many. Do you even know if South Dakota has a helmet law? No fair looking it up now.

What is a serious motorcyclist, someone who rides thousands of miles per year or someone who used to race? My post was meant as a jab at the hand-wringers who call for the TT to be banned when no one even relates the death rate in Sturgis to whether the event should be outlawed.
 
It don't matter where you race, you take the risks that is involved, and racers who compete in these races are willing to push their bikes and themselves to their limits and beyond, its all part of racing whether motorcycles or race cars to drags or land speed records, its also the risk we all take just getting out of bed each day or riding our bikes on the road, high speeds kills it only takes one mistake or something breaks, banning the race because people are willing to take that risk involved, what about wars, there not going to band them because people get killed.
IOM there have been races killed there from the begining even when the speeds were under the ton, but bikes today are more high tec, better handling and more powerful, but it still don't stop riders pushing them harder and harder and it won't stop racers doing what they like to do and some will do anything to win, even if it cost them their lives.

Ashley
 
The IOM is legendary. Thoughts of banning these races are nonsense. When, by some stroke of luck, there is one of these races televised here this is what I expect... the real racing over hill and dale. The track racing just doesn't capture my interest as much, but it is much the same for car races. I only pray for sidecar racing to show more in the US....fascinating stuff there... almost unholy in the all out go for it hard charging attitude. Don't like folks suffering injury or death though, but they make their own decisions as adults. May God keep them safe and look over them as they brave through their competitive sport.
 
My thoughts are IOM will continue as long as there are racers willing to participate. I know it will never die for lack of spectators.
 
The IOM is legendary. Thoughts of banning these races are nonsense. When, by some stroke of luck, there is one of these races televised here this is what I expect... the real racing over hill and dale. The track racing just doesn't capture my interest as much, but it is much the same for car races. I only pray for sidecar racing to show more in the US....fascinating stuff there... almost unholy in the all out go for it hard charging attitude. Don't like folks suffering injury or death though, but they make their own decisions as adults. May God keep them safe and look over them as they brave through their competitive sport.

Your interest in the IOM rather than smaller circuits seems to indicate that you have never raced. When you first start racing on any circuit, you have to learn where it goes and practice braking up to the corners and getting on the gas earlier coming out. On most small circuits, there are certain places where you don't stick your neck out. When you compare 37 miles of public road with a 3 to 5 Km race circuit, the comparison is ridiculous. If you raced on the IOM for ten years, you would still probably be learning the circuit. And the learning period is the most dangerous time. I would ride on the IOM, but I would never actually race there, and I would be extremely careful. I look at those IOM on-board videos and I am horrified, because I know what I am looking at. You would need an extremely good memory.
There is a video of Peter Williams and I think Dave Potter riding Commandos on the IOM. Potter actually got lost - could not remember where he was on the circuit - the bends keep coming.
 
On the IOM, there is probably one thing which helps you to know where you are on the circuit - the feel of the bike. You might remember the experience as you approach the corners. But first time there would be bloody dangerous.
 
As far as spectating is concerned, I've known many people who have been to the IOM. One of them told me he got sick of the bikes whizzing past, another said it was boring, and another said he found that every where he went, he was walking up-hill. As a spectator, if you cannot see the whole circuit, what does racing mean ? I think the IOM is worthwhile, but it is for other people - not me. He most dangerous time when racing a bike is when you are coming down from very high speed. I cannot imagine racing a bike at the IOM which had drum brakes. How would you be with brake fade or a locking brake ?
 
My thoughts are IOM will continue as long as there are racers willing to participate. I know it will never die for lack of spectators.

ever since the second motorcycle appeared on the road theres been racing
i suppose the cowboys were the same with there horses ,it would be a shame to stop the annual races in that motorcyclists mecca the isle of man ,
In this electric motor age it only takes a few do gooder ,types to make a few complaints to get the game stopped
a recent example here was a farmer wanted to make a mx track for the kids to use , a few members of the local golf club 5 miles away complained about the noise and it was duly stopped
eventualy he made large earth works around to stifle the echo build a club house and make every one fee paying club members
thats what happens when you get a few retired little englanders moving in
they want to spoil every ones fun for a game of golf or bowls

they have never experienced the risk/ of riding a noisy vibrating self dismantling machine at unsafe speeds along unsuitable patchwork roads

the good bit is getting off the bike with a mouth and eyefull of assorted flies with a big grin from ear to ear clothes and bike spattered with r40 and listening to that chink chink of cooling blue chome

never mind the open at St andrews
lets get the beach racing back there

or how about Beveridge park

or the Annual grasstrack at Perth south inch

they are all dissapearing sadly
 
As far as spectating is concerned, I've known many people who have been to the IOM. One of them told me he got sick of the bikes whizzing past, another said it was boring, and another said he found that every where he went, he was walking up-hill. As a spectator, if you cannot see the whole circuit, what does racing mean ? I think the IOM is worthwhile, but it is for other people - not me. He most dangerous time when racing a bike is when you are coming down from very high speed. I cannot imagine racing a bike at the IOM which had drum brakes. How would you be with brake fade or a locking brake ?

my mate makes magnesium manx brakes that are used by many top riders and they are very powerful you would be surprised i think
 
No I don't race, but I very much enjoy watching the sport. I've also seen a couple of the IOM(vids)and it's not for the faint of heart. Some of the smaller circuits are quite good also, though not quite what I think of as man eaters... Some are pretty tough. In particular I really like the old vids of the old racers on the state of the art dated machines and wonder how they made it through alive.
 
Nothing like more of your positive “Spin” .... Acotrel !
 
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