If you want to go to the Isle of Man for TT 2023, book now or be disappointed. Ferry places book up really quickly. It’s not luxurious and it’s not fantastically cheap, BUT you’ll be glad you paid it when you get there (Isle of Man Steam Packet know this too). We go as foot passengers and have started picking up some wheels on the other side from this year. In previous years we’ve stayed on foot as you can get to good places on the circuit from our digs in Onchan and we have plenty to drink each night in Douglas too. Plus we’re a bit long in the tooth for navigating the hooligans up on the Mountain during TT race week. Other options include taking your pride and joy over on the boat, loading a van full of dirt bikes (there’s great possibilities for green laning on the Island) or you can fly across from Manchester.
Nowadays, the B&B scene has dissipated somewhat. Years ago Douglas promenade used to be wall-to-wall with places to stay. But the present day TT fan pitches for what’s called Homestay accommodation where residents host fans at their house or leave the Island for TT fortnight and rent out their property. Prices can differ, but we pay circa £30 per person per night usually. Though we’ll likely need some new digs for 2023 so hold fire until after we’ve found somewhere please. There are still the odd hotel and some remaining B&Bs too. Or you can spend your night under canvas at one of the many campsites dotted around the Isle of Man. This includes plenty with great access to viewing areas around the course and prices are reasonable too. Just make sure your tent is waterproof. The island gets wet even in June some years.
Go prepared for all weathers. The Island is like the North West of England, the Lake District even. But that means it’s a beautiful place when it’s sunny and miserable when it’s raining. Don’t forget, if a race is delayed even for mist on the mountain (commonplace) you’ll spend 3-4 hours sat in a field surrounded by more sheep than motorbike racers. Take a camping chair, a vessel for drinks or at least a rucksack carrying one bought from a local vendor and plenty of food. Pack a portable charger for your phone too so you can download the impressive TT Live Pass online (roaming charges will likely apply and the Pass is £14.99 for 12 months) or at the very least a radio with good battery life to listen to Manx Radio TT. The course is 37 and ¾ miles so despite the fact that the riders flashing past will blow your mind, there’s at least another 17 minutes before they come around again. The TT Live tune-in or Radio TT are a must to understand how the race is unfolding. Oh yeah, take some sun cream. When it’s cloudy and you’re in shorts, you’ll still struggle to walk a day later.
Luckily, there are endless possibilities although you should be wary of prohibited areas as there are a few. Favourite spots include Bray Hill (fast), Quarterbridge (slow in and then hard on the gas), Braddan Bridge (good vantage spot in the churchyard), Ballagarey (if you can borrow space in someone’s garden, it’s mega fast and famous for being the place Guy Martin set fire to his Fireblade in 2010), Gorse Lea (mind-blowingly rapid), Glen Helen section (a place to appreciate the smoothest riders), Cronk-Y-Voddy (at the end of this long straight, the top guys are flat out through the kink in 6th), Barregarrow (if you can squeeze in, the bikes bottom out at the…er…bottom), Kirk Michael (stunning speeds through the village with houses either side), Ballaugh Bridge (bikes jump the hump back, some spectacularly), Sulby (one of the fastest sections, but also bumpy too and then hard on the brakes into Sulby Bridge), Parliament Square (a right/left and onto Ramsey Hairpin beginning the climb up the Mountain), Gooseneck (short circuit style into the right hander as the climb steepens), Verandah (if you can get on the hill, it’s remote but the riders are quick through the four bends taken as one), Bungalow (across the tramlines continuing the climb up the Snaefell Mountain section of the course), Windy Corner (the only turn with a gravel trap, you’ll be stuck there but it’s good viewing), Creg-ny-Baa (the run down to the pub is fast as the riders wheelie down to the right hander, the pub a welcome distraction), Hillberry (stupidly quick right hander before the equally rapid Cronk-ny-Mona), Governor’s Bridge (slowest corner on the circuit, hard on the brakes and tiptoeing through the Dip which lays dormant the rest of the year as there is no through traffic) and finally the Grandstand (a chance to take it in the Start AND the Finish and all the drama in between including the pitstops).
The racing is intense with riders starting at 10 second intervals, predominantly for safety reasons. Riders are then against the clock and are seeded so the fastest guys (and girls) go first with up to 60 riders qualifying for most of the races including the Sidecars. Riders are pushing hard throughout and the winners are often those prepared to go hard early. Pit stops play their part though all teams have a gravity fed fuel pump, so there’s no time gained by expensive quick fill fuelling devices as used in Endurance racing. The Superbikes are often like Superstock machines on slick tyres, albeit with the engines in a highly level of tune. This is because short circuit spec Superbikes are too stiff for the rigours of road racing. That’s why the Superstock lap record is not a million miles off the Superbike/Senior best, despite treaded tyres, less electronics and a less powerful motor. The Supertwins class continues to be a bit of a Kawasaki Cup race although there have been brief interludes from Suzuki, Aprilia and Norton machinery (yes Norton). Supersport bikes are dissipating somewhat, but the class is still healthy and really competitive with any one of 10 riders lapping quick enough to fight for the podium. As with any racing discipline, the cream usually rises to the top with Peter Hickman, Dean Harrison and Michael Dunlop all in podium contention in every race. Others to look out for include Manxman Conor Cummins and young charger Davey Todd, Lee Johnston, John McGuinness (of course) and keep a look out for Glenn Irwin if you’re heading to the TT next year. He lapped at just under 130mph in his first ever race. None too shabby. And don’t forget the sidecar boys. They’re chipping away at their first ever 120mph average with the likes of the Birchall Brothers powering a violent, power hungry tea tray (they’re actually Grand Prix spec machines by the way) round nearly 38 miles of roads at ridiculous speeds.
If you like your drink, you’re in luck. Douglas (Isle of Man capital city) particularly is full of great places to sup beer including the Bushy’s Entertainment area which has live music every night. Despite the Island being laid bare to Status Quo, Def Leppard and Meat Loaf for so many years (each to their own), it is now bringing a much more eclectic mix. Notable acts have included (in recent years) a Carl Cox DJ Set (who sponsors Michael Dunlop and Sidecar teams too), The Feeling, The Vamps, numerous tribute acts and even Roy Chubby Brown. In fact, the comedy scene is increasing too with a few familiar faces from Live at the Apollo never far from the bill. Good eateries are plentiful enough if you plan ahead and there’s usually a big fun fair and plenty of bike tomfoolery. This includes the Purple Helmets (Honda Cub riding loony stunt team), beach racing and the Ramsey Sprint on the North West of the Island where there’s a decent amount of metal to stare at in amongst short bursts of rapid machinery flashing past.
The best advice is to play it safe. Whilst the opportunity to ride the Mountain section of the course at speed (it’s one way for TT fortnight and still without a speed limit) is obviously a must, it’s worth remembering that you are sharing the road with others. If you’ve ever done a track day, they will split you into groups of Novice, Intermediate and Advanced to make sure riders are of a similar aptitude in each session. Not so the Isle of Man TT course. When roads are open, you are there with mixed ability riders AND car drivers. Not forgetting some residents are still making their way around the Island and whilst the majority of the Manx public embrace the TT and its visitors, some decide to launch a moving protest and become a mobile chicane. So take your best kit, make sure your bike is serviced and has a safety check before you go (no point heading to Mona’s Isle with 1mm of tread left on your rear tyre) and take a deep breath. If you’ve had a skinful, take a stroll on the coast and get some fresh air before you even attempt a ride out. The police are famously lenient, but even they have limits to what they will tolerate. Most of all, avoid a trip to Noble’s hospital or worse.
With all that considered, you will genuinely have one of the best experiences involving two wheels. There are fortunately many incredible events you can attend worldwide if you’re a motorcycle enthusiast. Not least the Daytona 200, the Spa 24 Hour Endurance race that came back to the championship in 2022, MotoGP anywhere but especially Catalunya, Philip Island or Austin, Texas. On these shores, the Goodwood Festival of Speed is a must and for those old enough to remember Carl Fogarty in his prime, the World Superbike at Brands Hatch was a sight to behold. But nothing quite compares to a sunny day on the Isle of Man, sat in a hedge or on a grass bank with a bunch of mates (or a Grandstand for a charge) and watching racing machines ridden by true TT legends flashing by at anything up to 200mph. It is a sight and a sound to behold. So, what are you waiting for? Get it booked.
