2007 Isle of Man TT

By Jason Roberts
Published on October 1, 2007
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Classic Lap participants threading their way through Parliament Square in Ramsey at the 2007 Isle of Man TT.
Classic Lap participants threading their way through Parliament Square in Ramsey at the 2007 Isle of Man TT.
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No, we don’t know why these race fans are wearing orange wigs at the 2007 Isle of Man TT.
No, we don’t know why these race fans are wearing orange wigs at the 2007 Isle of Man TT.
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Jason Roberts at the Isle of Man TT. The bronze statue honors the late, great Joey Dunlop, who posted a record 26 TT wins at the Isle.
Jason Roberts at the Isle of Man TT. The bronze statue honors the late, great Joey Dunlop, who posted a record 26 TT wins at the Isle.
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At the 2007 Isle of Man TT
At the 2007 Isle of Man TT
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Riders roll into Douglas for the races at the 2007 Isle of Man TT. Bikes run the gamut from vintage to modern, mild to wild.
Riders roll into Douglas for the races at the 2007 Isle of Man TT. Bikes run the gamut from vintage to modern, mild to wild.
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Reproduction racers pay homage to racing greats Barry Sheene, Phil Read and Frank Perris at the 2007 Isle of Man TT.
Reproduction racers pay homage to racing greats Barry Sheene, Phil Read and Frank Perris at the 2007 Isle of Man TT.
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Downtown Douglas: A bronze of British actor and producer George Formby, whose 1935 Isle of Man TT film No Limit was a race week staple for years.
Downtown Douglas: A bronze of British actor and producer George Formby, whose 1935 Isle of Man TT film No Limit was a race week staple for years.
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Superbike racers rounding the famous “Gooseneck” corner south of Ramsey at the 2007 Isle of Man TT.
Superbike racers rounding the famous “Gooseneck” corner south of Ramsey at the 2007 Isle of Man TT.
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At the 2007 Isle of Man TT.
At the 2007 Isle of Man TT.
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It’s easy to see where the term “dolphin” fairing came from looking at this 1954 NSU 125 Rennfox at the 2007 Isle of Man TT.
It’s easy to see where the term “dolphin” fairing came from looking at this 1954 NSU 125 Rennfox at the 2007 Isle of Man TT.
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Reproduction Honda racers at the 2007 Isle of Man TT pay tribute to “Mike the Bike” Hailwood, who posted 14 TT wins.
Reproduction Honda racers at the 2007 Isle of Man TT pay tribute to “Mike the Bike” Hailwood, who posted 14 TT wins.
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Leaning the booming bevel-drive Ducati 900 hard into the corner, I let the bike drift over into the opposing lane, fearless of oncoming traffic. I’m racing the clock on the infamous Isle of Man TT course, so I’m not worried about any four-wheeled interference. Rough-hewn stone walls blur past inches from my helmet as the rear tire wiggles along the slippery, off-camber surface. Thousands of people cheer along the roadside, but I don’t have time to wave as I set up for the next corner, which is heading towards me scary-fast …

“Wake up, Mr. Roberts,” says the nurse at the side of my hospital bed. Time for another needle. Great. (Why do they always stick you at 2 a.m.?) Well, it was a nice dream while it lasted. And Lord knows, I needed my dreams.

A month in hospital and rehab facilities gives you plenty of time to ponder life. I was there thanks to a bad motorcycle accident, and it looked like I’d done some serious damage to my right foot, not to mention my busted-up right shoulder and upper arm. But more importantly, things were looking grim for my long-awaited trip to the famed Isle of Man TT in England, which was only six months away. I’d been planning for the 2007 Isle of Man TT for years, asking friends as far back as 1999, “Hey, whatcha up to in June 2007? The 100th anniversary of the Isle of Man TT is coming, wanna go?” Now, it looked like I might have to pass. Who’d want to travel to a bike race in a wheelchair?

A bit of Isle of Man TT background
If you don’t know the Isle of Man TT (for “Tourist Trophy”), you should. As Mecca is to Muslims, as the Vatican is to Catholics, so is the TT to motorcyclists worldwide: It’s a place of pilgrimage and worship, holy in the annals of road racing, sacred in the Scriptures of Speed. To visit the Isle of Man for the TT is to be immersed in 100 years of two-wheeled speed-freak history, and to be surrounded by the most hard-core of racers and fans. Until it was taken off the Grand Prix circuit by the international racing body FIM in 1976, the TT had been another stop in the motorcycle GP world tour for years. Racers such as Giacomo Agostini, Mike Hailwood, John Surtees, Joey Dunlop and Phil Read built their heroic reputations screaming around the island’s 37-3/4 mile-long course.

The time had come for my own Isle of Man TT hajj, so I made up my mind: If the doc said I was OK to use crutches and get outta the #*@! wheelchair at least two months before the June TT, I’d go no matter what. I was liberated from The Chair at the end of March, and after twice-weekly physical therapy sessions I managed to strengthen my right arm enough to crutch around like any healthy 90-year-old …

There were, however, a few, er, logistical problems I’d have to deal with on my trip, mainly the fact I couldn’t carry gear in my usual duffle bag as my hands would be full of crutches. I decided to use a backpack, something I’d always associated with the grungy young touristas I’d hung with during my years living in Southeast Asia. How to carry a heavy pack on a busted shoulder? No worries, I’d work that out on arrival.

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