Sometime in 1997 a friend suggested we go to the Manx Grand Prix the following year. This is a quieter version of the TT with classic racing and therefore more of the old bike crowd in attendance. We'd talked about it for years so after some debate (and a few beers) we decided to do it. Digs and ferries were booked, I just needed a suitable machine. At the time I had the B40 but the 650 BSA was in bits as it had gone bang earlier that year and I had little interest in fixing it as it was a bit of a nail really. Enter a 1970 Triumph Trophy 650. As usual I only just got it ready and run in by the time the departure date came.
Three of us set out heading roughly south west with an aim to stop over somewhere. The weather was nice and the pace relaxed as we trundled down to and through the Lake District. We got digs near to the bottom end of Windemere which was a short walk from the Newby Bridge Hotel and its very welcome bar. The ferry was caught the next day and a fab week in motorcycle world commenced. The Triumph ran like a dream. On the straight to Peel I wound it up and hit 105 before running out of road. Me and Goldstar Mounted Rick had much fun round the TT course chasing down much more capable modern machines.
Up at Murray's motorcycle museum by the Creg before my first burn down the Mountain road. As expected we were booking up for the next year before we left!
'99 saw a bigger group of us although this was the only time there were more than the core of us four. Ricks Gold Star went bang on the first day unfortunately (dropped valve) however he managed to source a new valve and piston and get them fitted in time for going home.
A regular spot to gather - the Creek in Peel
2000 was an interesting year in that Rick and (now ex) wife Angie had a coming together so to speak which smashed up the pair of them and the bikes. This being the first day of a two week holiday made things a little strained, especially after the previous years mechanical woes.
Oops...
Of other note was a mass lap of the TT course on closed roads to commemorate the death of Joey Dunlop who'd been killed earlier that year, racing in Lithuania.
2001 was foot and mouth year but this got us into better digs in Peel, so we could now walk to the Creek inn. We stayed here for several years afterwards until the owners sold up. We were now 'Island' regulars and the Manx became a key part of every years planning - mainly to make sure you had a suitable machine able to make it there and back!
'06 and '07 were done on my recently acquired BMW GS (with full time pillion), the Manx week following a tour round Ireland in 2006 and the Yorkshire Dales in 2007. Definitely not the same as you ended up as one of the masses rather than the old bike crowd but it took a bit of stress out of the proceedings...
We then had four years of camping. After much debate we decided to take a van as this would allow family size tents and much home comforts. 2008 was the first time and the weather was atrocious. This was annoying as on all of our previous visits the weather had generally been good. 2009 and it was even worse with Peel Campsite resembling a mud bath by the end of it and most people leaving early.
At least by taking the van, I could take the trials bikes down and ride the Islands famously hard green lanes without worrying about breaking them and not getting home.
In 2010 I had a break from the Manx as I was doing the Ariel owners club rally in Germany instead; and of course the weather was fab. But in 2011 we at last had a dry camping week. Machine of choice was my Suzuki DRZ 400 and much trail riding ensued.
2012 was my last year on a motorbike and without doubt the worst weather we'd had on the Island and the worst camping weather I have ever experienced anywhere. Fortunately our group of three were all using mountain tents and these were some of the only ones standing after one nights storm.
The last two times I've been on the Island were by bicycle, ironically enough. Ferry fares for a motorbike were in excess of £200 and spaces were all booked by the time I'd decided to go. A bicycle went free so you only paid a foot passenger fare which was a mere £50 and there was plenty of space. Best of all, you got to board the ferry first without endless waiting in a queue of hundreds of motorbikes! It wasn't the same, obviously, but I had a week of enjoyable mountain biking, I could have a drink wherever I felt like it and it was great opportunity to test the weather proof-ness of my newly acquired tent...
No comments:
Post a Comment