One of the modern top riders said in an interview that at those speeds there is a green blur, and a gray blur, so he tries to keep the bike on the gray blur. He also said one of his favorite curves was bordered by a hedge alongside the road, and he would take the corner lightly brushing his helmet on the hedge. Until one day he walked the curve and discovered it was actually a stone wall with a thin cover of ivy!

the speeds of this race is a testament to what Mario Andretti once said "if you think that everything is under control, then you're not going fast enough"

Shout out to the late Doctor John Hinds, known as the flying doctor, who would ride around and respond to any crashes in these races. An absolute legend

Some of my best memories with my Dad was going to the IOM TT, we went every year from when I was age 8 to 16. He knew a lot of people because he worked as a mechanic for John McGuinness's team for 2 years. He died when I was 17 and I haven't been to any race since.

IMO, anyone who finishes this event and walks away is a LEGEND.

As a motorsports fan all my life I will say that nothing comes close to this. It's more like watching gladiators scrapping at 200mph. It totally blows me away every year. Maximum respect to these riders.

Some people say it’s “pushing the envelope”, others say “ it’s the obvious life choice”. An average person has no grasp of the thrill of life until they have done what others consider to be insane. Respect and prayers to the people who seek the thrill!

Just reaching 130mph on the TT Course is a terrifying prospect. To average it is incomprehensible.

One of the last truly gladiatorial events left. The world would be a poorer place without the TT.

Guy Martin. I just hade to mention him. I know, I know, he never won the TT but what a character.

Excellent video! I did the IOM TT in 76. I was much older when I finished, than I was when I started.

As someone who lives on the Isle of Man, I can fully testify to the speed and danger that is the TT. Great video, thanks. Although I did wince at your pronunciation of Snaefell! Its pronounced Snay-Fell not Snaffle.

As the winning purse wouldn't even cover expenses, it's definitely about the prestige and bragging rights.

As someone who lives here I can say this place is the best place on earth for two weeks and I go up to watch as much racing as possible. However, it is the worst feeling in the world to see someone start a session but never finish.

A Biographics video on Mike "The Bike" Hailwood would be great, he was an amazing rider whose life was sadly cut too short.

As a rider myself that has only exceeded the ton a few times I have great respect for anyone that can ride this course. I like to tell people that motorcycle riding is like a video game but without the do-overs.

I've always thought that I'd struggle to keep them speeds on a motorway, these guys manage it through towns over hills and round corners. My favourite quote come from Conor Cummings when recovering from his massive crash at the Verandha and his gran said I wish you'd return to your job in banking and he said "nan I'd rather crash at the verandah again then go back to that job"

I will be sitting in my garden watching the boys come past. A garden full of strangers from across the globe but all part of the TT family. Schoolhouse corner is great place to watch so I'm expecting to see some of you there. Happy TT everyone.. It's going to be absolutely mega ..!!!!

Went to 1986 TT on back of my dad’s Norton Commando. Unbelievable! My old man’s still motoring and he’s 80, bikers are amazing but TT racers are insane. Great vid.

The greatest road race in the world,scary and thrilling and till you have been and see it in the flesh it’s hard to visualise the speed the riders go and the risks to life and limb at every corner. Superb racing.

Want to add that the race featured "flying doctors" Dr. John Hinds and Dr. Fred McSorley at the time, which are real doctors that ride behind the riders to be able to reach a crash in the least time possible, this means they have to go full speed as the riders themselves, sadly Hinds lost his life in 2015 on a practice run.

As the late Joey Dunlop once said, "There's a grey blur and a green blur, I try to stay on the grey one".

Excellent episode. Another lesser known but also very deadly, brutal & highly unique race is the Baja 1000. Everyone who runs that is insane but especially the dirt bikers. It's on another level.

Nice work! You`ve mistakenly got footage from Irish road racing at the beginning though - the mass start and "Coleraine" on the posters is a giveaway that it's not the TT.

As always, well written, Katy, and masterfully presented, Simon! I am about halfway packed for this year’s race, waiting upon a final weather report about a week before my flight to finalize my wardrobe - the weather is notoriously unpredictable! In 2017, all the tenants of the Guest House where I stay had to band together and plead with the owner to light the furnace, which he did, Bless him! The next year, 2018, was the warmest year on record for the TT, and nearly every course record was broken and re-broken repeatedly. Then, in 2019, we couldn’t get a reasonably dry road until Thursday of Race Week, so there was scarcely any Practice and all the races were shortened and crammed into Thursday and Friday. This made for some exciting moments at Quarterbridge Corner, the first real corner on the course, which surprised many of the less experienced riders, as it appears out of nowhere after a fast left bend on a downhill through the woods less than 2 miles from the Starting Gate. A full tank of gas and cold tires, combined with the painted roundabout markings, 120º turn, and reverse camber on the bridge over the River Glass put several riders off their game, including one who ran straight into the foam crash barrier directly in front of me! As far as the Purse goes, it’s chicken feed, but the top riders get loads of sponsorship and endorsement deals. Look at Guy Martin; raced the IOM 14 times, stood on the podium 17 times in various classes, yet never won a single race there. Yet he’s a millionaire several times over and a well-known international personality who has had a number of television specials featuring projects he’s undertaken. He restored a WW II Spitfire found on the beach at Dunkirk, when the ONLY useable part of the aircraft was literally the aircraft data plate! He built a river barge from scratch, and took it all over the canals and smaller rivers of England. He also built his own race bike and entered the Pike’s Peak Hillclimb a few years ago as a privateer, and won the Class with a new record time his first time out!

sidecar racing seems even more insane on this track than other classes

Great video! Born & live on the Isle of Man and it's good to have the races running again this year; previous 2 years have been cancelled due to COVID.

Hi Simon, you should make a Geographics video on the Isle of Man. It's a great place to live with lots of history!

These guys are the purest of racers. Totally iconic, hope it goes on forever

So weird this has come up now, I've been binge watching Guy Martin and TT doccies for the last week.

I have been to the TT as a team mechanic. I can put my hand on my heart and say that I am truly privileged to experience this event. It is the best two weeks of my life relived every year!

Clicked like before I even started watching. Bikes are ace, the TT where the big boys go to see who's the biggest boy of all

Some of the most incredible riders on the planet. I love my bike!

As a adrenaline junky, I love speed. I have loved watching the Isle of Mann TT race since I first discovered it. Unfortunately I've never had the chance to ever ride a motorcycle. I'd love the chance to visit just to watch the race. I hope to watch it on TV this year. Great content as usual. Thanks.

I love how the broken white line appears as continual streak, and the chevron colours blur to create a mix of colours on the bike cam. That fast. Favourite track race view is Micheal Dunlop in circa 2016.

it's a great pleasure to play a small part at TT marshalling also gets you the best seats on the track. looking forward to going over in the few weeks

So much respect for the riders who go out there to put it all on the line . It is absolutely breathtaking. Best wishes to all of them .

The UK and Ireland have some of the most insane Superbike street courses in the world. The Ulster GP at Dundrod circuit is another crazy race to watch

Brilliantly read Simon. Perfect description of every angle. Well done!!!

its awesome you made this post today, i was looking to see about isle of man race and i watch many of your channels

after discovering this race close to 15 years ago, one of my goals is to eventually get my harley over to cruise on the course, no way in hell i wanna try it anywhere near race pace, but it just looks like an amazing ride

It’s always a pleasant surprise to know that the rest of the world actually know that we exist ❤️🇮🇲

Nice to see a video based on my world. Love your work, another great video Simon and team.

My uncle spent the last few years of his career as the Consultant Radiologist at the Noble Hospital on the Isle of Man. He said that his long experience in medicine had not prepared him for the horrific injuries he had to deal with during TT week - it is a uniquely dangerous event. One point not made in the video is that it's possible for the general public to ride the course during practice week. This leads to yet more mayhem...

As Someone from the island, I can say it’s definitely worth watching if you get the chance

Great video Nomis! I believe the Legend that is Joey Dunlop, deserves his own video, even John McGinnis! 👍

Great video! Really thorough - cheers!

Thanks Simon, ive been waiting for this 1!

10:53 *It's Pronounced [MIKE] Hail Wood and met him several times, one occasion was in 1964 at the Race of the Year at Mallory Park September 1964, and long after the race had finished and the crowds had gone, asking a Marshall if I could drive my car (Citroen DS19) around the circuit, he said better ask Mike (Hailwood) and directed me to him. I asked Mike, who I had briefly met a number of times before, and he said of course you can, and told the Marshall to let me through the top gate (Near Hairpin) - He said come back after we are having a bit of a Party with Chris Barber later. Did two/three laps and then went back. Mike appeared genuinely pleased to see me again and asked how I got on. Had a good laugh together as we found had a lot of common interests (3 years older than me and born on the same date 2nd April) and had been to the Belgian Grand Prix the previous year in my Morris Minor 1000. Stayed until late with many of the riders and "Chris Barber & his Jazzmen" playing. Imagine that today, the pits were open and you didn't need a fancy pass to get in. I was very keen on Jazz Bands, and in fact had an Acker Bilk Beard at the time, and was often mistaken for him ! (Maybe Mike thought I was "Acker") Still got the Program Price 2/6p and signed by many riders then including Phil Read, Jim Redman, Mike Duff, Bill Ivy etc. Incidentally Mike Won the race on the MV Agusta and was £1000 richer. Huge amount in those days. So no wonder he was happy. He held the 350cc Lap Record from 62-64 at 84.93 mph and the 500cc Lap record at 53 seconds 91.70 mph in 1962* *What a great person Mike was, and a terrible loss to Motor Sport. I was not aware at the time I was talking to a Millionaire's son, as Mike was so modest and unpretentious, an everyday kind of Guy.*

Truly there is no greater spectacle... one must come and see. The isle of man, TT.

Simon! You legend. Im a frequent listener to your many channels, its slightly concerning to be honest, and from the isle of man AND A CRAZY BIKE FANATIC. This video is the creme to my biscuit, thank you

Thanks, Simon this was great!!

Apparently he just read the wiki, missed a ton of details...Like the TT being the Road Racing World Championship until it was decertified because of all the deaths, also the electric class is awesome!

The fastest I've ever riden was 135mph which I kept up for around 20 or 30 seconds after which I thought yep, that'll do. That record of 131mph was the riders AVERAGE, for around 90 minutes! Allowing for pit stops and slower twisties and corners they have to not only go over the 131mph but it has to be sustained for quite some time! Their skill and dedication is simply amazing, anyone even competing is a total hero and complete legend!

Thanks for posting Simon, I started riding Motorcycles in 1968, The Isle of Man is my favorite, Joey Dunlop was amazing, I've also rode on Mike {The Bike} Hailwoods bike Via camera, It was a Two Stroke, It hit speeds of 180-190 Mph, It was incredible.👍

I have seen a lot of videos about the IOM TT, but this is by far the most informative.

Great video, thanks 👍 By the way, Snaefell is pronounced Snayfell 😉

Hello, Simon, I am from Hong Kong. I am hoping one of your channel can feature the ridiculous housing price and ridiculous small apartment here in the city. To give you a perspective, a new apartment unit of 300 sqft would cost you 8 million HKD. I'm not talking about one singular development, but it is the average housing price here for an apartment in the outskirt of main commercial area. People with low income trying to apply for government housing has to wait an average of 5 years. People who cannot wait are forced to rent what we coined as "coffin room", which is a subdivided unit within a single flat, a 60 ft unit would cost you 5k HKD per month. I am hoping someone can bring this situation on the international stage so the world can know hong kong is not as glamorous as it may seem. If you wish to know more or are interested in developing on this topic. Please let me know how i can be of help.

Thanks for making this great video, I live on the main road and its always awesome watching the bikes fly by my house (although i will say the noise is something else)

Pretty good intro/summary to the TT. Nice!

Always love watching the TT every year

You can watch as many KZfaq video's as you want about the TT, nothing comes close to see those bikes pass you at 200mph when you're sitting 3feet from the Road.

Super deal Simon! Many thanx 👍👍

Attending the Isle of Man TT is high on my bucket list. I also can't believe they are still running these races.

It’s something you need to go see in person to believe just how dangerous it really is and just how fast they go

I live on the Isle of Man and can with certainty say it's crazy dangerous! Love it though!

The racing is mental and the onboard footage is surreal! Love watching it, but no way I'd ever want to try myself, so mad respect for those brave enough to.

Lov to watch the race, but knew almost nothing about it. Thanks for the video

I've been round the mountain circuit and even at normal speeds it's a bit worrying to say the least

The island of Man is an interesting small place. I would like a Geographics video on it.

Awesome thanks ! That opening footage looks like Ballaugh bridge not seen footage from that far back !

Great video 📹 I love this race and learned alot from the video

Yes. The need for Speed... Once upon a time in the West... My neighbor "down The Valley" (let's call him Dave) and I met along the Road to Perdition. Dave was a former Formula 4 racer who had taken to motorcycles in lieu of the four-wheel version of Suicide Machines. Seems he'd had an "accident" a number of years before, at Watkins Glen: His rocket went airborne off the downside of a curve. Detonated on impact. Broke his lower spine and a limb or two. He took to racing motorcycles. Easier Work. LOL Yeah, like the the core of the Sun is a half-million degrees cooler than the surface. I was a "good" throttle jockey on a motorcycle. Only good. Dave and I "met" on my way home, along Laureles Grade (Carmel Road to San Bonacio). I was tooling along at a comfortable 90 mph, working at it, when a UAP shot past me at light speed. It screeched to a halt 100 feet downgrade, smoked the back shoe in a 180, and came screaming straight at me @264 fps; popped a wheelie on the pass, shut it down, did the 180 thing and pulled to a stop alongside me on the poor excuse for a "shoulder"... where I had retreated for fear of screaming Harpes and certain death. Let's just say we got along from then on. LSS: He took me to Laguna Seca (a ball bust "oval" track just down the road), put me on his personal rig (a very expensive, custom blueprinted Yami) and said: Go for it. The short of it. My best avg: 118 mph. Not too shabby... for a Citizen. To put it in perspective: Dave passed me up... TWICE on that run. TAKES a RARE BREED: as in Effin' CRAZY... or maybe just wired different. We talked about Isle of Man. Dave was just past 40 at the time. He bemoaned the fact that he hadn't given it a shot when he could. His take on the pass-a-dena: "I have the COJONES, Bro but... the reflexes aren't quite what they once were." Dave's Creed: "Play it safe and you'll die a thousand deaths. Balls out, you might die... once. But what a ride. But keep it on The Track. Fewer BOZOS in the way." Yep. Words of Wisdom and just like Dave: Equivocal to a fault. 👍

This is the ultimate Motorsport. One corner at a time and hope and pray you don't get it wrong... The walls and drops don't take prisoners

There is no other race on earth like it. I love this race and those who test their nerve racing in it. There is nothing more insane in racing then the on bike cameras in this race. David Jeffries on bike camera shots and his racing brilliance made me a lifelong fan of this race. David was one of the most talented racers to ever drive in this race but sadly,he lost his life in the quest to win another Isle of Mann while practicing for the race in 2003. But the race goes on and the racers are faster every year. What a complete blast of unadulterated speed on the planet. The Isle of Mann is life right on the limit all the time every lap. I love this race.

my great uncle is fred cook he raced in the 1955 isle of man tt as a rep of new zealand. he still kicking and alive to this day in his 90s. he lost his brother my other great uncle bob cook who also raced motorcycles back in those days he past away practicing on the aintree circuit. i love hearing from my grandfather and his brother what it was like during the isle of man races and such a inspirational story of 3 brothers racing.

And long may it continue!

Isn't it still pronounced snay fell? It was when I was a kid.

Yesterday at work, we work in healthcare, and are around death a lot. We were talking about what's on our bucket lists. Top couple of spots on my list were racing the isle of man, and Daytona.

YES! I've been waiting for this one.

As a local of the Isle of Man and huge fan of the TT Races this was very informative and quite well written i must point out though a few errors were made as while watching i saw 2 accident clips that were not even on the TT course and Including Manx Grand Prix deaths in the figures gives an inaccurate impression of the amount of unfortunate fatalities, The TT Races and Manx Grand Prix are different events Both having different competence levels to be able to ride.

Hearing Simon say Snaefell as “Snaffel” is honestly hilarious to me. It’s pronounced, “Snay-fell”.

I have been close to 150 mph on a track and it was a terrifying, yet a thrilling experience. When going that fast on a motorcycle, your vision is limited because you need to tuck into the tank and behind the windscreen to prevent drag. It feels like your eyes press back into your head and your peripheral vision is completely blurred out. Things almost appear as if its voomed out like turning an FOV slider to max. I cannot imagine doing that speed on a public roadway.

I've never done anything like this, but I have ridden dirt bikes and spent a tiny amount of time of sport bikes, and the feeling you get when you're riding is a whole other level. It's like taming a beat. Just sat upon this crazy screaming, snarling monster going like 75 on dirt or 120 on street.

Super interesting that the first TT was a course of 15 miles and was won in 4 hours at a speed of over 38 miles per hour. Math and physics have changed quite a bit since then, it seems.

HAIL-wood NOT HA-le-wood.

Awesome video! Would love to see one over the Nurburgring

Hey Simon love the video and your history in ths event is really good but, snaefell is pronounced snay-fell. Thank you for making a video on the TT races though I was hoping you would I have enjoyed watching it.

0:40 - Chapter 1 - The history of the TT races 4:10 - Chapter 2 - The need for speed 7:10 - Chapter 3 - The dangers 10:20 - Chapter 4 - The future of the TT race

Lap record is 135.45 MPH

Now we need a video for MotoGP and one for IndyCar 😁😁😁 GREAT JOB!

I’ve never watched the Isle of Man TT, but I’ve heard of it over the years. I might have to watch this year’s coverage. I’ve had a couple friends who have gone over several times to watch it. It looks absolutely crazy.

Among our rights as human beings is the right to freely, knowingly and intelligently risk one's own life !:-) ⚡️🙏⚡️

It’s amazing this still exists & as much I hate the death & injuries- im very glad it still does. If humans can’t, voluntarily, test themselves to the absolute limit I think human kind will be much poorer as a species for it.

Hell yeah! I love it when you do racing

An amazing race and great video

It's pronounced Snay fell Not Snafell!

We all have the right to race and die.

I just love these videos.

Love the TT. I lived on the island for five years and went to pretty much all of the ones I could including the classic TT, and I am not a motorcycle fan. Best experience ever!