Isle of Man...5th August 2008 **WriteUp**

[AngelGrinder]

As per the title, I will be leaving London on the 5th(Tuesday) of August, heading to the IOM, camping untill the 8th (Friday)

My brother is coming also on his VFR400.

Once we get there we have no plans of yet...except to ride around certain roads and generally explore the place.

Was planning to set up the tents at a campsite and stay there all 3 nights, save carrying all our kit around the whole time. Anyone got any good reccommendations? Preferably somewhere quiet and with good scenery would also be a bonus!

Anywhere I must see or do? Any tips, reccommendations are all welcomed....watch this space for full writeup and pics!
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Currently Riding - 2002 Aprilia RSV1000 Mille

[AngelGrinder]

Trip has been done, it was a wet one! Rain ruined most of the trip unfortunately, but we still had a good time.

Will post writeup and pics this evening if photobucket is behaving!

Anyone considering going to the IOM I would definately reccommend it, just take waterproofs!
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Currently Riding - 2002 Aprilia RSV1000 Mille

[Shay HTFC]

Damn - I missed your first post.

Did you get round to doing the TT course and take advantage of the lack of speed limits?
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Full Motorbike License - GS500E '95

[AngelGrinder]

[AngelGrinder]

Ok, here we go!

4am Tuesday 5th August bikes all packed the night before, so after some coffee, and my brother being sick (!?) from the early morning we set off....

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We made good time, ferry was sailing at 11.15am, and had to travel from just north of London to Liverpool, about 200miles. We got as far as Birmingham before it started raining.

Arrived in Liverpool about 9.30 so pretty good time, managed to get stuck in rush hour there. Got into the bike checkin and waited for the ferry. Chatted to two guys, one with a 1098 and a 749. Both had been to the IOM a few times and were telling us how much we will love it. Still Raining.

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Ferry left a bit late and strong headwind meant it was very slow, took nearly 4 hours (only supposed to take 2 1/2 hours)

Arrived in Douglas mid Afternoon, to even heavier rain. We decided to just try and find a camp site ASAP to get luggage into tents and dry. Followed the coast around the north up to Laxey and Ramsey. The road seemed pretty good, but was mostly spent trying not to crash - rain was REALLY heavy, and some sections were very foggy.

Arrived in Ramsey about 4pm, and found a camping store, he told us there was a campsite which is free about 4 miles away. So we headed up to it, and had our first taste of the TT circuit, albeit backwards, but seeing the black and white kerbs, and crash mats made it exciting enough.

We found the camp site and set up camp.

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View from my tent.

That night we found a chinese restaurant in Ramsey and sat in the Posh restaurant eating chips and curry sauce

Went back to tents and had an early night as we had nothing else to do as it was still hammering it down!

Wednesday 6th August

Still raining! Decide to leave camp where it is, and head over to Douglas again. Follow the TT circuit, the mountain section was probably the scariest thing I've ever done on the bike, as it was hammering it down, windy as hell, and the foggiest I've ever seen anything! I couldn't see further than the edge of the road, but I could just sense the huge drops either side of me. After a scary moment of going in a bit to fast at 'Bungalow' we carry on even slower!

Get to Douglas, sit in the McDonalds for a while to get out of rain then head into the town. Buy a new tent for my brother, he realised that a £15 Halford one isn't want you want to be in when its raining!

Head back over to the campsite using the otherside of the TT Course, arrive back at campsite and it is still raining.

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We decide to head for the Ginger Hall Hotel/Pub for dinner as it's a short walk from the camp site. My brother laughing at me for wearing my wet leathers to dinner (but not laughing so much as they had dried out by the time we left and his were still soaking in the tent!).

Just round the corner we see this -
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Have some decent food and a bit to much alcohol we head back to camp and get some sleep, speak to home and apparently weather is better for Thursday!

Thursday 7th August

Wake up....I don't hear the pitter patter of rain, so we both rush up, pack up the tents and plan to re-set up camp in Douglas, and then go for a day's hoonage.

Heading over to Douglas, my brothers panniers slip off, and after panicking and pulling over we sort them out.

We find a brilliant camp site, which is right behind the Grandstand/Pit area, so RIGHT by the TT start line

Just as we pull up....the rain begins again. We set up tents and realise my brothers brand new tent suffered some fatal damage when the panniers came off. I set my tent up and head into Douglas to get his THIRD tent

Go back to the camp site, ad it's raining and now foggy!

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Decide there's no point in even riding around the course....we'll end up hurting ourselves. Problem is we're getting bored and it's showing in our riding. My brother deciding to try a burnout on wet greass, then somehow not falling off being one such hilarious incident. Me back brake skidding every time coming to a stop, then one time overdoing it and nearly coming off was also rather amusing....

Parked the bikes up and went on a Coffee crawl through Douglas, then go to the ShopRite (IOM Supermarket) to buy some dinner (and alcohol) to cook back at camp.

We cook some dinner in the rain and have a wander over to the Grandstand, suprisingly it was still open so we had a look around.

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After a few more beers, time for bed, this was a bad night, as we had done nothing all day, we were not tired at all, so was a long night! Oh well, tomorrows weathers supposed to be good!

Friday 8th August

Woah....sun and....no rain! Straight over to a nearby Cafe, eat some dinner then straight out on the bikes. 1st lap we decide will be a slow one, stopping for pictures and gauging the track!

Pictures from this lap -

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The view from the hairpin looking over Ramsey

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The famous 'Waterworks' corner

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What you'd see if you didn't make 'Waterworks'

Carried on through the Mountain section and stopped at Bungalow to have a look at it and why I might have had problem earlier. While parked up, two Firebaldes come screaming round the corner, both with their knees down I feel suitably small!

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Head back to Douglas for some Lunch, grab a few pics

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Then time for the fast rides!

AMAZING! What a course, you can do it pretty quick, but it hammers home just how skilled the TT racers really are. Do this circuit in 46 minutes....very slow, but bare in mind there are still alot of speed limits, 30/40 Limits take up about 40% of the course.

Get back to the start and realise my phone has fallen out somewhere along the TT track...how annoying. Refuel and time for another lap. Even faster this time, but didn't time it. Some sections just flow together so well. My favourite becoming 'Verandah' leading into 'Bungalow'.

Finish the lap, head into town again to buy some dinner to cook. First time this week we sit outside our tents and have dinner....what an awesome day! Pack some of our bikes up, as the ferry sails at 7.15am and we have to be checked in by 6.30 latest.

Saturday 9th August

4.30 am again, very cold. We pack up the bikes and head into douglas to catch sunrise.

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Get to the port to be told our ferry just left....it had been re-scheduled for 5am due to bad weather....great. They had tried to inform everyone by phone and had put reports on the radio....good job I had neither . Next ferry is at 10am and goes to Heysham rather than Liverpool (Another 70 miles north - and a slower 4 hour ferry). We have a slow breakfast and outside it starts raining again. We get on the ferry and this is the lovely view

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Enjoy a slow ferry journey back, packed with about 4million old people.

Back in England, rain is heavier than ever.....the WHOLE way home, very glad to arrive back at home at 7pm....although absolutely soaked through and very cold and very tired.

Good trip though, already planning to go to the TT next year! Anyone thinking of going, definately go, but take waterproofs and a good tent!
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Currently Riding - 2002 Aprilia RSV1000 Mille

[alt101uk]

Great write up on the trip, pity the weather wasn't a bit kinder but glad you guys enjoyed it.

[Shay HTFC]

Gutted about the weather, but at least you got one good day though, eh

How many other bikes were out on the dry day, or was it mainly just you guys?
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Full Motorbike License - GS500E '95

[AngelGrinder]