Perusing Guy Martin’s facebook page this morning for info on his crash, I came across this video of him from last year’s race. Not so much a how to as it is a meditation on what happens when Guy avoids running into things, it’s a compelling reminder that the TT is just five days away. Still, we can devise our own guide based on the video. :continue:
What do you do if you’re a tiny British motorcycle company making mega-expensive parallel-twin throwbacks, struggling with funding, but still want to compete in the Isle of Man TT? Well, you call up your old friends at Piaggio, ask nicely for an RSV4 SBK motor, then commission English chassis legends Spondon to build you a bespoke frame. Hand paint the Norton logo on the raw aluminum tank and call it a day. :continue:
“The bike was, as you would expect from a company such as Mugen, a well-designed and well put together proper race bike,” stated 17 time Isle of Man TT winner John McGuinness shortly after his first ride aboard the Mugen Shinden. “As soon as I got underway it felt natural and I almost forgot it was fully electric while I was also learning the Twin Ring Motegi circuit for the first time.” :continue:
On March 20, 1954, Soichiro Honda addressed this letter to all employees of his motor company. In it, he announces his intention, for the first time, to go racing. It’s a moment in time. It’s history being made. It’s the world changing. Totally and forever. It’s also a call to action, asking his company to be inspired by his actions into elevating Japanese industry to new levels. :continue:
Here’s a rare glimpse at onboard footage of David Roper completing a practice lap for the Manx Grand Prix in 1993. He’s riding a 1968 Benelli GP bike prepared by Team Obsolete. Until Mark Miller won TT Zero last year, Dave remained the only American to have ever won a race at the Isle of Man. :continue:
In 2007, the 130mph average speed barrier in the Senior TT fell to John McGuinness, who maintained that speed for an entire 17 minutes, 21.99 seconds. 10 seconds behind was Guy Martin on a Honda CBR1000RR. He walks you through that lap in this video. If you can understand him, it almost sounds easy. :continue:
I felt guilty for playing hooky from work. I didn’t tell anyone where I was going, all the while thinking they may very well find out where I’d wound up. I was a nervous wreck on the ride up to meet him at his home in Calabasas. Maybe this wasn’t a good idea after all. Why did he even agree to it? At the time, I only asked for my own selfish thrill-seeking pleasure. I hadn’t planned to write about our ride. We didn’t even film it because the last thing he needs is some squid going out to Malibu thinking they can be like Mark Miller.
Back in June, MotoCzysz dominated the Isle of Man’s electric motorcycle race, taking a close one-two finish in the race and setting the seven fastest electric laps of the Mountain Course ever. Here, onboard footage and commentary from both Mark Miller and Michael Rutter has been combined to show something that looks less like a parade lap and more like actual, exciting racing. :continue:
This video released by Relentless as a part of its “Short Stories” film competition is not what I expected from an energy drink company. Instead, it is quietly gorgeous, not so much a portrait of Relentless Suzuki’s team or its famous tea-sipping racer Guy Martin as it is an loving portrait about an island that occasionally hosts an infamously batshit crazy series of races known as the TT. The sound of screaming machines will only mildly rattle your desk, you will not have a melted brain from onboard cameras witnessing speeds going plaid. You will also not be in agony from a production company piling on the overtly dramatic soundtrack and emotionally agonizing closeups, desperately seeking to pluck your heart strings. However, you will be tempted to skip work and go riding for the rest of the day.
We’re really enjoying Alpinestars’ series of interviews with racers. They manage to put a personal face on personalities too often managed to within an inch of their humanity. Not that TT champ John McGuinness has a problem with being down to earth normally, but it’s still nice to hear about him in his own words. :continue:
