I have had an interview with the local paper about my up and coming Manx Newcomers ride . One of the questions I got asked was to get an entry accepted when did the upper age limit change and it become a matter of passing a medical instead.

I ask this because anybody that knows me will be aware that I am most lightly going to be the oldest newcomer in this years meeting . The reason for this is because in 1993 having the correct level of licence I was told I was to OLD to enter the Manx or the TT .  
As far as I can make out this rule was challenged on ageism grounds and the rule was altered and the requirement was then to pass a medical with no upper age limit can anybody shed some light on this ?

I'm pretty sure you are correct, it was an age discrimination thing, I can't remember the exact year it changed though.

The original MGP age limit of 40 changed sometime around 1998 when they stretched it out to something like 45 for the main classes and I think 48 for the classic's, then they scrapped the whole age limit thing a few years afterwards, probably around 2002, but i'm struggling to remember as age plays tricks with the memory

Hello KF, it was always my ambition to enter the MGP and when I was finally able to in 1993 I'd turned 40 and couldn't enter on a modern machine but could enter on a classic. This knowledge then dictated my motorcycle racing 'career' as I went down the classic route on a BSA499 and had some fantastic (and not so fantastic) times on the Island.

See that's bloody typical of my luck my first ask about going was in 1993 as well !  I was told I was to old to but no mention of the classic route which  might have been an option open to me. Like a lot of riders at that age I got out of racing for a few years and regrettably let my national licence drift away and only when I came back to racing did I find out that I was now young enough to enter the Manx . Problem I then had was to reestablish the national licence in order to come out and play  . My choice of bikes during this time did not help my cause 

I'm sure Arthur Wheeler was doing the Manx in 1990 at the age of 74, he was defo there in 89 and i'm sure it was Arthur we came across in 1990 practice at the end of a very very lonnnnnnng classic bike seized gearbox skidmark on the Mountain Mile, we were all parked up because the chopper couldn't land on the incline either side of the road and had to land on the track.

I was always lead to believe that the age limit at the Manx was to make people move onto the TT. The Manx age limit was 40 and I'm fairly sure the TT was 55. In 92 the age limit was 40 my dad was sponsoring Mick Robinson and that was his last year before he went over the age limit and moved onto the classics. Three years later the age limit was moved up to 45 and Mick got another couple of years on a modern bike. When the age limit was completely removed I'm not sure.
There never was an age limit for the classics in the same way as former TT riders were allowed in the classics right from the start.

I seem to remember the Classic age limit in 1998 was 60 - as Phil Read said 'he wasn't allowed to come back next year'. Then I believe that someone challenged the age limits in the courts and now there is no age limit?

Getting on in years myself, so I may have it wrong!!

The battle to do away with the MGP age limit was led by Steve Murray and the late, great, Denis Gallagher. Personally, I was chucked out of the MGP in 1983 when they caught me telling lies about my age on the Entry Form  .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .   .  

Ha Ha Larry! You, Ken Inwood, Joe Thornton and Don Padgett were names that rang a bell regarding the age limit.
Just shows how life changes.
A 46 year old had the outright TT lap record until this year. What was the thinking all those years ago that deemed a 40 year old too old to ride the TT course in the Manx?
If they followed that ruling today, the entry would be down by 75%, and that's just the modern classes.
I remember the great Phil Read (and he was a GREAT rider), riding in the 1998 Classic Manx, finishing about 15th. I remember thinking that he was pretty old. Ooops! I'm way past that!

Blimey Nick some names there - remember Ken as Hersham Racing Spares on my travels and my Dad bought a new Suziuki X7 250 when Don had a shop in I think Myrtle or Hill Street Douglas. Best rgds for The Manx this year young man haha

Going back to my original question , I was under the impression that in1993 if you were over 40 and you had already competed in the Manx or the TT you could still ride,  the 40 year old age limit was aimed at newcomers to the Island mountain course , is that a correct understanding of the rules from that era ?

Seems daft to me when I first asked I believe I was a better faster safer rider than I ever was when I was under 40 ! But the preperation for my ride this year is so much better than in would have been then , so in a way the age rule might have done me a favour.

The ruling that is now in place for the mountain course licence which includes the 6 races over the previous year . Has this influenced the entry by some of the older riders in the Manx and have some riders not returned because of this requirement ? Getting these 6 races under your belt adds a sizeable chunk to the racing bill for anybody .

No I'm pretty sure that in 1993 if you were over 40 and/or had competed in any TT other than a Production TT, you would not have been accepted.

Can't recall exactly when the various age limits  were disposed of, but I am pleased that they were.
You're right about the six event  rule KF. Adds a large lump to the racing budget, and in my opinion, compromises the money available to prepare properly for the Manx. However, it is right that you are required to be out at least twice in the year of the event.

Kursaal as per my first post.
In 93 the age limit for the Manx was 40 for all classes except the classics. I'm fairly certain that the TT was 55. Being a newcomer had nothing to do with it. When Mick Robinson went over the age limit and had to move onto the classics he had more MGP replicas than anyone else.
I'm not sure if there was and age limit in 93 for the classics but as Alfie said Arthur Wheeler was still racing in the late 80's/early 90's in his 70's. However I do remember Denis Gallagher fighting to get the age limit removed so I guess somewhere in the mid 90's they must of put an age limit in for the classics.