Tahun 2020 ternyata malang buat arena permotoran dunia tatkala Isle of Man TT turut mengikut langkah MotoGP dan WSBK dengan membatalkan aksi susulan penularan wabak Covid-19.
Perkara itu disahkan sendiri Ketua Menteri, Howard Quayle yang mengarahkan semua pengunjung yang hadir ke pulau terbabit dikuarantinkan selama 14 hari.
Isle of Man TT dijadualkan untuk berlangsung di antara 30 Mei hingga 13 Jun.
Acara perlumbaan tersebut semakin menjadi tumpuan dengan tahun lalu menyaksikan peningkatan 4 peratus pengunjung dengan lebih 46,000 hadir bagi menyaksikan perlumbaan terbabit.
Kajian turut mendapati kepulauan Isle of Man mengaut keuntungan hampir GBP 5 juta susulan saingan TT.
Meskipun akui bakal terkesan dengan pembatalan ini namun Quayle menegaskan kepentingan dan kesihatan orang ramai harus diutamakan.
Sementara itu, Southern 100 Racing, penganjur perlumbaan pra dan pasca TT turut menyokong penuh usaha kerajaan Isle of Man membendung Covid-19.
Ini bukan kali pertama Isle of Man dibatalkan, tatkala keputusan sama turut dibuat pada 2001 susulan kebimbangan penularan penyakit kaki, tangan dan mulut.
It is with deep regret that we inform you that the Isle of Man TT 2020 races have been officially cancelled due to the concerns related to the Coronavirus or COVID-19. The organisers have posted the official statement released by the Isle of Man Government posted below. (more…)
John McGuinness is back on the racing calendar for 2020 as he inked a new deal with the Quattro Plant Bournemouth Kawasaki Team. The 23-time Isle of Man TT winner will be racing this beautiful Kawasaki Ninja ZX-10RR in multiple IOMTT categories which includes Superbike, Superstock, and Senior TT. (more…)
Sejak diperkenalkan pada 1907, Isle Of Man Tourist Trophy (TT) muncul antara perlumbaan motosikal paling popular di dunia.
Isle of Man TT merupakan perlumbaan catatan masa yang berjalan dalam tempoh 14 hari yang dipisahkan di antara minggu latihan dan perlumbaan.
Berbanding perlumbaan lain yang berlangsung di litar lumba, Isle of Man TT merupakan perlumbaan yang diadakan di jalan raya awam sekitar kepulauan Isle of Man pada bulan Mei dan Jun.
Bagaimanapun, Isle of Man dianggap sebagai litar maut – Isle of Man TT, Manx Grand Prix dan Classic TT – susulan telah meragut lebih 258 nyawa sejak 1907.
Sports Illustrated pernah melabelkan perlumbaan ini sebagai ’38 Miles of Terror’ pada 2003.
Tahun lalu, tiga pelumba kehilangan nyawa di Isle of Man termasuk juara Manx GP dan Ulstar GP, Dan Kneen.
Tidak ketinggalan, edisi tahun ini turut menyaksikan Daley Mathison, 27 tahun, maut ketika menunggang BMW S 1000 RR dalam insiden yang berlaku pada lap tiga perlumbaan RST Superbike TT.
Apa yang menjadikan Isle of Man membahayakan?
Litar ‘maut’ sepanjang 60 kilometer itu menyelusuri kawasan pergunungan sehingga 1300 kaki di atas paras laut dan menempatkan 264 selekoh berbahaya.
Tambahan pula, para pelumba memecut sehingga 300km/j dalam laluan yang tidak pernah berubah sejak perlumbaan itu diperkenalkan.
Sumber: IOMTT
Ini bermakna, pelumba tiada ruang untuk melakukan kesilapan susulan hanya dipisahkan beberapa kaki daripada bangunan lama, rumah, tiang lampu, tembok batu dan pokok yang membarisi sepanjang jalan tersebut.
Apatah lagi Isle of Man TT tidak menawarkan ciri keselamatan seperti yang terdapat pada litar lumba antarabangsa.
Sumber: Piston Head
Tidak hairanlah, bekas juara Isle of Man TT, Richard Quayle pernah berkata, “Kalau Roger Federer (tenis) tersilap pukul, dia akan kehilangan mata tetapi jika saya terlepas apex, nyawa saya akan melayang.”
Pada edisi 1970, Isle of Man TT merekodkan kadar kematian tertinggi dengan enam pelumba maut diikuti pada edisi 2016, lima kematian direkodkan.
Kenapa Isle of Man TT masih terima ramai penyertaan?
Isle of Man TT merupakan perlumbaan yang luar biasa dan unik dengan tiada kejuaraan lain yang mampu menandingi tahap bahaya dan risiko yang ditawarkan.
Sumber: IOMTT
Jadi bagi pelumba yang sertai perlumbaan tersebut secara tidak langsung akan diangkat sebagai lagenda, apatah lagi jika berjaya menamatkan kejohanan tersebut sebagai juara.
Sumber: MCN
Pelumba veteran, Guy Martin juga pernah menyebut dalam bukunya, “budaya ‘political correctness’ telah merosakkan segalanya dengan aspek kesihatan dan keselamatan. Jika perlumbaan itu terlalu selamat, saya tidak akan menyertainya.”
Dalam bahasa mudah, jika berjaya mendaki Gunung Everest merupakan pencapaian tertinggi bagi mahluk bergelar manusia, menawan litar Isle of Man merupakan ‘bucket list’ terulung bagi jiwa seorang pelumba.
Berhajat untuk sertai perlumbaan maut ini?
Jika anda antara golongan yang memasang impian untuk beraksi di Isle of Man TT, kami akan kongsikan cara untuk sertai perlumbaan terbabit.
Manx GP
Pertamanya, anda perlu sertai perlumbaan berstatus amatur di Isle of Man yang dikenali sebagai Manx GP.
Manx GP direka khas sebagai batu loncatan untuk melunaskan impian beraksi di pentas TT.
Anda perlu beraksi dalam kategori ‘newcomers’ (pendatang baharu) dengan syarat perlu memiliki lesen perlumbaan Britain atau lesen perlumbaan AMA) dan sebuah motosikal bersesaran 750cc.
Perlu diingatkan bahawa setiap pelumba amatur wajid tampil dengan ‘racing suit’ berwarna merah!
Kemudian, anda perlu merekodkan masa terbaik untuk beralih ke kategori lebih tinggi.
Seterusnya, anda boleh mensasarkan tempat untuk berlumba di Isle of Man TT namun perlu mengikuti syarat demikian:
Lesen Non-Championship Race
Lesen TT Mountain Course
Tetapi, anda perlu memiliki lesen tersebut 12 bulan sebelum menyertai perlumbaan.
Michael Rutter set a new record on the Mugen Shinden Hachi on the way to win the TT Zero category at the Isle of Man TT (IOM TT).
The bike recorded speeds faster than those in the Supersport category.
Electric performance bikes have come a long way.
Michael Rutter set a new record on the Mugen Shinden Hachi on the way to win the TT Zero category at the Isle of Man TT (IOM TT). More importantly, however, was that the Mugen Shinden Hachi recorded speeds faster than those in the Supersport category.
Rutter hammered the bike to 176 mph (283.2 km/h) on the Sulby straight. He also completed the 37.73-mile (60.72km) course with an average speed 121.91 mph (196.20 km/h). It was the fastest record in the TT Zero electric motorcycle class.
Rutter’s teammate and multiple IOM TT Senior class winner, John McGuinness came in second on the other Mugen Shinden Hachi. It was his 47th IOM TT podium.
Ian Lougher completed the podium on the Team Mirai ILR Idaten X RE in a distant three-and-half minutes behind McGuinness.
Mugen’s domination undoubtedly shows how far electric bikes have come (and are still improving). While many riders are still contemplating on the lack of petrol engine exhaust note, charging times and mileage, performance of electric bikes is of no laughing matter.
Another electric performance bike, the Lightning LS-218 has already demonstrated that when it set a new record in the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb (PPIHC), and a speed record of 218 mph (350.84 km/h) at the Bonneville Salt Flats.
John McGuinness and Michael Rutter will ride the 2019 Mugen Shinden Hachi electric bike at the Isle of Man TT Zero race this year.
Last year’s Mugen bike set the fastest electric bike record at the TT.
This year’s bike promises better aerodynamics and power.
John McGuinness and Michael Rutter will ride the 2019 Mugen Shinden Hachi electric bike at the Isle of Man TT Zero race this year.
According to Visordown, the Mugen Shinden Hachi is the uprated version last year’s bike. Rutter won the TT Zero race last year on the previous Mugen (called “Nana”), setting the fastest lap record for the class along the way. He averaged 196.056 km/h around the TT course, which was only 20.922 km/h slower than the record-setting superbike.
Photo credit – Visordown
So, for this year, Mugen is back with a bike that promises to be better and faster.
Mugen gave Visordown unlimited access to their facilities in Milton Keynes, thus all credit goes to Visordown.
Photo credit – Visordown
The 2019 Mugen has better aerodynamics and increased power. It weighs a somewhat heavy 248 kg (due to the batteries) but the engine… sorry, motor, produces the equivalent of 160 hp. The 370-volt lithium-ion battery powers the 120kW oil-cooled brushless electric motor. Torque is rated at 210 Nm.
The fairing is sharper and wraps tightly around the bike. The front suspension consists of the Showa Carbon Fibre prototype forks. The chassis is a monocoque.
After the end of qualifying sessions and two days of racing at this year’s Isle of Man TT, two riders have tragically lost their lives.
30-year-old Dan Kneen died on 30 May 2018 and 26-year-old Adam Lyon died during the opening Monster Energy Supersport race.
More races will continue on 6 and 8 June 2018.
The race week at the 2018 Isle of Man TT is well on its way with a few races have concluded. While Michael Dunlop and Peter Hickman celebrated their wins in Superbike and Superstock respectively, two riders have lost their lives racing at the Mountain Course this year. (more…)
It was recently announced that John McGuinness is out of this year’s Isle of Man TT races.
Mugen announced that the King of the Mountain re-fractured his right leg after 14 months of recovery.
Their Mugen Shinden Nana electric race bike will be piloted by Michael Rutter and Lee Johnston.
It’s not easy for an accomplished rider such as John McGuinness to sit on the sidelines watching other racers ride their race bikes. Having broken his right leg last year, the King of the Mountain took over 14 months just to get healthy enough to be declared fit to race BUT the gods of racing have ruled him out of contention once again. (more…)
The Padgett Honda team is currently looking for a racer to ride their Honda RC213V-S at this year’s Isle of Man TT.
Their current rider, Bruce Anstey, unfortunately, dropped out of all road races this year due to cancer.
The team has stated that the Honda RC213V-S will still make it to this year’s TT even if there’s no replacement rider.
The Padgett’s Motorcycle Honda team has stated that they will still bring the crème of the crème Honda RC213V-S to this year’s Isle of Man TT race. Despite their star rider, Bruce Anstey, dropping out of all road races this year due to critical illness, the team is still looking on the bright side of things. (more…)
13-time Isle of Man TT winner Bruce Anstey has been diagnosed with cancer.
The 48-year-old New Zealander is said to suffer from ‘multiple tumours in his lungs and spine.’
Anstey will most likely sit out of all road races this year in order to recover from his current condition.
Legendary road racing rider Bruce Anstey will sit out the entire 2018 road race season including the Isle of Man TT. The 48-year-old New Zealander’s partner announced the news as he’ll need the time to recover from cancer diagnosed by doctors. (more…)
The Mugen Shinden Nana was launched at this year’s Isle of Man TT Zero title defender.
The seventh generation electric race machine has improved aerodynamics package as well as 162hp and 210mNm of torque.
Bruce Anstey, Lee Johnston, and John McGuinness will race the Mugen Shinden Nana at the end of May.
The 2018 Tokyo Motorcycle Show last week certainly brought more than a few surprises to those lucky enough to attend from all corners of the world. It seems that this year, Mugen is out and ready to make a huge impact, especially in the motorcycle universe with the unveiling of its 1,400cc V-twin engine called the MRV1400. (more…)
15-time Isle of Man TT winner Michael Dunlop has confirmed his split with Suzuki for this year’s road races.
The Ballymoney Ace released a statement on his Facebook page last night stating his situation.
He will be racing his own MD Racing machines in the Superstock and Supersport races.
15-time TT winner Michael Dunlop has confirmed that he won’t be racing with the Suzuki squad this year at the Isle of Man TT and other road race events. This was confirmed by the man himself after months of speculations and rumours. (more…)
