(14-06-2015, 01:40 PM)c iom tt Wrote: Sorry, but for me that is to fast, to quickly.
The Mountain Course is something you should build up to over the years, not trying to take the 'skin off it' in such a short period of time. Peter may or may not have a natural talent for racing on the road circuits, but there are many before him that have tried to do the same thing only to get serious injurys or worse.

Sorry I don't agree, Everything I've seen of him is exactly how the TT course should be approached, he did his homework in his first year and ended it with a stunning lap of 129mph but always looked tidy and in control, this year he hasn't sat on his laurels and thought that it would come easy but he's kept working hard and learning lap by lap, again looking very tidy in doing so to up his game to lap at 131mph, I'm sure he's had moments because going at that speed it's impossible not to but he doesn't look like a rider that's on the ragged edge everywhere unlike some other BSB riders recruited to the TT in recent years.
To say it's too quick too soon, nobody but Peter himself will know how comfortable he is at those speeds and he doesn't come across as the type of person to be pushing himself over the limit on a regular basis, as a rider myself you know where your limits are and you don't want to go over them especially at the TT but everybody is different and have different levels of ability, you didn't hear anybody saying Marc Marquez was moto gp champion too quickly so why not applaud the lad in what is a historic moment and realise that we may just be witnessing a future TT star making a name for himself.
If he'd have come from Ireland and been doing the Irish nationals for a while before he made his TT debut instead of BSB I don't think this would even be an issue, he would be an instant hero just like many others before him, the fact that he's gone a hell of a lot faster than anyone before in his first two years is irrelevant.
Good on him and long may it continue.

Really fascinating thread - Peter Hickman is exceptionally fast and obviously wants to reach the top now ….not in a few years …………...and maybe for someone who has been going to the TT since 1978 helped by the ferry being 15 minutes away - it leads me to ask where is the TT going? (Its not an old chestnut that is raised by knockers only -its a sound question ) To be honest when the speed hit 120 average I thought that was crazy and the 130 equally so. But is the only goal now sub 17 and 140 by say 2030

But back in the day the weather conditions didn't seem to be such an extreme factor (maybe I can say that easier as I am not riding the TT) but what shocked me this year was not Hutchy clipping the hedge as he passed me at Sulby at 190 or Bruce having a mighty lucky experience on Bray Hill or the Senior being Red flagged again but what shocked me was the complete state of emotional and physical collapse that the riders seemed to be in at the end of the race with James Hillier being the most obvious.

Don't know the answer and maybe the risks are still as manageable at 132 as 120 - don't know ? Does the TT need a record every year or two to boost the marketing ? Would people stop going if say the record only moved every five years?

For as long as you have highly competitive riders who want to win, you'll see records broken; you can't stop them from doing that, it's their nature.

Yes speeds have risen, however it's the technology that has allowed this. Was doing a 100mph lap on bendy framed bikes, with teflon for tyres, and blocks of wood for brakes (all compared to todays technology), any safer than the speeds of today? I doubt it as they'd have been pushing the limits of those bendy framed bikes just as much as the guys are today, so the risks of falling would have been as great.

The one thing that I agree has changed is the mental strain involved to react at the speeds they are travelling at nowadays.

Unless they put a restriction on the engine size/horsepower limit, I can't see the TT getting any slower. Would we as race fans want to see that? And is that even possible when a Superstock 1000 is doing 130mph + laps, and are getting quicker and quicker as standard.

What would be the bike for the Senio, Superbike, and Superstock race?

westers bendy frames etc, i think you are displaying your ignorance there.

I haven't seen the onboard of Peter Hickmans lap so wouldn't like to comment on whether it was a ragged lap or not, but either way it is a mega effort to achieve such a speed so soon.

All i would say is that I was told years ago that you cannot ride the tt course short circuit style, as it's too much of a risk. I think this has now changed if you are wanting to be on the leaderboard, which is supported by the fact Plater, and Hickman have achieved so much in the short space of time.

This goes for all the classes, the room for error is smaller than it's ever been over the top 4/5 so riders have to push from the start to be up there.

For me, Peter Hickman's results last year were amazing, and this year more so.
I would always say it scares me to see a newcomer or rider of a couple of years experience lapping very fast; think back to Pat Hennen's second year in '78 when he broke the 20 minute barrier, and crashed on the following lap. Now we have newcomers lapping in 17 minutes!

But, there are some very big differences now, obvious ones; better course, better bikes, better tyres, but more important, enough on board footage, DVD's and books to give you at last two years head start on a newcomer's knowledge from 20 years ago.

Peter Hickman made many trips over before TT 2014, lots of effort to learn the course, so his task in practice last year was to learn his pace; not where the road went; a subtle but vital difference for an already talented rider.

Steve Plater was scary fast, and worried me when I saw him; good rider, but appeared on the edge. What a contrast watching Peter Hickman in about 20 different locations over the two years now; he is super smooth, and has great circuit knowledge; incredible performance

(15-06-2015, 10:54 AM)cregnybaa Wrote: westers bendy frames etc, i think you are displaying your ignorance there.

No, I'm not - listen to Jamie Whitham talking about how bad the proddie bikes were. Plus the Ducati that Hailwood won on was recognised as being an awful handling bike, hence what made his win even more remarkable.

I can confirm that proddy bikes bend like Wit describes, I had a 750 Suzuki thankfully just the once for Senior MGP, the forks walked when leant over, shook her head without warning and gently oscillated back to front in a straight line, it felt like I'd been on the ferry all day in a storm when I got off the bloody thing. We christened it The Flying Hinge.

I'd guess everyone who did a 132 had at least 1 "moment" during the lap.

We saw it with Bruce last year, and even McGuinness said he felt the front tucking at one point.

Fair play to Hickman doing 131+ in his second year. I do think it's maybe topping out as regards top speeds now though, as people have said, the mental and physical strain of these speeds must be tough, and I cant see anyone banging in 6 132 mph laps in one race

I haven't ever spoken to Peter Hickman personally but he comes across as very level headed.

When asked if his goal for TT2015 was to do a 130mph lap it would have been easy for him to say "yes", after all he only had .9mph to add. He didn't though - he said "No, my goal is to finish every race I start and have fun". That doesn't strike me as a man who's gunning for lap times above all else.

Conditions on Friday afternoon were obviously very favourable to doing fast laps which no doubt contributed to him (and others) increasing their fastest laps considerably too.

I disagree about him being too quick too soon, as others have said he doesn't look out of control with it. I think it's been a nice steady improvement and yes it is only his second year but if you look back through the years, off the top of my head Michael Dunlop, Cameron Donald and John McGuinness were all race winners in their 3rd year, Steve Plater too and DJ got a hat trick in his 3rd year.

Peter Hickmam, for me, was in the top three for 'man of the meeting' award. At 11th Milestone, May Hill, 26th, Rhen Cullen and Ago's, he looked v fast, v competent and v tidy. That cannot be said for many other more established and quicker riders. Both Guy and Hutchy had me shaking my head in disbelief at the 11th - they were way quicker than Peter but how they stay in control I've no idea - I guess it's fearlessness combined with God given talent. Each rider develops at their own pace. Peter shouldn't be criticised/questioned for natural talent and his ability to learn fast - I think he's going to be a huge star and wouldn't be surprised to see him elevated next year, at the expense of one or two more established names.