Aussie movie star, passionate motorcycle rider and motoring fan Eric Bana will play Mike “The Bike” Hailwood in a movie based on the legendary racer’s life.
Bana will also write and direct the film about the legendary racer who retired from racing bikes in 1967 after 12 Isle of Man TT victories and returned to take back his crown in 1978 on a Ducati 900SS.
His brave return will be the focus of the film.
The bike he raced has also become legendary and is even immortalised in the latest TT computer game.
Isle of Man TT 2 game
Hailwood honoured
Hailwood’s widow, Pauline, says the family is “absolutely thrilled” that Eric will adapt Mike’s story into a feature film.
Bana started directing with the 2010 movie Love the Beast about his first car, a 19745 Ford XB Falcon hardtop.
He also has a passion fort motorcycles, particularly Ducatis and is often participating in track days, so no doubt he may do some of his own stunts in the movie.
Eric on track
It is quite appropriate that an Aussie brings Hailwood’s story to the silver screen.
The British rider had a close connection with Australia having ridden many Ducatis in long-distance races, often with Aussie co-rider Jim Scaysbrook.
He also raced Formula One and once stopped mid-race to pull a fellow racer from his burning car and save his life.
Ironically, Hailwood died, age 40, along with his daughter after a truck crashed into their vehicle on their way to a restaurant.
We would rather be riding than sitting in front of a computer game (even when it’s raining), but the upcoming Isle of Man TT 2 looks interesting with a host of classic motorcycles being added.
The game is due on Xbox One, PS4, and PC in March 2020 and later on in the year for Nintendo Switch.
If you pre-order, you will receive a 1978 Mike Hailwood Ducati 900 as a bonus motorcycle.
Check out this two-part video.
The first half shows Davey Todd on the BMW S1000RR he rode last year and the second half features Mike the Bike on the Ducati 900.
It’s obviously not as fast, but oh the sound!
In fact, the sound is one of the best things about the game.
No game that we have ever seen comes close to the reality and dynamics of riding.
But the sound sure can. So hook up to a good amp and speakers and turn the volume up to 11.
Classic TT
While the Hailwood bike is a bonus for those who order early, there are several other classic bikes in the game.
They include the MV Augusta 500, Norton NRS 588, Suzuki XR69, and Yamaha TZ 750.
Here is the official trailer video for the game.
It will be interesting to see if the Norton V4 RR that featured in the first game returns as the company has gone into administration amid sordid fraud allegations and will obviously not be at this year’s TT.
We aren’t sure if they are involved this time, but the rendering is pretty good and the bikes are faithful to the originals.
TT realism
This game was developed by Bigben Interactive and Kylotonn, who did the first IOMTT game and the WRC FIA World Rally Championship series.
They are really going out for realism with the rider view even attracting bug splatters on the visor as they go around the track.
The creators say the new game features a revised physics system with more precise steering, better balance around bends and speed wobbles to alert players.
Brakes and shock absorbers respond to all bumps and users have to manage wear and tear of various bike parts and monitor brakes, suspension, engine and tyre temperatures.
Still, not as good as going for a real ride or heading out for a track day!
Dead flies are still plastered to the front of Dean Harrison’s historic Senior winning Kawasaki. The rear Metzeler slick shows evidence of his celebratory burnout, with melted race rubber hangs from the rear undertray.
Senior TT winning Kawasaki ZX-10RR
Chain lube is splattered over the factory swing-arm – even the Akrapovic logo, lost somewhere out there on the TT course, is still missing from the exhaust.
TT winning Kawasaki ZX-10RR Silicone Engineering
This very special Silicone Engineering ZX-10RR gave Kawasaki their first Senior TT win since Mick Grant in 1975, and crossed the finish line on Glencrutchery Road less than 24 hours before I got to throw a leg over the machine.
2019 Senior TT Results 1. Dean Harrison / Kawasaki 2. Peter Hickman / BMW +53.062 3.. Conor Cummins / Honda +58.879
The grips, the levers – everything – are as Dean left them. After my ride the bike headed into private storage to never be ridden again; its factory engine silenced forever as its proud owner puts it on display at home.
Bit of force gets put through these and the pegs to pilot this beast around the Isle of Man
This is one special bike
For those of you who thought Harrison’s TT winning bike was back racing in the British Superbike Championship at the next round, let me assure you it wasn’t. It’s true, many TT teams now run modified BSB bikes on the roads, but Dean’s ‘official’ Kawasaki is very different. This is a very special one-off.
TT winning Kawasaki ZX-10RR
The wheels are the same as those used in BSB, but that is really where any similarity ends. The discs are a different spec’ and the brake calipers are changed too. Dean’s BSB bikes use a four-pot Brembo set up while the TT bike uses Nissin six-piston calipers. The Brembo brakes have more instant bite while the TT brakes are more consistent.
Dean Harrison – 2019 Senior TT winner
You’re never really punishing the brakes around the TT – you don’t need massive initial short-circuit bite – and Dean prefers the Nissin six-piston set up at the TT (although the rear thumb Nissin brake is similar to his BSB bike’s set-up).
TT winning Kawasaki ZX-10RR
Let’s talk suspension
The Öhlins forks are similar, but the BSB ZX-10RR makes full use of the latest Öhlins 2530 while the TT bike runs the older 2525 spec’ from 2018. With so little set-up time due to the bad weather in practice week at the 2019 TT the team didn’t get the opportunity to test new fork options, so ran the same forks as 2018.
TT winning Kawasaki ZX-10RR
The main difference is the flex between the new and old forks, and Dean preferred the older set-up. The top yoke is changed to accommodate the smaller-diameter forks. The top yoke is also stiffer on the TT bike, with fewer cutaway sections.
TT winning Kawasaki ZX-10RR
The Silicone team isn’t commercially linked to any products: everything they use, they buy. If an item doesn’t work, they won’t use it. And while the team runs an Öhlins unit to complement the front whne racing in BSB, Dean prefers a Maxton rear shock on the roads.
TT winning Kawasaki ZX-10RR uses a Maxton shock
In fact, if Dean wanted pink grips to make him faster, Silicone Engineering would buy him pink grips. Hard-centred TT tyres are, of course, supplied by Metzeler (it’s Pirelli in BSB), which again Dean is happy with.
TT winning Kawasaki ZX-10RR
Bespoke items
Some components of the Senior TT-winning bike are completely bespoke. The swing-arm, for example, is the team’s own and the final version of six designs, which the team admit was excessively expensive to produce. Dean arrived at the TT with three different iterations, each one tweakable to increase or reduce flex and stiffness.
TT winning Kawasaki ZX-10RR
This is done by adding or removing bolts within the structure of the arm. Version one, with no bolts, has lots of flex – then it’s version one with bolts, then version two without bolts, then version two with bolts… and so on, with each swing-arm version (with and without bolts) increasing or decreasing stiffness by around 10 per cent.
Essentially Dean has three different arms to choose from with each one having two variants. During a BSB weekend, Dean will normally use swing-arm number two with bolts, but at the TT it’s swing-arm one, as he prefers more flex.
As someone who has raced the TT I find it hard to believe Dean can feel the difference in 10 per cent more flex when lapping the TT at a 134 mph average, but as crew chief Jonny Bagnall explains, “Yes, he’ll notice the difference straight away. He’ll notice how much the bike slides, which I know sounds ridiculous around the TT, but Dean slides the bike. He prefers the bike to slide progressively, and we can help with that by increasing or reducing the flex in the swingarm. What he doesn’t want is the bike to snap out of line; he wants it to slide gracefully.”
Dean Harrison on his way to winning the 2019 Senior TT
Again, the frame is different from that of a BSB ZX-10RR. The road frame has more flex and isn’t braced heavily like the short circuit bike. In fact, the frame is showroom spec, the same as an everyday road bike.
Standard frame used on the Senior TT winning Kawasaki ZX-10RR
New engine, more power
Kawasaki introduced a new engine last year with finger-followers on the valves, and lighter titanium rods, which not only reduced engine inertia but also allowed the stock engine to rev 500 rpm higher. The new engine developments allowed the team to find even more bhp, with a significant 10 hp gain in the mid-range.
Dean liked the old engine and compared it to a two-stroke – ‘You’ve got to keep it revving’, he said – but now loves the huge increase in mid-range torque.
The team is reluctant to quote an actual power figure, but you’re looking at a true 225 hp at the back wheel. And that significant increase in torque and power created handling issues the team had to work around.
2019 Senior TT winning ZX-10RR Kawasaki
The TT engines are Kawasaki factory and supplied by Kawasaki’s World Superbike engine builder, Akira, whereas the BSB engine is developed by the team using factory kit parts. The engines go from Kawasaki to Akira and then are delivered to the team run in and ready to go – it’s just a case of bolting the special engine in.
The oil has to be changed every 250 km and the filter every 500 km. And yes, those of you who are good at maths will have worked out that the six-lap Senior TT was more than 250 km.
Despite the lack of label, the exhaust is made by Akrapovic and Motec controls the electronics and fuelling, the same as BSB. Teams at the TT have the option to run a kit ECU, which would allow rider aids, but Dean and the team choose BSB spec’ electronics, which means Dean alone controls the 225 hp.
No traction control, just right hand control…
Again, the bodywork looks the same as any other race bike in BSB, but the top section is reinforced to make it stronger as you’re going that much fast for so much longer – and it stops flex. Surprisingly the screen is the same as BSB because Dean doesn’t use a large screen with add-ons like the majority of TT riders.
The fuel tanks, however, are completely different to both the BSB bike’s 22-litre tank and the standard road bike’s 17-litre tank. The TT bikes have a hand-made 24-litre tank that extends under the seat to keep the weight low and differs from those run by the other Kawasaki teams.
Adam Child on the Senior TT winning ZX-10RR Kawasaki
The bars and levers are the same as Dean’s BSB bike. Dean had been racing BSB in the summer to get ‘up-to-speed’ and didn’t want to get used to two bikes; therefore the bar position is similar on both bikes. The team worked countless hours on seat-position.
Their rider has been with the team for a few years and in 2018 they spent a huge amount of time getting Dean comfortable with the bike. The seat height is the same as the standard road-going ZX-10RR, even with the fuel tank running underneath the seat.
Little touches make the TT bike unique. The team has designed a captive spindle on the rear wheel so you can’t remove the entire spindle and place it on the ground; it doesn’t come fully out when you remove the rear wheel. Remember the Senior is over six-laps, which means two rear wheel changes in under 40-seconds per stop.
Trev took this photo of Dean Harrison after he won the 2019 Senior TT
The sub-frame is easily removable, all the electronics are upfront with the only wire going to the rear being for the mandatory rain light. This allows quick easy access.
Everything is lock-wired, the team will use a few metres of lock-wire on each bike build. Check out some of the detail images if you need convincing. Steering damper, calipers, exhaust bracket are all secured with meticulous and painstaking lock-wiring.
TT winning Kawasaki ZX-10RR
Close to running out of fuel!
Bob Grey, the team’s Data Technician, designed the switchgear, dash surround, rear rain light, and a few other items. Plastic printing was used and money was saved if needed, “The actual buttons are £3.75 plus VAT and on the TT bike we only need minimal buttons – a pit-lane limiter and a map switch – and on the right bar an on and off switch. We’ve also added a rain light button. The rain light is the blue button (water is blue), black is for the map switch, and orange is the pit lane limiter.
“We don’t show Dean a board and tell him to change the map. In practice we’ll change the mapping; if Dean thinks the mapping is shit, he can press the map button and it will go back to the previous map. The fuel map in the bike at the moment is the saving-fuel map.”
TT winning Kawasaki ZX-10RR
One of the problems the team encountered at the 2018 TT, especially in the first Superbike race on day one, was fuel starvation on the end of laps two and four – before the fuel stops. Dean was complaining the bike was surging. Bob and the team analysed the data and could see the fuel pressure dropping for a fraction of a second before the surging as the fuel tank levels depleted.
Bob explains the predicament the team was in the night before the senior, “We were up to the very early hours working out fuel consumption and looked at fuelling strategies. I could lean the motor, to save fuel, but then we could go too lean and the engine would over-heat and melt. But if I’d left the fuelling alone we would have most likely run out of fuel. So, I had to use some calculations and guesswork and went big.
“There was a little bit of surging at the end of lap two as Dean came into the pits, but we’d saved enough fuel to stop the surging in other places. Thankfully the bike ran fine. The link pipe turned purple, it must have been running hot, but we didn’t have any issues. When Dean noticed he had a big lead from his pit-board he maturely rolled off a little which also helped with fuel consumption.”
2019 Senior TT Results 1. Dean Harrison 2. Peter Hickman +53.062 3. Conor Cummins +58.879
Riding Dean Harrison’s Senior Kawasaki ZX-10RR
Let’s be honest, I’m not going to pretend I can feel the flex in the chassis. Nor did I push the handling limits, and I didn’t feel the used Metzeler slide – despite racing the TT several times I don’t have that level of skill.
I just wanted to get a flavour of the historic TT winning bike, which thankfully the team agreed to the morning after the TT. With hangovers still pounding from the previous night’s celebrations, we headed to out – and forgot the tyre warmers.
Adam Child on the Senior TT winning ZX-10RR Kawasaki
The TT winning bike starts on the button, but to ease the Nova gearbox, Jonny gives me a push to get everything moving before I slotted it into gear. Dean uses a conventional road shift, not a race shift, so it’s unusually down for first gear. The clutch feels heavy and the power is snatchy and aggressive low down. But I’m guessing Dean only lets the rev drop below 5000 rpm three times a lap, if that.
I’m obviously aware I’m on cold Metzeler slicks which have been abused around the TT and during a burn-out in the paddock. In the back of my mind, I know the bike is irreplaceable, and despite the fact that Dean is a good mate, he isn’t going to be too happy if I launch it.
Dean Harrison greeted by his family in Parc Ferme after taking victory in the 2019 Senior TT
As you’d expect, it’s quick, but it feels raw. The whole bike feels alive, it’s a 225 hp animal without any rider aids. I’ve ridden many TT-winning bikes, and they feel a little timid, but the Kawasaki doesn’t. The thought of riding this flat out at the TT scares me to death. And Dean was power sliding the beast and wrestling it around in fifth and sixth gear – he’s got balls.
The ride isn’t harsh; it’s not a plank of wood with a fast engine, and as Dean explained the brakes are progressive, dare I say user-friendly. The thumb back brake has a nice, smooth, fluid action and doesn’t require a huge input, unlike other thumb brakes I’ve used in the past. Alarmingly my foot does keep reaching for the conventional back brake pedal, which isn’t there – don’t think I’ll be trying any wheelies.
Adam Child on the Senior TT winning ZX-10RR Kawasaki
I love the simplicity of Dean’s bike and minimal buttons to minimise confusion. With its standard screen, simple dash with large digital rev counter there’s no glitz and glamour – it was built to do the job of winning the TT, and that’s it. Like a kit-car, it was designed for speed, not glamour or comfort, despite the face Dean has to ride flat out for close to two hours.
The bars are wide, and it feels like a big bike (with a full 24-litres of fuel she must have been a handful). The steering isn’t light, either, and make no mistake the big Kwaka took some riding. However, Dean is adamant it wasn’t that much of a handful, and it certainly looked like he was dancing with the ZX-10RR for most of the time. Simply having fun.
Adam Child on the Senior TT winning ZX-10RR Kawasaki
After a short ride, I was happy to give it back in one piece. It’s never nice riding a mate’s bike, especially one that happens to be priceless and has just won the TT. I’d like to say I’d love to ride it in anger, but I don’t think I would, especially not on the road. This is one scary and raw bike I’ll happily give back.
Adam Child was very happy to get the bike back in one piece
How the 2019 Senior race was won
Dean Harrison claimed his first senior win after Peter Hickman’s Smiths BMW began to overheat on lap five. Peter had a lead of nearly 20 seconds, but it was clear Peter had a problem as he left the second pit-stop. Down Sulby Straight Peter was down to 159 mph, compared to Dean at 191 mph.
By Ramsey Dean had an eight-second lead, with Conor 36-seconds back in third. On the last lap, it was clear Hickman had an ongoing issue again only posting 165 mph through the speed trap, and Dean continued to pull out a lead to more than 40-seconds.
On the run over the mountain, as Hickman’s problems continued, it looked like Conor on the Padgetts Honda may snatch the second spot, but Hickman just held on to second position, eventually finishing, 53-seconds behind Dean and just five seconds ahead of Conor. Michael Dunlop rounded off the top four.
The front of the Silicone Engineering Kawasaki after almost two hours of racing at the Senior TT
Dean was clearly overjoyed to take his first big bike win, “To finish first, you first must finish and the bike never missed a beat. I can’t believe it. I’m happy it’s a proper six-lap Senior Superbike win, I’m so happy for the team. The fans and the marshals were all waving, it’s amazing. I got a board which said P1 plus 30 so I knew Peter had a problem. I’m so going to celebrate tonight, you don’t want to know how I’m going to celebrate, it’s going to be big.”
Dean Harrison – Senior TT Winner – 2019
Peter Hickman sharing of his issues, “I got off to good start and I knew the first lap was 16-min as I came up on the dash. But as I came away from the pitstop the bike was overheating and when the bike went over 11,000rpm it was pissing water out. I couldn’t go past 11,000, so I just short-shifted everywhere, the last few laps seemed to take forever. It’s a problem we’ve had on the Superbike, but not on the Superstock, and we have some amazing people in the Smiths racing but we don’t know why.”
Peter Hickman and Dean Harrison in Parc Ferme – Senior TT 2019
Peter Hickman to return to Isle of Man on Norton Superlight
It has been confirmed that Louth-based Peter Hickman will return to the Isle of Man TT races in 2020, racing the Norton Superlight in the Bennetts Lightweight Race, with the bike this time prepared and run by his own Smiths Racing Team.
Peter Hickman – Image by David Yeomans
The five-time TT Race winner joined John McGuinness and Davey Todd for a three-pronged assault with the new 650cc Norton Superlight in 2019 but was only able to complete two qualifying laps ahead of the shortened two lap race. While his Norton teammates both retired from the race, Hickman came home in a strong eighth position and posted a fastest lap at an impressive average speed of 120.260mph.
The decision for the bike to be prepared and run by the Smiths Racing team in 2020 allows the Norton factory to focus solely on increasing production of their road bikes.
Development of the Superlight race bike moves to Smiths Racing, but the team are no strangers to producing a race winning machine in a short space of time after taking victories in the 2019 RST Superbike and RL360 Superstock TT Races despite late delivery and little testing with the new BMW S 1000 RR.
The Lightweight Race has become a fiercely competitive class in recent years and the 32-year old is clear in his objectives.
Peter Hickman
“It handles really well which is especially important with the lightweight bikes. They don’t have much horsepower so they need to be able to turn properly and the bike did that immediately. Of course, there are things we need to change. It’s really heavy – heavier than my superbike – because it’s still a road bike and a lot has to be done to make it lighter. I think the podium is realistic and the win would be the cherry on top. I don’t go into anything thinking that we can hopefully finish sixth! The reason we’re doing this is because I feel the bike has potential. If I didn’t feel that, I wouldn’t be doing it.”
Peter Hickman – Image by Richard Sykes
Success for Hickman and the Norton Superlight would undoubtedly hold extra significance for the Lincolnshire man, after his father Dave Hickman played a key part in the success of the JPS Norton team and the iconic rotary-engined bikes of the late 1980’s and early 1990’s.
Now with bikes for six different races at the 2020 Isle of Man TT Races, could Hickman be the first man in TT history to claim six TT victories in a single week? It’s not impossible!
Get Routed offer a range of motorcycling shipping services, allowing motorcyclists to have their motorcycle transported for the ultimate two wheeled travel experience, including to locations such as United Kingdom, Spain, Greece, the Isle of Man and New Zealand.
Each year Get Routed organise IoM TT experiences for Aussie and Kiwi riders, with strictly limited spaces available for the 2020 event, and they also have pre-booked accommodation for the TT fortnight. There’s also space for those happy to take a tent and camp out, as an additional option, that Get Routed can also help organise.
Riders await the mountain section of the Isle of Man TT Course being opened to public traffic, there are no speed limits!
Get Routed also book ferry tickets from Liverpool or Heysham across to the Isle of Man each year far in advance, that can be used by their customers. This is far more important than you might think, as IOM TT ferry tickets can sell out in minutes and are generally booked out over 12 months in advance and cost over $500 AUD.
Ferry port at Douglas, Isle of Man
Of course if you take your own bike you not only get to the lap the TT course, and visit all corners of what is quite a beautiful island under your own steam and in your own time, you can also then extend your holiday and ride throughout the UK or continue over to Europe.
With Get Routed your bike can stay in Europe for a couple of months before being shipped back to Australia, and there are no extra charges for extending your stay in Europe and undertaking your own tour, in your own time. Perhaps even take in a round of MotoGP while you are on the European mainland.
Tour England’s Peak District ahead of your Isle of Man adventure
Here’s the full scoop from Dave of Get Routed, with contact details for those interested. With strictly limited spaces each year it’s worth getting in quick.
“I have been coming to the TT since 1983 and started shipping motorcycles to UK and Europe since 2001 and over that time have transported almost 3000 motorcycles to the UK and other European destinations. Of course we also provide shipping services across the Tasman for those riders wanting to tour New Zealand on their own motorcycle.
The Isle of Man can be a stunning place to spend time
“I also book plenty of accommodation on the Isle of Man each year for the TT fortnight, with quality options in the beautiful seaside towns of Port Erin and Port Mary. Including a self contained fully restored stone farm cottage built in 1850.
Port Erin
“This accommodation is not available to people who don’t want to take a bike to the TT. The accommodation and ferry tickets are only available to those who want bikes shipped to the UK and back, from either Brisbane, Sydney or Melbourne. Of course for those wanting to take a tent and camp out at one of the many IoM camp sites I can also help facilitate this.
“Laps of the TT Mountain Course circuit during open road times across the TT fortnight is not difficult.
Motorcycles being prepared for shipping
“Bikes are generally loaded in Australia towards the end of February and available for collection in Felixstowe, Suffolk, UK towards the end of April. Your motorcycle luggage can also be transported in the container ready for your collection with your motorcycle.”
Trev’s Fireblade with some of the other bikes shipped from Australia to the UK with Get Routed for TT 2019 – Image by Steve/Sue Frew
How much does this type of service cost?
The 2020 and 2021 Isle of Man TT motorcycle shipping and accommodation package, which includes ferry tickets for you and your motorcycle across the Irish Sea, and 14-nights quality lodgings on the Isle of Man, sells for $7436. Spaces are always limited thus advance bookings are thoroughly recommended.
To make an enquiry or a booking email [email protected] or phone 03 5625 9080.
After what had been a tumultuous first week of TT 2019, race action finally got underway at 1105 on Monday morning. Even Monday’s schedule had to be amended numerous times from the planned 1045 start. Firstly a medical emergency at Ramsey involving a member of the public put us back ten minutes as an ambulance was on course to attend that person. Then some problems with spectators at some parts of the course, and a motorcycle on fire at Creg Ny Baa added another small delay but Conor Cummins launched out of the hole at 1105 and TT 2019 was finally underway!
David Johnson was cool as a cucumber ahead of the Superbike TT as his mechanics fuelled his bike only moments before the race start
Preparation for many of the Superbike runners had been problematic with the extremely limited track time. Any motorcycle problems had caused riders to miss an entire session, thus many of the riders participating in this four-lap Superbike TT had hardly completed a lap of the 37.73-mile Mountain Course.
#1 Conor Cummins was the first rider off the start-line for TT 2019
Still, it would be fair to say that the smart money today would be on Peter Hickman or Dean Harrison. That form guide proved true early on with a 132.48mph from a standing start for Dean Harrison saw him take the lead early but Peter Hickman was only 1.088-seconds behind as they crossed the line at the end of that first lap.
Conor Cummins was in third place ahead of James Hillier and Michaell Rutter, while Michael Dunlop was sixth on the Tyco BMW ahead of Gary Johnson and South Australia’s David Johnson.
John McGuinness came in to the pits on the Norton at the end of lap one with an oil pressure light indicating that not all was well with the British machine.
Dean Harrison
Dean Harrison was on fire and nudging sector record times to extend his lead over Hickman to almost five-seconds at Ballaugh Bridge on lap two. Shortly after that sector he passed Conor Cummins on the road, the Honda man had started first, ten-seconds head of Harrison, but the Kawasaki man had closed him down.
Peter Hickman was now wound up though and he clawed back those five-seconds on Harrison in that latter half of the second lap.
Peter Hickman
Conor Cummins had also got the better of Harrison between Ramsey and Bungalow, that tussle perhaps a factor in slowing down Harrison a little on that second lap.
Into the pits
Conor Cummins and Dean Harrison the first riders into the pits, but still out on course, after starting from #10, Peter Hickman was the new race leader ahead of his pit-stop. In the final sector before his pit-stop Hickman had extended his buffer out to a 1.78-second lead over Harrison.
David Johnson was up to seventh place on the Honda Racing Fireblade.
The final two laps…
Through the first split after the pit stops Hickman’s advantage had been trimmed to 0.690-seconds over Harrison, but the pit stops had seen the Kawasaki get away in front of Conor Cummins, who while just over ten-seconds behind him on time, was running with him on track, while holding down third place in the race.
Conor Cummins
Michael Rutter was in fourth place ahead of Michael Dunlop while David Johnson had moved up to sixth place. Lee Johnston then retired from the race.
Red Flag
An incident on the circuit at Snugborough, just before Union Mills, then caused officials to put the red flag out. It was some time before we got an update as to whether the race would be started again, or if it would be declared as results. They were past the halfway mark thus declaration was an option for officials. It was around 45-minutes later that officials finally made the call to declare the race, presumably the incident was very serious and the clean-up time deemed to be lengthy.
Peter Hickman declared winner
Results for the race were declared as at the end of lap two, at which point Hickman had a narrow lead over Dean Harrison.
Conor Cummins takes the final step on the subdued rostrum ahead of James Hillier and Michael Rutter.
Michael Dunlop finishes sixth ahead of David Johnson and Jamie Coward. Gary Johnson ninth and Davey Todd rounded out the top ten.
Peter Hickman also carded the fastest lap of the race at 132.947 mph.
After four full days of inactivity due to the weather on the Isle of Man, the third solo qualifying session at the 2019 IOM TT races, fuelled by Monster Energy, finally got underway on Sunday afternoon.
The mist on the Mountain cleared sufficiently for the session to take place after a delay of an hour and a half, although there were still damp patches from the earlier rain and strong winds around the course, particularly on the Mountain section.
TT Sunday Qualifying Results
Superbike
Conor Cummins 128.92 mph
Dean Harrison 128.29 mph
David Johnson 128.24 mph
Michael Rutter 127.55 mph
Jamie Coward 127.22 mph
James Hillier 125.36 mph
Peter Hickman 125.04 mph
Sam West 124.96 mph
John McGuinness 124.72 mph
Brian McCormack 124.33 mph
Philip Crowe 124.31 mph
Daley Mathison 124.22 mph
Gary Johnson 123.75 mph
Stefano Bonetti 123.48 mph
Derek Sheils 123.10 mph
Paul Jordan 122.84 mph
Jay Lawrence 122.47 mph
Shaun Anderson 122.35 mph
Lee Johnston 122.27 mph
Ian Hutchinson 121.95 mph
Superstock
Peter Hickman 128.50 mph
Conor Cummins 127.17 mph
Gary Johnson 124.97 mph
James Hillier 124.33 mph
Michael Rutter 123.53 mph
Rob Hodson 123.39 mph
Davey Todd 122.94 mph
Horst Saiger 121.30 mph
Derek McGee 120.98 mph
Philip Crowe 119.85 mph
Supersport
Lee Johnston 122.93 mph
Gary Johnson 122.59 mph
James Hillier 122.02 mph
Jamie Coward 121.33 mph
Dean Harrison 121.17 mph
Ian Hutchinson 121.13 mph
Paul Jordan 120.48 mph
David Johnson 120.35 mph
Derek McGee 119.64 mph
Derek Sheils 119.58 mph
Daley Mathison 119.11 mph
John McGuinness 117.77 mph
Michael Sweeney 117.70 mph
Mike Browne 117.55 mph
Xavier Denis 116.53 mph
TT Zero
Michael Rutter 117.16 mph
Ian Lougher 95.36 mph
Sunday TT Qualifying Report
Conor Cummins on the Milenco by Padgetts Motorcycles Honda set the quickest lap of the session, clocking 128.92mph although Peter Hickman posted the fastest opening four sectors of the session – indeed the week – on his Superstock machine before slowing over the final two sectors.
Conor Cummings quickest on Sunday
Michael Rutter (Bathams Racing Honda), Peter Hickman (Smiths Racing BMW) and Dean Harrison (Silicone Engineering Kawasaki) led the Superbike, Superstock and Supersport classes away and all three were out on their Superbikes. Gary Johnson opted to take out his RAF Regular & Reserve Triumph Supersport machine.
Lee Johnston (Ashcourt Racing BMW) and Ian Hutchinson (Honda Racing) were both out on their Superbikes while James Hillier headed down Glencrutchery Road on the Quattro Plant Wicked Coatings Superstock Kawasaki.
Lee Johnston
Harrison was the quickest to Glen Helen, by four and a half seconds, from Michael Dunlop (Tyco BMW) with Hickman half a second further back in third. Cummins was close behind in fourth with Jamie Coward and Rutter completing the top six as Hillier and Johnson topped the early Superstock and Supersport times respectively.
Cummins set the quickest sector time on the run to Ballaugh before Hickman had the honour of getting from Ballaugh to Ramsey the quickest but as they completed the opening lap, Harrison was initially the quickest overall with a lap of 126.53mph.
Peter Hickman
That was nine seconds quicker than Rutter (125.42) with Hickman slotting into third at 125.04mph as he completed his first lap of TT2019 on his Superbike before pulling straight in to switch to his Superstock BMW.
However, Cummins went to the top of the leaderboard with a lap of 126.54mph, which was a tenth of a second quicker than Harrison. Hillier (124.33) and Johnson (122.59) were the quickest of the Superstock and Supersport machines but 18-time TT Race winner Dunlop was in trouble and he stopped at the Mountain Box.
Dean Harrison
Coward (124.82), John McGuinness (123.33) and Derek Sheils (123.10) were the other riders to lap at more than 123mph whilst Hutchinson lapped at 121.95mph as he got back on track after his spill at the 11th Milestone on Tuesday evening.
The second lap saw Cummins and Harrison set near identical times on the run to Ramsey but the Manxman edged it and with an improved speed of 128.92mph on the Milenco by Padgetts Honda, he remained at the top of the Superbike leaderboard.
Harrison (128.29), Rutter (127.55) and Coward (127.22) all upped their pace although the wind and the damp patches, combined with the lack of track time, continued to keep speeds down.
Hickman was another rider impressing on the second lap and he set the quickest Superstock lap of the session with a speed of 128.50mph.
Hillier (125.36) moved up to fifth place on the Superbike leaderboard with Gary Johnson (123.75) slotting into seventh while Davey Todd (122.94) moved up to third overall in the Superstock class. Newcomers Lucas Maurer (117.13) and Raymond Casey (113.27) also set their best laps of the week so far.
The big news of the session though came on the third lap as Hickman, still on his Superstock machine, set the fastest sector times on the run to Ramsey but just as it looked like he’d set the first 130mph lap of the week, he lost time between the Bungalow and the Grandstand and cruised across the line at 126.82mph. His Bungalow to Bungalow time was in excess of 130mph.
He remained quickest in the Superstock class ahead of new second place rider Cummins (127.17) and Gary Johnson (124.97) with Cummins (128.92) and Harrison (128.29) the two quickest riders in the Superbike category. There was a change for third though towards the end of the session as David Johnson pushed Rutter down to fourth after an impressive lap of 128.24mph on the Honda Racing machine.
Rutter, Coward and Hillier completed the top six in the Superbike class and, along with Hickman, were the only other riders above 125mph but Sam West (124.96) wasn’t far behind as McGuinness, Brian McCormack and Phil Crowe posted late laps of 124.72mph, 124.33mph and 124.31mph respectively.
Understandably, most riders focused on the big bikes but Lee Johnston (122.93) moved ahead of long time leader Johnson (122.59) as Coward (121.36) ended the session in third overall.
Michael Rutter – TT Zero
Michael Rutter also took the opportunity to go out at the end of the session on his TT Zero bike and posted a strong 117mph although John McGuinness ran out of time to get out for the session.
Sidecars
After four full days of inactivity due to the weather on the Isle of Man, the second qualifying session for sidecars at the 2019 Isle of Man TT races, fuelled by Monster Energy, finally got underway on Sunday afternoon.
The mist on the Mountain cleared sufficiently for the session to take place after a delay of an hour and a half, although there were still damp patches from the earlier rain and strong winds around the course, particularly on the Mountain section.
With bright skies and sunshine at the Grandstand, the Formula Two Sidecars were first to take to the Mountain Course with Ben and Tom Birchall leading the field away, closely followed by Holden/Cain, Tim Reeves/Mark Wilkes, Pete Founds/Jevan Walmsley, Lewis Blackstock/Patrick Rosney and Dave Molyneux/Harry Payne.
Ben and Tom Birchall
Holden/Cain were the quickest to Glen Helen, three seconds quicker than the Birchalls, but newcomers Ryan and Callum Crowe, who set a stunning 109mph lap in their opening lap on Tuesday night, stopped early at Snugborough and although they made adjustments, they were unable to continue. Two of the favourites were also in trouble with Reeves/Wilkes and Blackstock/Rosney retiring at Churchtown and Sulby Bridge respectively.
Holden/Cain continued to set the pace on the Silicone Barnes Racing Honda, overtaking the Birchalls on the road, and they were first to complete the lap with a speed of 114.99mph, which was almost identical to their lap from Tuesday evening.
The Birchalls lapped nearly twenty seconds slower at 113.19mph with Founds/Walmsley on 111.80mph. Founds/Lowther went fourth quickest with a lap of 110.49mph followed by Molyneux/Payne at 109.43mph.
Allan Schofield/Steve Thomas slotted into sixth on the leaderboard with a lap of 107.77mph with Gary Bryan/Phil Hyde and former race winners Conrad Harrison/Andy Winkle also lapping in excess of 107mph.
Second time around it was the Birchalls who were in the ascendancy and with three of the quickest sector times they increased their pace to 114.93mph. Holden/Cain were slightly slower than their opening lap with a speed of 114.30mph but Founds/Walmsley lapped quicker at 113.36mph. Harrison/Winkle (108.24) and Estelle Leblond/Franck Claeys (106.96) also upped their speeds but Molyneux’s second lap was a more sedate 104.22mph.
With slight delays to allow the Mountain Course to dry, the opening session of the 2019 Isle of Man TT kicked into life, and following the solo and sidecar newcomers completing their first – speed controlled – closed road lap of the course, Lee Johnston and Ian Hutchinson lead the field out onto Glencrutchery road on their Supersport machines.
After a couple of parade laps at last year’s race meeting and victory in the Bennetts Senior Classic TT last August, John McGuinness also made his return to competitive TT action.
He first went out on the Norton 650cc Superlight machine – also his first laps in the class – before switching to the Milenco by Padgetts Motorcycles Supersport Honda following yesterday’s news of his last-minute deal with the Batley based team who he last represented in 2014.
However, Dean Harrison was quickly on the pace – picking up where he left off from last year’s meeting, and posted the first official lap time of the meeting with 121.97mph on his Silicone Engineering Supersport bike, improving to 124.39mph on his second lap.
The Bradford rider then went out at the end of the session – his sixth Supersport lap – and posted the fastest time in every sector – to record a lap of 126.09mph – comfortably the fastest lap of the afternoon.
Dean Harrison
“I hit traffic early in the session, but it as the session went on and we got some rubber on the track. And going into windy corner I was leant right over in a straight line! However, 126 on the first night is good going.”
Although conditions were challenging with high winds on the Mountain section of the course, a number of the riders took the opportunity to get multiple laps under their belts with many completing five laps.
Michael Dunlop also showed strong early form with 123.90mph on his third lap. Conor Cummins described the conditions as ‘tricky’ but that didn’t stop the Ramsey man clocking 123.71mph on his fifth lap of the session in the Supersport class board, ahead of Prez Racing’s Jamie Coward (123.19mph) and James Hillier who nudged into the top five with 121.90. Gary Johnson – 122.55mph in sixth – described the conditions as ‘the toughest in eleven years’.
In the Lightweight class, Jamie Coward followed up his strong Supersport performance earlier in the session to top the Lightweight leader board with a best lap of 119.96mph. After the session, he revealed that the team can still make improvements, “The Kawasaki definitely showed what it’s capable of but there’s still a few things that we can improve on. It’s a fair achievement on the first day.”
Defending champion Michael Dunlop moved into second overall, with a lap of 118.52mph ahead of fellow Northern Ireland rider Paul Jordan, who showed his hand with 117.45mph.
Derek McGee, who finished runner up in last year’s race – will be looking to go one better and was fourth on the board with 116.19mph while Stefano Bonetti, fresh from his maiden international win at the North West 200, posted the fifth fastest Lightweight lap with 116.02mph – just over a second behind McGee.
Gary Johnson signalled his intentions with a 115.80mph lap, putting his injury concerns behind him to move into sixth overall for the class.
2017 Race winner Michael Rutter, posted a time of 113.60mph/19.55.660 while John McGuinness, who completed 3 laps – his fastest 111.77 – described his first laps in the class as ‘amazing’.
Maria Costello enjoyed her first closed road sidecar lap as a newcomer before clocking 109.40mph on her Paton in the Solo Lightweight class.
New Zealander Daniel Mettam came off his bike at the Black Hut in the Supersport session and was taken by airmed to Nobles Hospital, but his condition was not reported to be serious.
Customers who have put in orders for the two new hand-built Norton Atlas 650cc models are set for a long wait for delivery.
The Atlas Nomad cafe racer and Ranger scrambler will not hit the assembly line until early Northern Hemisphere summer 2019.
And even then they will only be built for the UK market, says Norton International Dealer Manager Lee Frankish.
“During late 2019 we will start to plan for international markets with the plan to start building early 2020.”
Meanwhile, Australian distributor, Brisbane Motorcycles, tells us they already have one pre-order and will announce pricing “in the next couple of months”. In the UK they cost £9995 for the Nomad and £11,995 for the Ranger.
Since the Norton Commando 961 starts at £15,995 in the UK and $A29,990 in Australia, we can expect the pricing to be just under $20,000 for the Nomad and just over for the Ranger.
Atlas Ranger
Atlas Nomad
All Nortons are handmade in the Donington Hall factory in the UK, so it will be some time before they are exported in significant volumes.
Donington Hall factory
The Aussie distributors are expecting the bikes at the end of next year. However, that would be difficult since Norton says they won’t be built until 2020 for international markets.
Isle of Man TT 2 game
Eric on track
