That Silk (2nd last pic) - it's just possible that I've ridden it! It wasn't 1984 and I know it wasn't the only grey one ever built but they were never what you'd call common. I was hanging out at the Highlander when it was still a pub and got talking to a guy that owned a 700 Silk. We compared our uncommon bikes (I had - and still have - a 350 Morini Sport) and out of nowhere he asks if I wanted to have a ride on the Silk. Of course I did...! Real strange mixture of 1930s & 1970s but good fun.

That last shot is full blown race RG500 on the road!! I bet that was fun in traffic!!!!

That lovely white BMW outfit with the chair on UK left is the only one i've seen at the TT and I think is/was owned by a regular TT customer of my late Dad's butcher's shop which used to be in Dukes Rd Douglas, the owner Graham used to get his daily provisions from Dad up until 93/94 and that outfit is unforgettable and i'm sure i've seen it up until at least the Centenary year with Graham aboard it ... Graham was a very handy bloke in 1993 when I threw my TZ down the road at Bungalow early morning practice - turned out he was a time served old fashioned panel/metal beater and spent a day and a half beating with borrowed dolly weights and hammers my tank into a condition where it at least sat ok on the frame and got us back out for practice after it had crunched top side first into the raised tram tracks at the side of the course.... that RG500 is indeed proper bonkers.

Thanks very much for the stories. Fascinating for me to hear and I'm really glad that the pictures evoke some happy memories for you. They certainly bring back some great memories for me too. I apologise for the large number of Kawasaki pics in the road bike shots - I'm a big Kawasaki fan so I tended to focus on them rather a lot!

The next set of pictures are from the Senior on the Monday (4th June). They're a mixture of shots of the pits and the start/finish straight, where you can see I was having some interesting (ie poor) attempts at panning. Never mind I'm sure you'll get the gist.

Oh boy, I'm enjoying this thread sooo much.
Thanks folks👍

It's the background stuff that is so interesting as well, seeing people in pit lane wearing jeans and tee shirts for example, it's still a fairly recent change to me as I used to be one of them back in those days, but it's probably 20 years now since the first rule on 'fire resistant' overalls came in, and now we all have to dress up like the Stig when we go in there, those latest suits are not pleasant to wear on a hot day!!

defo and the mix of fuelling tank type old and new, people standing all over/on the pit area structures, the people standing in the road by the scoreboards and those white ladders haha, I don't think back then we had the metal steps up to the fuelling tank either, 1984 was the first year mum n dad let a rider use our garage - being in the pits for the F2, proddie 250 and Junior as a spotty teenager really was something else ... lovely memories - thanks for the pics

Great thread koala. Really enjoying reading it. Not sure if you have the date right for the senior. I would think it would be Friday 8th.? If it makes a difference for your pictures.

Hi Chrisp

At that time the Senior ran mid-week. The prime Friday slot was for the Classic TT - a precursor of the Superbike race.

Great thread Koala, a lot of work scanning that lot, but worth the effort.

Ditto - breathed some life into the forum - much appreciated at this end.

My first TT was in 93 and thankfully it was still in the days when Douglas prom was double parked bikes from the Sea terminal to Summerland. Loads of B&B's most of them with heaving bars.

The thing that most struck a cord though was the exotic specials (like the Harris Magnums) and also people fettling their bikes in the street.

Hard to say if I'm missing those days or just missing my youth in general :-)

Cheers

Sam

Many thanks to one and all for the comments, it means a lot to know that the pictures are appreciated. In the past I've picked up boxes of pictures & negatives and wondered who on earth would be interested in all these hundreds of shots of bikes (and cars)? In the many house moves over the years I've considered discarding them but fortunately I was enough of a hoarder to retain them for your enjoyment, as it turns out!

The comments about the relaxed attitude towards safety I agree with. I've been involved with cars and bikes since the early 70s and you sometimes forget how we've changed our view of what is safe vs what is dangerous. As I look back on the pictures I took at the time, a lot of things stand out. The relaxed approach to protection and the handling of fuel in the pits/paddock, the levels of protection & barriers for spectators. The whole thing has a delighfully relaxed amateurish feel to it. Many modern (car and bike) motorsport events, whilst being so much safer, are so sanitised it can be a little bit boring. Being able to get up close to the race bikes/cars is part of the thrill of racing for me.

Another thing, after scanning the negatives I need to clean them up using a picture editor. As I zoom in to them, it's surprising how many discarded cigarette ends there are lying around in the pits and paddock areas - again you forget how it was normal to allow smoking near to machinery and fuel. Also, keep your eyes open - I'm pretty sure one of the later pits pictures shows a mechanic with jeans and bare feet!

Still got quite a few pictures to come though. Continuing with the Senior:

Brilliant Thread Koalas and one that has certainly got the grey matter going with all who visit the Forum.

I thank you personally for your contribution and I know that all who use the forum also appreciate what you have done here.

I hope that you too have managed to gain some previously unknow information on a lot of the photographs posted that people have responded to.

Any more, please go ahead and post as it does create interest and also provides knowledge to those who are unaware of some of the historical aspects of the bikes and riders etc within your photographs.

Malcolm.

Thank you very much Malcolm for your kind words. It's been a pleasure posting these for the forum members and yes, the replies have been very useful. Not only that, it's been really interesting to hear the stories and memories from the past that the pictures evoke. I enjoyed my time on the island and it's good to be able to give something back after all these years.

Still yet more pictures though. In fact keep viewing the thread because I think that the best is yet to come.

More from the Senior:

(28-05-2020, 08:22 PM)sticky Wrote: Hi Chrisp

At that time the Senior ran mid-week.  The prime Friday slot was for the Classic TT - a precursor of the Superbike race.

Thanks sticky I should of known that. I was on the Island in 82 83 and 84. In them days I'm sorry to say spent all my time in the lido. And the dogs home. The racing was a afterthought in them days.Still iv grown up since then and been luckily enough to get back over for the last few years. Great thread koala.

(30-05-2020, 07:04 PM)Chrisp955 Wrote: Thanks sticky I should of known that. I was on the Island in 82 83 and 84. In them days I'm sorry to say spent all my time in the lido. And the dogs home. The racing was a afterthought in them days.Still iv grown up since then and been luckily enough to get back over for the last few years. Great thread koala.

I spent most race week evenings in the Lido too!  I'm sure I can't remember why .  Let's just say that Malcolm would probably not appreciate me posting the pictures I took...

They had some great competitions in there sticky.  Sure Malcolm wouldn't mind   I would love to see some pics of the old place. They always had the latest super bike on a stand when you went in the door. As the fortnight went on more and more bits would disappear of the bike. Great times.

I'm enjoying seeing these photos. It's especially pleasing, because the 1984 Senior was my first real race in the TT. (Production 10 lapper in 1975, and then the Manx til '83, and the Historic TT on the Saturday)
The Senior was run as mentioned on the Monday, the Premier Classic was on the Friday, (white backgrounds).
I started number 73 in the Senior, (No.80 in the Premier Classic), and finished 9th in the Senior,and 7th in the Premier Classic.
I think these days a rider finishing in the top ten first time at the TT would have been attacking social media with a vengeance.
I'm amazed how many riders that I don't recognise, but as mentioned, it does look to be a totally different era, and I think that's what makes these photos so interesting. Keep 'em coming!

Thanks for all the comments and the stories. Having just googled the IoM Lido, I'm sorry I never visited it while I was over there!

Anyway last set of shots now of the Senior race, I've got some more of the paddock, podium etc after the senior coming up.

BY the way, check out the picture of one of the pit crews in the next set, you should see a very casually dressed mechanic who decided not to bother with shoes (!).


















My last pic is a somewhat inept attempt to capture Rob McElnea taking the chequered flag...you can just about see him!

#59 Raymond Campbell (the name on the fairing helped!)

#88 by a process of elimination, Satoshi Endo.  There were three Japanese riders oin the race & he was the last classified finisher.  The others were Teruo Fukuda (I found a pic I took of him in the 250 race - different lid) and Yasuhiko Gomibuchi, who rode an RG500.

In the previous batch #17 would be Dave Dean

#43 Looks like Tony Head

#21 John Robinson

#7 Johnny Rea

The batch before that:

#35 Kenny Harrison?

#44 Keith Buckley?

# Martin Barr