My first lap on the BJR Products Ducati around the famous TT course was a speed controlled lap. I met the lead rider Nick Jefferies in the form up area about 15 minutes before we were on track. Meeting the other four wide eyed riders in my group minutes before that. The lap was relaxing. The speed similar to a Sunday ride to Amberlight Café. Somehow we still managed to loose one of the riders by Kirk Michael. It is a great idea, similar to what the Cafe Racer Club introduced to ride days a few years ago here at Mallala for the slow group. For me it was a great opportunity to feel the track, which has bumps and ridges in it that the cushy suspension of the car soaks up. Also the white lines are not the same as here in Australia. They had some level of grip. Another great thing was I got to wave to the spectators and marshals in thanks for allowing me to race on their road.
The first practice lap was a lot faster. I took off down Bray Hill flat out. When I hit the bottom at 220km/h it was with so much force I couldn't believe it. But I didn't have time to reflect as I was already lifting the front wheel over ago's leap and setting up for the run down to Quaterbridge.
This lap had me grinning ear to ear. All the hard work building the bike with Brian, troubles with newcomers course, licencing, insurance and so on. It was all worth it. I was riding the TT course at speed. For many riders it was not so good. There were countless crashes and breakdowns in that one lap. At Brandywell not too far in front of me a rider went off the edge and disappeared. Fortunately a few meters down was a fence that caught them. The bollards remained missing in that bike sized section as a reminder of what had happened.
The first practice lap was a lot faster. I took off down Bray Hill flat out. When I hit the bottom at 220km/h it was with so much force I couldn't believe it. But I didn't have time to reflect as I was already lifting the front wheel over ago's leap and setting up for the run down to Quaterbridge.
This lap had me grinning ear to ear. All the hard work building the bike with Brian, troubles with newcomers course, licencing, insurance and so on. It was all worth it. I was riding the TT course at speed. For many riders it was not so good. There were countless crashes and breakdowns in that one lap. At Brandywell not too far in front of me a rider went off the edge and disappeared. Fortunately a few meters down was a fence that caught them. The bollards remained missing in that bike sized section as a reminder of what had happened.
These pictures were taken by Paul Soulby of Speedbikepics. There were a lot of photographers. But buying their pictures is often not easy. Mostly they won't sell you digital copies. I had these digitals from Speedbikepics the next day, and now they are on my blog, wallpaper at home and work.