Roadracers

Set in the Irish Sea, the Isle of Man has to be visited at least once by any right minded biker. It's the combination of rain, curry sauce and mad roadracers which distills the very essence of motorcycling in the 1930's ......

One of the attractions for riders in going to the Island a few years back was the complete lack of a maximum speed limit out of the towns and villages. Unfortunately it's all a bit different today as speed limited areas have crept outwards a little more every year, to the point where the only parts of the TT circuit where you can really have fun is the section from Ballacraine to Kirkmichael and the mountain from Ramsey hairpin to Hillberry. However, there are still some smaller sections in the rest of the course where maxing it is allowed.

During TT fortnight the best time for a quick couple of laps is early morning after practice has ended, around 6.00 am. The first part of the course is 30 limited so it's just a slow run down Bray Hill to Quarter Bridge, turn right and a quick straight to Braddan Bridge. Careful here if you've got cold tyres - shame to dump it so early. Twiddle through Union Mills and another short blast before Glen Vine, Crosby and the Highlander. Not much of note here - it's speed limited nowadays.

Bit of fun now as we approach Greeba Castle, a lovely dropping left with an off-camber climbing right - bit like a giant chicane, just make sure you don't run out of road on the exit. Then on through a fast double right at Appledene and a high speed run through some good wiggles to Greeba Bridge, a fastish left if the road is clear as you can let the bike run out to the right kerb. After that it's pretty much a flat out run down the straight to Ballacraine, where the fun really starts.

Now for the Glen Helen section, a superb twisting road through the valley. Nail it out of Ballacraine and a fast left through Ballaspur - it's a lot faster than it looks - through the right and a short straight to Ballig Bridge before banging it down a gear or two and into Doran's, a fastish blind left. Then a right and a left into Laurel Bank, a slowish right-hander that leads to a sequence of lefts to Black Dub, the first two very fast but the the last one needs care as it tightens more and has a nasty wall on the right. Next,a sweeping right up to the Glen Helen Hotel. A left here leads up the hill to the delightful, climbing right at Sarah's Cottage.

A short climb up Creg Willy's Hill. The front can jump about a bit here if you're hard on the gas so get your weight forward as you now go through a series of right / left combinations. Be careful not to run out of road at the final left before Lambfell - you're getting faster every bend but the bends are getting tighter! Crest the hill out onto the Cronk-y-Voddy straight. The Glen Helen section is just about the most enjoyable part of the circuit and so far is not speed limited. Enjoy it while you can.

Max throttle along the Cronk to a very fast double right, which can be tricky as the front goes light here, and then another short downhill to a right into a quick left, but don't run wide! Then max throttle again to tricky and dangerous left-right flick round the brick wall at Handleys - fail to turn the bike quick enough through here and you'll go through the gate into the field, and it's made more difficult by a dip halfway through the bend.

Down a very fast run through a belting left / right to the church at the top of Barregarrow - an almost flat-out left if you're keen, but take a wide line in if it's clear otherwise the front goes out and you're on the wrong side of the road. Very fast down to the bottom of Barregarrow to a hump and sudden dropping left. Don't go in too fast and use the throttle coming out to settle the bike.

Now blast to the tricky, bumpy off-camber right at the 13th milestone, before maxing through a very fast blind left into Kirkmichael - and 30mph.

Out of Kirk Michael and through Rhencullen - not too much fun as it's a 40 limit - Bishop's Court and then a flat-out blast through a series of kinks to the fast right at Alpine Cottage before braking into Ballaugh. You're back in the 30mph limit here but early in the morning you can take it pretty quick, just be sure to take a wide line onto the jump over the bridge to get your bike upright! Out of the village and give it large through the fast left to get some air over Ballacriy jump.

Now a flat-out run to Quarry Bends. Back a gear as you enter the first right and then back another and get the bike over through the left, then the right and change up as you nail it through the final left and the opening right onto Sulby Straight. The 30mph speed limit starts at the Sulby Glen and the road's pretty straight, so toodle down to Sulby Bridge, quick scratch over it and through Ginger Hall.

It's getting quick towards Kerromoar but the road is very bumpy and you just have to let the bike wander around a bit. Twiddle through the bends and on to Glen Duff and steady through Glen Tramman - I think it's a 40 speed limit through there now. A blast through Milntown and then slow into Ramsey down to Parliament Square. Toddle up May Hill and through Stella Maris and wobble round the Hairpin before hitting the throttle again to start the climb up towards Snaefell.

Up the hill through the first fast right into Waterworks, a tricky right which you need to take really late - there's a drop in the kerb on the left which gives you a good turn-in point. Go in early, which is easy to do, and you'll be like the guy on the right! Through the right, left, right, left of Tower Bends to the Gooseneck, a tight climbing right. Max throttle out of here up the hill, through a flat left, a slightly slower left and a fast dipping right to a sequence of lefts before braking into Guthries, shown right. Then a left onto the Mountain Mile, a climbing straightish very fast section, max throttle and hang on.

Up to the triple left at Mountain Box, in steady and accelerate hard through the last part, on to the right kink and then Black Hut, a fastish left with a big dip on the left which will throw you out right if you hit it hard. Now on to the Verandah, four fast rights leading to the left at Bungalow Bridge. Then a fast right and steady left into the Bungalow. Across the tramlines and hard up Hailwood Rise to a fast righthander and then brake for Brandywell, another triple left which really puts the bike on its ear. Now the road starts the drop down the mountain.

A fast approach to the 32nd, the third triple left, but faster than the first two, leading down a short straight to the short-circuit right at Windy Corner. It always seems you could have gone faster into this but it's not worth the risk. Accelerate out hard on towards the 33rd mile marker. A very fast right leads into a blindingly quick double-apex left, then a right and left into Keppel Gate ... take it a bit steady here as the last few miles have been so quick dropping down to 100 mph feels like 40!... and you can't afford to cross into the right lane as the corner is on a blind crest. Downhill to a tricky left at Kate's and then drop down very fast (big wheelie off the jump) to the Creg.

Slow through the sharp right at Creg-ny-Baa, (it's not worth going crazy and it's embarrassing if you fall off) and then max it down the Funnel, through the flat right kink and then big brakes into Brandish. Steady through this left and another quick blat down the straight to Hillberry. Now you throttle off into the 30 mph limited area and up the hill to Cronk-ny-Mona.

That's it really for a road rider as you're now into a speed limited area all the way to Douglas.

To finish the lap do a slow run to Signpost, Bedstead and down to The Nook. At the mini roundabout you can do a hard right into the slippery Governor's if you really want to and then right onto the Glencrutchery Road and either do it all again or stop off at the pits for a chat and then cruise down into Douglas for breakfast.

Feel like a bit of PC winter practice? If you've got Grand Prix Legends, which you should, you can download the circuit from http://www.jrpearson.homestead.com/IOMDownloads.html

It's a little bit short as the game can't handle a track longer than 15 miles, so most of the long straight bits are missing, but all the major corners are there. Worth a go ...