These full-throttle photos show the 100-year history of the world’s most insane motorcycle race
In the Isle of Man TT, riders fly down English country roads at 200 mph
A sleepy island off the coast of England seems an unlikely spot for one of the world’s deadliest sporting events. But since 1907, the Isle of Man has played host to a motorcycle race that has clocked over 250 deaths. And it isn’t getting any safer. The Isle of Man TT (Tourist Trophy) is one of the last pro motorcycle races held on public roads—the twisty country lanes are the same as they ever were. The bikes, however, are a hell of a lot faster.
Autonomy is what first attracted race organizers to the Irish Sea island-state over a century ago—the speed limits in England were just too slow to accommodate proper training. Initial races were held on the 15-mile St. John’s circuit, where riders, writes event historian David Wright, “were faced with narrow, twisting lanes overhung by hedges and surfaced with a rolled macadam that was very loose and dusty when dry, and slippery and rutted when wet.”
A new route, the Snaefell Mountain Course, still in use today, was established in 1911 and more than doubled the TT’s distance. Those “38 miles of terror” also ratcheted up the race’s death rate considerably. Between the TT and the Manx Grand Prix, which is held in August and September on the same course, fatal crashes are a given. Seven racers were killed on the course in 1970. Six died in 1991 and 1998, respectively. A total of nine riders lost their lives in 2005. The top recorded speed at Snaefell Mountain is 206 mph, logged by New Zealander Bruce Anstey in 2006.
“The nature of the course,” notes Wright, “requires competitors to put aside thoughts of personal safety if they are seriously riding to win.”
