Isle of Man Classic TT 2016

By Richard Backus
Published on February 17, 2017
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Fans watching at the Gooseneck, an excellent spot to watch racers as they start their way up Mount Snaefell on the Isle of Man Mountain Course.
Fans watching at the Gooseneck, an excellent spot to watch racers as they start their way up Mount Snaefell on the Isle of Man Mountain Course.
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Prototype 1975 BSA single with Norton Isolastics at the National Motorcycle Museum in Birmingham, England.
Prototype 1975 BSA single with Norton Isolastics at the National Motorcycle Museum in Birmingham, England.
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GPS à la carte. Cellphone taped to the gas tank on one of the Benellis — sticker reads “In this country we circle on the left.”
GPS à la carte. Cellphone taped to the gas tank on one of the Benellis — sticker reads “In this country we circle on the left.”
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Getting ready to load onto the Ben-my-Chree ferry at Heysham for the crossing to the Isle of Man.
Getting ready to load onto the Ben-my-Chree ferry at Heysham for the crossing to the Isle of Man.
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Helmut Dähne in the paddock with his 1976 IOM Production TT-winning BMW R90S.
Helmut Dähne in the paddock with his 1976 IOM Production TT-winning BMW R90S.
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Our group split between two hotels in Douglas, the Ascot (shown) and the Rutland.
Our group split between two hotels in Douglas, the Ascot (shown) and the Rutland.
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Our group split between two hotels in Douglas, the Ascot and the Rutland (shown).
Our group split between two hotels in Douglas, the Ascot and the Rutland (shown).
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A sea of bikes at the Festival of Jurby. The parking lot was a show in itself.
A sea of bikes at the Festival of Jurby. The parking lot was a show in itself.
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Alan Millyard’s 5,000cc aero-engined Flying Millyard.
Alan Millyard’s 5,000cc aero-engined Flying Millyard.
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Jan Coning exiting Governor’s Bridge during the Senior TT.
Jan Coning exiting Governor’s Bridge during the Senior TT.
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The famed Creg-ny-Baa pub on the back side of Mount Snaefell.
The famed Creg-ny-Baa pub on the back side of Mount Snaefell.
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Our group getting ready for the return ferry.
Our group getting ready for the return ferry.
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Where’s the best Yorkshire pudding? On the Isle of Man, of course.
Where’s the best Yorkshire pudding? On the Isle of Man, of course.
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Our group on the quay at Peel. Would we do it again? Without hesitation! It was the trip of a lifetime.
Our group on the quay at Peel. Would we do it again? Without hesitation! It was the trip of a lifetime.

Read our blog post featuring feedback from some of the participants and Mark Scott’s story on the tour in addition to our full article below.

“Owners of domestic animals and livestock adjoining the course, please ensure they are secure during the practice and race periods.” That’s not the sort of warning you normally hear blaring from the public address system at a race. But then, this isn’t your normal race. Welcome to the Isle of Man Classic TT.

It’s Saturday morning, the first day of racing at the 2016 Isle of Man Classic TT and Manx GP, and our group is struggling for equilibrium as we work our way through the paddock to watch the start of the Senior TT. For the past two days we’ve been riding across England, acclimating ourselves to confusing roundabouts, riding on the “wrong” side of the road, and fighting various problems with our vintage motorcycles. Our ferry has only just landed in Douglas, the capital, a few hours ago, after a 2 a.m. departure and 3-1/2-hour sail. We are, in a word, beat.

The “we” are myself and 13 intrepid Motorcycle Classics readers, joined together for a tour on vintage bikes from London to the Isle of Man. Leading our ride is MotoTouring founder Eligio Arturi, a veteran of tours to the far flung reaches of the world, including Africa, Japan, Bolivia, Southeast Asia, Central America, Cuba and more. An adventurer at heart (he led Land Rover expeditions across North Africa before BMW hired him in the early 1990s to lead adventure motorcycle tours), Eligio clearly enjoys rides that are a little rough around the edges, where the unexpected is welcomed, even when it means things don’t go your way.

Running dry

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