Here's what I posted in a previous thread on the subject:
I went in 2002 and had a great time. Riding the circuit after reading so much about it was magical
You know you're not in Kansas anymore when you board the ferry that has nothing but motorcycles onboard
Lots of crazy squid riding but still a good time. I must have seen about 6 bikes wadded up on the side of the road, including one that looked like it may have been a fatality.
There are so many places to watch from. You have to get to your vantage point before the racing starts because the circuit is closed to traffic. You can still use the backroads to move around during the races. The popular places fill up fast. Places like Ballaugh Bridge. There's usually a pub nearby
Rhencullen, just after the village of Kirk Michael, is a scary, fast place to watch, however, since the 2 spectator fatalities a few years ago, the safety Nazis have closed off some of the good viewing locations
The Gooseneck is another popular place. You'll want to take the side roads to a few of the vantage points along the Mountain Section. The Mountain Section has fast sweepers and they really let 'er rip.
David Jefferies at Rhencullen (8:10 on the above Hizzy vid. I believe this viewing area has since been closed off)
During a support race, I took a side road to the long straight before Ballaugh Bridge. There was an elderly Marshall at the intersection. In the distance, I heard a bike approaching at "full chat". The bike blew by us. As he continued on his way, I could hear his engine howling in the distance, still being held at full throttle. The entire time he was within earshot, maybe 20 or 30 seconds, the bike was being held at full chat. The Marshall and I looked at each other and grinned
The Gooseneck heading up to the Mountain Section
Creg-ny-baa marks the end of the Mountain Section
Lots of sideshows to keep you entertained. Drag races, trials demonstrations, the Purple Helmets Display team, classic bike shows. You can even walk thru the pit section without any sort of pass and talk to the racers. I saw Dave Roper of Team Obsolete and said hello and how jealous I was of him. Honda had a free motocross demo and even provided motocross gear. Pubs will host bike nights, such as Italian Bike Night, etc, where you can 'ave a pint and kick tires. I saw a gloriously loud, ex-factory MV Agusta triple. What it must have been like to see them race. Walking the seafront Corniche in Douglas, you can probably spot an example of every motorcycle ever built, and that's just a slight exageration
The big bottleneck is ferry bookings. They can sell out a year in advance. The same goes with hotels. Hotels charge an arm and a leg for even the most spartan quarters. Many Brits choose to camp to avoid being gouged. My friend Bill at
Bike Tours UK leads a group over every year and can sort out bike rentals & ferry crossings although he no longer does hotel bookings. Strictly camping. A good bloke
My best memory was waking up at the crack of dawn, and tackling the circuit on my own. I had the whole place to myself and could live out my Mike the Bike fantasies
My lap time was about 45 minutes in comparison to David Jefferies' 18 minute lap
It's a totally different lap at 80 mph as opposed to 180.
