Isle of Man TT

This isn't going to be a history lesson on the Isle of Man TT Races, as there's enough information out in the world about it already. I'd encourage anyone that's interested in motorcycling, even in the slightest, to do some research and learn about all the amazing racing machines and riders that have ever turned a lap of the infamous TT course.

But this year is a special one. At least it is for me, and perhaps some others that might be fond of vintage British machines, especially those of the Norton marque. I should first clarify that I'm referring to the Classic TT, or Manx GP as it's been known. The main TT race each year happens before the Classic TT, and has progressed each year as the racing machines have. So the official TT today consists of modern super bike / sport bike classes. And while I have an enormous amount of respect and admiration for these riders, I simply don't have any interest in a modern motorcycle clad in plastic fairings and wearing sponsorship decals that sometimes rival that of Nascar.

So shift your attention back to the Classic TT. As motorcycle racing evolved and surpassed the Golden Era of British motorcycle industry, the now vintage machines ran in what was called the Manx GP. Same race as the modern TT, but on vintage bikes, drawing much less attention and much smaller crowds of fans. This is of course to be expected, and there has been some confusion and turmoil for the Classic event. First off, it's difficult to find much information on the Classic races, and secondly, there has been debate on wether or not the event would continue. The amount of deaths, the increasing number of entrants and the decreasing number of fans, has put a financial strain on the Isle of Man government. To the point of it being seriously discussed that the Classic TT may be no more. And while there has been no final decision, the writing is on the wall so to speak. So I've got to get off my ass and get over there to experience it for myself. Which unfortunately won't be happening this year, but I'll be planning for 2014, if there is still such a thing. In an effort to boost awareness, they've had a bit of rebranding for the Manx GP, and are promoting it under the much more recognizable name of Isle of Man TT. There will also be some very high profile riders this year, which will be aboard replica machines from the likes of Molnar, McIntosh, Dunnel and Patrick Walker's Works Racing. All of this being done to of course increase attendance, and therefore revenue, so that the Isle of Man government can continue to justify holding the event.

Back to the point, of this being a special year; 40 years ago, Peter Williams piloted a highly modified Norton Commando to victory at the TT. Sponsored by the John Player cigarette giant, Peter designed, modified and raced the machine. The bike featured a radical new monocoque frame design and cast wheels. This was of course well after the Norton Works racing effort had ceased, and over a decade after the original Norton Works factory had been absorbed by AMC. The biggest issue their racing effort faced was gearbox problems. And serious problems they were. The AMC gearbox had been employed for many years, and on a production road bike, didn't show any real issues. It also proved quite worthy with earlier racing machines of lower capacity motors and less horsepower. The earlier design gearbox main shafts were shorter and used a single row primary chain, while the problem was amplified in the Commando gearbox, with it's longer main shaft and triplex primary. With the tuned Commando motor for racing, and the gearbox main shaft being ever so slightly out of line in it's bearings, the problem had become amplified. This issue was due to the casting design of the gearbox itself, and caused countless failures during racing efforts. I should add, that this issue was later resolved as racers started to fit a specially made outrigger bearing. But for the time, and the cost of development, the gearbox was of big concern. Failure of the machine during the race would of course be extremely disappointing, but on a course like the TT, it could certainly prove to be more than just disappointing. It could prove to be deadly.

As you've probably guessed if you've read this far, Peter Williams won the TT that year and forever stamped his place in the history books. And sans the Norton Rotary victory in 1992, this would prove to be the final TT victory on a Norton powered machine.

Do yourself a favor and look around online for more information. There's a bit of it out there, and this post is really meant to simply spark interest, rather than be a full history lesson. Peter Williams will be making 25 replica machines based on the famous TT winning bike. So if you've got very deep pockets, you could own one for yourself. If you're like me, all you can do is look at the photos and watch this video documenting the TT effort in 1973. Think of in the context of the achievement, but also remember that Norton was to go out of business completely in 1975 / 1976, and will forever be locked in time. A very interesting comparison in the video, is that of the John Player Norton racing effort versus that of privateer John Stewart.