Honda Line-up for TT2005

[f1manoz]

Honda have made their intentions clear for TT 2005 by returning with a full works team under the Team DMRR/Honda banner. The riders for the team; which will contest the NW200, TT and Ulster Grand Prix; are 6 times TT winner Ian lougher and Richard Britton, whose best finish was second. They will be using CBR1000RR Superbike Fireblades, CBR1000RR Superstock Fireblades and CBR600 Supersport machines at the TT.

Ian will continue to be sponsored by Blackhorse Finance in the Superstock (previously the Production race) races. He will continue to race 125cc (Mannin Collections) and 250cc machines at events other than the TT where the two stroke machines are no longer raced. Both are highly experienced riders at the TT; Ian having made his circuit debut in 1983 at the MGP; quickly showed that he was a star in the making by finishing second in the Historic TT of 1984. Richard won his class in the Newcomers MGP in 1997. He is the fastest true privateer around the TT circuit with a lap at 124.32mph.

Irish Road Racing Champion for 2004; 24 years old Martin Finnegan from Lusk will be another with pukka raceware from Honda. He will be riding under the Vitrans / Ten Kate banner in the British Superstock Championship and the major road races, including the TT. Martin will continue to enjoy support from Round Tower Racing, his main sponsor for the past two years. Martin made his TT Course debut in 2000, winning his class in the Newcomers MGP. He has made rapid progress at the TT, with his best lap being at 122.95mph. Mechanical failures robbed of leader board finishes at TT 2004.

Honda will also continue to provide support for Sidecar lap record holder and ten times winner Dave Molyneux; who with passenger Daniel Sayle; will be a firm favourite for another double in 2005.

John McGuiness is expected to announce shortly what team he will be riding for at TT 2005; no matter what team it is he will be very much the man to beat.

With less than six months to the event much activity is going on behind the scenes, with road improvements being scheduled and marshals training courses much in evidence both on and off the island. The tetra radio system will be used around the circuit following successful tests at the TT and MGP last year. Having used it, I can vouch for how good it is.

I still say these road-racers have got gonads the size of watermelons...

[Hazza]

Yup, Isle Of Man = Hardcore.

[racer69]

Does Michael Rutter form any part of Honda's plans, for the Northwest 200? He won the event this year on his HM Plant Honda CBR1000RR British Superbike.

I saw Motorsport Asia last week which showed the Macau Motorcycle Grand Prix, won by Michael Rutter from John McGuiness. Great stuff. Although the speeds are lower, the close proximity of the walls make it almost as hairy.

All this makes me wish we still had motorcycle racing at Bathurst

[Hazza]

I was watching a race at bathurst the other day on tape (the 92 king of the mountain), which was won by a "young" Shawn Gilles. The only thing, is that looking at the track there are many spots where a rider would come off at about 200km/h straight into a barrier. This was in 92 though.

Its a bit like Suzuka in that regard.

[Raglanparade]

I think they have since banned Motorcycle racing at Bathurst.

I have this big thick motorsports book here, its called "Raw Speed".

This book is from 1995 and it states that motorcycle racing is now banned at Mt Panorama due to safety reasons... some 35 riders have been killed at this circuit over the years..

this compares to about 8 drivers that have been killed at Mt Panorama

[bestfit]

AFAIK there is no actual ban on bike racing at Bathurst. The last bike meeting was held there in 2000 but failed to draw back the crowds who used to regularly attend the easter meetings, as most now make the pilgrimage to PI for the MotoGP/Superbikes instead. However I doubt very much that we will ever see bikes at Bathurst again as the layout of the circuit is just too dangerous for the speed and performance of modern bikes.
Many of the safety improvements now in place at the circuit, notably the McPhillamy Park and Skyline sandtraps, were added specifically for the bikes. However apart from these two areas the run over the mountain from the end of mountain straight to Forrest elbow has no runoff and only rock walls and armco to greet a fallen rider.
I attended over 20 meetings at bathurst between 1971 and 2000 and as much as I would love to see the bikes return to the mountain, rider safety is paramount and that's how it should be.

[racer69]

Originally Posted by jasonhill9884

I think they have since banned Motorcycle racing at Bathurst.

I have this big thick motorsports book here, its called "Raw Speed".

This book is from 1995 and it states that motorcycle racing is now banned at Mt Panorama due to safety reasons... some 35 riders have been killed at this circuit over the years..

this compares to about 8 drivers that have been killed at Mt Panorama

Motorcycle racing wasn't banned in 1995, they last held the Easter bike meeting at Bathurst in 2000.

Sure racing a motorcycle at Bathurst is dangerous, but no more dangerous than racing at the Isle of Man, Macau or any of the Irish road racing circuits, and many riders are more than happy to race there.

Indeed, at the Easter meeting in 2000, there was no shortage of entries.

[chunder]

Does anyone know what the highest average speed around a lap at Bathurst is by the way, I think John McGuinness pushed it up over 128mph at the TT last year didn't he or mayeb faster.
Think the fastest speed on a curcuit is anotehr track in Ireland where they average nearly 130mph, thos guys are totally nuts and true heroes as they are racing on very narrow public roads n Ireland, the TT is very wide by comparison.
As for Rutter and the NW, he will be there I'm sure as Tuxworth loves the event and Rutter is a bit of a hero over there, he clocked 200 mph on the straight last year!!