The Place

Agree with Winnie, you either want to do it or not, I've done it twice and it's been absolutely brilliant. I have done it with 2 different drivers and both times all i did with them prior to the TT was an EMRA meeting at Mallory. The TT really wasn't a problem as you get so much practise that by the time you get to actually race the TT you are very familiar with the bike and driver. Please don't be put off by not being part of a season long team, it really wasn't a problem for me.

ken wrote:Agree with Winnie, you either want to do it or not, I've done it twice and it's been absolutely brilliant. I have done it with 2 different drivers and both times all i did with them prior to the TT was an EMRA meeting at Mallory. The TT really wasn't a problem as you get so much practise that by the time you get to actually race the TT you are very familiar with the bike and driver. Please don't be put off by not being part of a season long team, it really wasn't a problem for me.

as i said before....julie hanks too only did a single day with me at cadwell before the tt......we did really well and got on well too...just as long as the driver and passenger fully understand each other and you can get hand/foot holds where you want/need them then it shouldnt be an issue...ta matt dix

i think the reasons for lack of passengers for the tt is lack of apreciation of tt passengers and cost yes drivers bare the cost of the bike and team as it is there bike and their team. for me to do tt i need to pay £600 insurance to get start premission then traveling and the rest. for the last few years my summer hoildays has been the isle of man not complaining and happy to do so. but if you.ve not tried it you might not see the point

I rode at the TT as a passenger before I started driving,and from the only reason I took up the sport was to ride the TT. I came to my first TT with riding kit, tent and no ride and was lucky enough to meet the Derek Rumble on the ferry, he watched me ride at Jurby Rd and gave me a chance at TT. We just took it steady and built up speed through the week. I would beg any passengers thinking about doing the TT to just get their arses in gear and get across at start of practice week. There are many reasons why riders need a TT passenger. I strongly believe though that a new passenger should ride with an experianced driver who has the knowledge to 'train' them up through practice week.
In 97, Mick Kneele jumped on with me at the end of practice week, we managed 3 laps of practice and he went home with two replicas, mind you i don't think he rode again
There are many reasons why the 6 rides are an issue, for me it was always shift work, I've had several passengers with vast experiance at theTT who were no longer willing to do short circuits but would turn up and do the business every May and still would be if it wasn't. Three of my TT passengers Steve Mace, Colin Hardman and Tony Wilde were prime examples. Steve only did one meating in a the year prior to TT. Colin and Tony had not even sat on a bike for two years before heading down Bray Hill with me. But the licence issue is here to stay so lets get new passengers to the island,
MY BEST ADVICE
Dont go with known 'wild' riders, for your first year you should just aim for a finish, even a 'steady Eddie' will give you the thrill of your life and you will be hooked.
JUST DO IT

I wanted to race the TT from a very young age and because I wanted it to happen it did, a letter or two to the acu who were very helpful I did my first TT with Greg and got a top 5 position and loved it the only bad part is packing up at the end! Any passengers coming over give me a shout I'm happy to take anyone around and there's also a good few other locals ready to help aswell.

Talking of, just got off the blower to Dave Kimberley: and despite being a seasoned dooher, having a top bike, fully loaded coach/awning: and offering a FREE ride to include setting the teams stall out at the new Thundersport F600 series and the TT races, he is struggling to find a passenger. I find it hard to believe that such a smooth & fast rider (apart from the four so far that have agreed, and since backed out) can't find a willing victim. You would imagine that there would be que to sit on such a rider/package, especially with it being the Centenary of the Mountain Course this year. I just hope that the man get's sorted with a capable passenger in time to get his entry in, the paddock would be a very dull place without the likes of Alf Garnett in it.
On the subject of getting passengers to the TT, from my personal perspective: I had decided that I had ticked all the box's I possibly could at the end of 2001, and I would knock sidecar racing on the bonce (I ran out of things to sell, with the house, boat, bikes and business all sold). After discussing this with Kris Hibberd, he told me point blank that I couldn't retire until I had gone down Bray Hill on a flying lap: after several weeks of Jibberb brainwashing I agreed to go and atleast have a look at the circuit. Rick Long came along and gave me his knowledge, or as much as I could take in and to cut the story short ended up amougst a right gaggle of sidecars on the side of Simon Nearly. With hand on heart I can honestly say that after the very first lap of the mind blowing Isle of Man circuit I was hooked. Some say that you go there and either love or hate it, maybe that's part of why some passengers are reluctant to go there: knowing that the bloke you have agreed to ride with has based his whole season around those few weeks, and if you were to be one of the few that over the last 100 years have hated it you would be Letdown Larry.
From the very first turn of my own TT career's wheel I have experienced so much, not all good: but all very special for a mountain of reason's. In short the reason I started racing in the first place was simply I knew I couldn't get away with it on the open roads for much longer: what I found when I got to the Isle was exactly what I've always wanted, and to go through Kirk Michael absolute flat knacker (with the local Dibble waving their thumbs up, and not speed camera's) is beyond words and only a small part of what has turned out for me to becoming a life changing experiance. Simply, while I am alive, I intend to do some living: and as long as I am allowed you will see me at the top of Glencrutchery Road with a load of like minded mates at the end of May/ begining of June.
I can only think of resons to do the TT!, Long live the TT!!

Love that, Gary... and as Roy Hanks says (don't know how he knows) No drug can give you the feeling you get flying down Bray Hill.
I do hope some of the experienced guys will come back, and some newbies will come and have a look round with people like you, and give it a go.
NO-ONE will judge you if you then decide it's not for you... takes a strong person to make that sort of choice and it would be as much respected as the decision to go for it.

Helen,i would love to come back to the TT,just cant be bothered with all the crap that comes to getting there.would take me this year to re qualify for next year,and thats to far away.I really hope Dave Kimberly finds a passenger,yet again,as an experienced TT passenger i cant help him out due to the rules,goodluck mate.

bruce moore wrote: Helen,i would love to come back to the TT,just cant be bothered with all the crap that comes to getting there.would take me this year to re qualify for next year,and thats to far away.I really hope Dave Kimberly finds a passenger,yet again,as an experienced TT passenger i cant help him out due to the rules,goodluck mate.

You took the words out of my mouth, Bruce. I'd have to do 6 meetings to qualify for Course Licence. I want to race when I want to, not just to 'prove' my competence by doing meaningless meetings at, say, Elvington.
Some passengers have found that the TT is not for them, yet they were, according to the rules, more qualified than me. But what would I know? I've only started in 44 TT races! I would like, just once, for somebody in authority to explain the purpose of this idiotic licence requirement. Maybe when there are no more sidecars at the TT this will finally be understood.
Oh dear, I'm ranting again!!

To my mind, naive as I am in the ways off the TT, there really does need to be a larger area for discretion with the granting of TT licences. I don't know if the problem is one of insurance, some other legal technicality or just a way to get numbers down at the TT as an excuse to nerf sidecars off the list, but it would surely make more sense to take each applicant on a case by case basis. With the level of sidecar entries at the TT now and with some of the passengers who are not eligible being obviously more than adept by reputation, it wouldn't take much for someone to tick the boxes for the right passengers in seconds and then delve into a few others. Probably no more than ten minutes work per passenger on average with some taking only seconds. There is definitely something underfoot that isn't parquet.

The Mountain Course licence is an insurance requirement, and it doesn't just apply to sidecars. It was supposed to be a way of proving that people had the experience to do the Mountain Course, and I must say I had some very strong misgivings about some of the people who were doing the MGP some years back. However, it has been done very badly, and, instead of fulfilling that objective it is, sometimes, an added danger, as people race at circuits they don't know or on unsuitable mnachinery, just to get a signature. I have long said that a proper licence... like your Tesco card... recording all your racing, and any infringements etc, would give a much broader and more accurate picture, and be transferable between countries/continents too.

Hang on a minute,am i missing the something here Helen if a passenger was to do say 5 or 6 TT's in a row then had a year out of racing for some reason,am i right in saying it will take you 2 years to get back to the TT,if thats right i've never heard such twoddle no wonder numbers dwindle can't they take previous years into consideration

No mark you dont . You have to have completed 6 meetings in the year previous to closing date for TTentries bearing in mind the previous years tt counts as 2 signatures if you complete practice and race .Although it can normally be stretched out a little after closing date im sure .

I still dont get it,say you did the TT in 09(2 sigs) no racing at all in 2010(0 sigs) i'd have thought you got to start all over again then comeback in 2012-or have i got it right round me neck

trouble is Mark.people like myself have been racing for years,and have 16 yrs of TT'S under my belt,last year 2010,i couldnt get to the Isle of Man,up to the close of entries i had 5 signitures,1 short !!!!!, so ive lost momentum to keep my licence going,its bloody annoying that you cant go to the TT,but i understand the rules,this year is the 100th of the mountain course,and believe me im gutted,seems for over 90yrs you could race the TT with no hassle and now its just Hassle,im still fit enough and no my abilities ,if i had doubt i wouldnt go.As for National/club Racing its got to expensive and i couldnt commit myself to race a whole season.i also wont just turn up to jump on with anyone to get signatures,if a rider waned me for the TT ,then we would have to do 6 meetings,which if he has a regular passenger is a non-starter. this is the second year i cant be arsed to renew my licence,but i do wish everyone goodluck and hope people get sorted,nothing worse than having an entry accepted and TBA in the program