8 Reasons Why Every Petrolhead Should Visit The Isle Of Man TT

1. Frightening proximity

All modern circuits are designed with spectator safety in mind. Sand traps, tyre walls and catch fences ensure that a vehicle should never reach the crowd. Unfortunately, this also has the effect of removing spectators from the action. If you go to a Formula 1 race or a World Endurance Event, it can be hard to gauge the speed of the vehicles as they rip around the circuit. Yes it’s still enjoyable, but it’s hardly exhilarating.

Thankfully, there are no such measures at the Isle of Man TT. If you want to stand on the outside of a 160mph bend, that’s your business. Granted, some ‘Prohibited Areas’ have been added over the years, but by and large you’re free to stand where you please. Personally, I’ll never forget sitting on a grass verge at the end of the 190mph Cronk y Voddy straight. As the bikes flashed by, flat out in top gear, the sensation of speed was unreal. It felt like you could literally reach out and touch the riders. Don’t believe me? Watch the video above.

At National race tracks like Snetterton and Thruxton, 200bhp superbikes can briefly reach speeds in excess of 180mph, but at the Isle of Man TT, riders frequently exceed 200mph. At the 2006 TT, Kiwi rider Bruce Anstey set the unofficial top speed record for the Mountain Course at 206mph (331.525 km/h). This was later matched by James Hillier riding the insane 300bhp Kawasaki H2R on a ‘demonstration lap’. Frightening.

3. Unbelievably close racing

This weekend’s MotoGP race at Jerez was a close run-affair, with Jorge Lorenzo hot on the heels of his Yamaha teammate Valentino Rossi. At the end of the 45-minute race, Rossi’s winning margin was just 2.38 seconds. But this pales into insignificance when compared with the TT.

For example, back in 2012, New Zealander Bruce Anstey took the win from Aussie Cameron Donald by just 0.77 seconds in Supersport Race One. And what makes this feat even more remarkable is the fact that the race was one hour and twelve minutes long. That’s 150.92 miles of racing!

Back in the 1960s and early 1970s, spectators had full access to drivers/riders and their exotic machinery. Unfortunately, as sponsorship has increased, so has the level of corporate responsibility. As a result, the stars of the show are now kept locked away - only brought out for press conferences and interviews.

This is not the case at the TT. The paddock is open to the fans so you can watch the bikes being worked on in real time. The riders can be found roaming around with a cup of tea in hand (especially Guy Martin), and everyone is super approachable. My girlfriend and I even shared a beer with John McGuinness after the closing award ceremony at the 2013 TT. Could you imagine doing that with Lewis Hamilton?

In 2013, Michael Dunlop set the Superstock lap record at an incredible 131.220mph average. That’s bonkers when you consider that the bike was essentially a stock Honda Fireblade on road-legal tyres. For perspective, the overall lap record, set by John McGuinness on a full blown £60,000 superbike is only 12 seconds faster with an average speed of 132.701.

You could be the biggest Manchester United fan in the world, but the chances of you having a kick-about at Old Trafford are slim to none. At the TT, however, you can ride the same circuit as the racers. And not only that, thanks to the Manx parliament, there are no speed limits once you’re out on country roads.

In addition, during the two weeks of the TT, the Mountain section that runs from Ramsey to Douglas is turned into a one way road. Not only does this cut down on the number of fatal head-on crashes, but it also means that you use all of the track, erm, road…

7. Subaru’s 2016 record attempt looks incredible

As petrolheads, it’s hard not to wonder how fast a four-wheeled machine could get around the Snaefell Mountain Course. I mean, surely something with more mechanical grip, better brakes and lots of downforce would go faster than the bikes? Well, it turns out that it’s not as simple as that.

With 190mph corners, 170mph jumps and 20mph hairpins, the TT course would rip most racing machines to bits, and as a result, previous attempts have been made in relatively stock road cars. Rally legend Tony Pond was given access back in 1990 to do a lap in a lightly-modified Rover 827. He smashed the 100mph barrier, but was still some way off the fastest bikes of the day.

In recent years, Mark Higgins and Subaru have been given special dispensation to attack the course during TT week. In 2014, the Manxman managed to set an impressive lap speed of 117.510mph in a 2015 WRX STI. An astonishing time, and faster than the sidecar lap speed which currently stands at 116.785mph. But still nowhere near as fast as the bikes.

So, for 2016, Subaru North America has teamed up with race car engineering company Prodrive to produce a specially designed TT car. Specifications are yet to be revealed but pictures show what looks like a custom, tarmac-spec rally car. With no championship regulations to adhere to, we expect this car to pack some serious firepower.

And if you think that the Subaru won’t be as exciting as the bikes, check out Higgins’ near-death experience in the video above.

When the Isle of Man TT Zero (a race for zero emissions motorcycles) was introduced back in 2009 there was a general consensus within the motorcycling community that electric power was a waste of time. Oh how wrong they were.

Bikes like the Honda Mugen Shinden Yon, have shown the potential of these incredible machines. Last year, for example, TT legend John McGuinness guided his Mugen to first place in the TT Zero with a lap time of 18:58.743, which equates to an incredible 119.279mph.

That’s quicker than the current sidecar lap record (116.785mph) and Higgins’ bonkers 2015 WRX STI (117.510) lap. Watch the video above and prepare to be amazed.

So what do you think CTzens? Are any of you convinced? And if you are, let me know if you’ll be attending this year!