I was of the thinking / gossip that the original specs included a period component(not bike) cut off date of 1985/6 and there was much conjecture that the organisers hadn't realised that the GSXR1100 oil cooled engine was legit date wise as the GSXR was sold new before the cut off date, then when a few people including some of the bigger names rolled up with XR69 replica's using said engine and the latest legal suspension tech / frames they found themselves backed into a corner, the Suzuki 1100 engine is very very strong/reliable and is easy to get big bhp/torque on tap, the Bandit 1200 1157cc motor (the GSXR is slightly less @ 1052-1127cc model depending) bike wasn't made until 1996 and apart from the 80's proddy races i'm unaware of the GSXR1100 motor being used in any other TT classes, even the last late 90's WSB ZXR 750's would struggle to get reliably close to the bhp of a well sorted 1100, having said that it is possible to pedal a ZXR 750 quickly around the TT as the late great Simon Beck proved in I think pre course changes 1998 with a circa 122mph lap. The other thing is not everybody wants to ride an XR69 or big cc replica's- they look like a proper gorilla handful compared to a sweeter steering ZXR, for me they make a good thing to see competing on the TT course.

The wait for a well supported totally legit grid will be very long and without the FoM the Manx wouldn't happen because of the bean counters and being honest if the money numbers involved are half true there's not many businesses that would sustain that loss every year, being an ex old school The Manx two stroke TZ racer myself I would love to go back to the old days but it's never ever going to happen we have to move on or disappear, methinks a small amount of realistic thinking/input is required from hands on bike experienced people rather than desk jockeys - maybe have different classes like an open class for the replica's, big cc variants, GP 2 strokes etc and another class for the proper to the letter period privateer guys / bikes.

Something needs to be done as the arguments are detrimental to the event and if as J McG hinted they'll allow RC45's into the class the whole thing is going to get very smelly politics wise and I can interest from people wanting to ride at the event declining.