Got a vid a few minutes ago from a friend on Bray hill.. Looks like this evening's practice will be a go.
ITV4 has shown a couple of great programs leading up to the races. One Three Five - Breaking The Barrier "A look at TT 2018 and the build-up to the final lap of the final race and the breaking of the 135 mph lap record. Dean Harrison and Peter Hickman look back at their epic duel on Senior Race Day and look at what came together to break the 135mph barrier." The Greatest Race: Hislop v Fogarty The 1992 Senior TT is regarded by many as the greatest TT race of all time. We look at the background to the race that saw two former factory Honda riders go against their previous employer on unfancied machines and deliver a thrilling six lap, 227-mile race that saw them finish just 4.4 seconds apart. Hear from Carl Fogarty himself and many others involved in this remarkable race.
New Superstock rules. https://www.bennetts.co.uk/bikesoci...t/news/isle-of-man-tt-superstock-rule-changes
The IOM is particularly brutal to twins, for kind of the same reason that "no two cylinders have ever won Daytona" - it's a two-hour endurance race that favors top-end power over low-end grunt. Aprilia has done well in the recent past, with Splitlath + Mark Miller and with their Norton powerplants, but cost is another factor to consider. The IOM breaks shit you'd never imagine, just by its bumps.. you need to have a lot of spares. https://www.motorcycle.com/ask-mo-anything/why-are-there-no-ducatis-at-the-isle-of-man-tt.html
I think one of the major points for a motorcycle at the TT is it has to be easy to ride. The Honda Fireblade being a good example which explains why it was so successful. Ducati makes bikes which operate within a tiny window and that doesn't work at the TT. IMO the BMW is the king of the moment. JHS Racing dyno'd a bone stock S1000RR 196hp at the wheel. BMW is serious about winning at the TT.
It's times like this that I'm glad I haven't spent the money to go. I know there's other stuff, but i want to watch racing. I'm guessing these issues don't affect the classic as much.