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Thursday Practice at the Gooseneck with Tony Goldsmith

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The weather was just abut perfect for Thursday evening’s practice session. I decided to take advantage of that and head for the mountain section.

The Gooseneck, which is around two miles outside of the northern town of Ramsey, is a cambered tight right-hander, and marks the start of the climb up the Mountain Road.

With a couple of friends in tow, we headed off with plenty of time to get to our chosen spot before the road closed. Unfortunately we only got as far as the Gooseneck as a road traffic accident had brought about an early closure to the Mountain Road.

While not the location we intended, we decided to stay put. Enjoy the photos!

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Racing

IOMTT: Michael Dunlop Leaves Yamaha for BMW

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The big news out of the Isle of Man TT today is that Michael Dunlop is dumping the Milwaukee Yamaha team, and its 2015 Yamaha YZF-R1 race package, in favor for a BMW S1000RR in Stuart Hicken’s Buildbase BMW team.

The move comes after critical practice days were lost to bad weather on the Isle of Man, which in-turn caused Dunlop to feel that he could not tame the R1 in time for the 1,000cc bike races.

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Columns

IOMTT: Colin’s TT Blog – You Always Remember Your First

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A world traveler on two-wheels, Asphalt & Rubber reader and good friend Colin Evans is attending his first Isle of Man TT this year. We asked him to share his perspective on the trip, as both someone new to the Isle of Man, but also as a veteran of the world and riding motorcycles. Our hope is that it will be an informative, yet different, perspective than your typical coverage of the IOMTT. Please enjoy! -Jensen

You always remember your first…well this is my first visit to the Isle of Man TT so let’s start with a little perspective and history for the uninitiated – ME.

The Isle of Man is a British Crown Dependency – 200 square miles of rock in the Irish Sea that somehow never quite officially became part of the United Kingdom, but is essentially under its wing; Queen Elizabeth II is Lord of Mann.

The island can make most of its own rules for things like finance and taxes, which makes it a tax haven but, much more importantly for this week, it independently controls matters of road safety. Or not.

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Racing

Franck Petricola Has Died While at the Isle of Man TT

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We are sad to report that the 2015 Isle of Man TT has claimed its first fatality, as French rider Franck Petricola died during Wednesday’s qualifying session, in an incident at Sulby Crossroads.

The 32-year-old was competing in his first Isle of Man TT, though he had been a regular in the Irish Road Racing Championship, where in 2013 he achieved his top overall finish with an 11th in the Superbike category.

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Racing

Wednesday Practice at Kirk Michael with Tony Goldsmith

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We were treated to much better conditions for Wednesday evenings practice session.Being the first timed practice session of the week the riders were keen to get out and put some laps in.

By the end of the evening Bruce Anstey had set the fastest Superbike lap at a of speed of 128.641 mph, on his Valvoline Padgett’s Honda.

Sadly the session ended in tragedy when French newcomer Frank Petriccola was killed following an incident at Sulby Crosswords.

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Racing

Tuesday Practice at Greeba Castle with Tony Goldsmith

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One of the worst “summer” storms of recent memory (by Isle of Man standards) brought about a 24 hour delay to the start of practice for the 2015 Isle of Man TT.

The organisers did a great job of clearing the track of any debris, no mean feat on a 37.73-mile circuit, and the first practice session of TT 2015 got away at 18:25.  Due to high winds and the threat of rain, the Clerk of the Course declared it an untimed session.

Sadly the session was brought to a premature end after an incident at Laurel Bank left petrol and oil on the track. That was particularly bad news for the sidecar crews who have yet to take to the track.

Thankfully better weather is forecast for the next few days.

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Bikes

Details on the Victory’s Electric Race Bike for the IOMTT

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News that Victory Motorcycles will be racing at the 2015 Isle of Man TT, in the TT Zero event no less, is still taking time to process. It’s a big deal for the Manx road race, and an even bigger deal to the American brand.

If you have been following the electric motorcycle scene, Victory’s race bike should look familiar, as its based off the Brammo Empulse RR.

Exactly what changes Victory will have at the Isle of Man have been a mystery, but our sources have given us some insight into the progress Brammo has made in its extended off-season.

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Columns

Trackside Tuesday: 2015 Isle of Man TT Teaser

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It’s hard to believe that another Isle of Man TT is almost upon us — the racing this year has the potential to be the best we’ve ever seen. With all the usual suspects back, the pace at the front is going to be hot.

Will we see the first 133 mph lap of the Mountain Course? Can anyone stop Michael Dunlop’s dominance? Will John McGuinness edge closer to the 26 wins of the legendary Joey Dunlop?

Then of course there’s the question that everyone is fed up of asking, can Guy Martin finally take his first win? This year could be his best chance as he’s arguably got the best machinery he’s ever had at the TT.

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Racing

Lee Johnston Talks Electrics & The IOMTT with Victory

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Victory Motorcycles will be at the 2015 Isle of Man TT, and while that brand name is certainly a shocking one, no matter what class the American motorcycle manufacturer enters, and the fact that it will be in the electric TT Zero race at least makes for a good use of the word “shocking” in a punny sort of way.

Jokes aside, it’s a big announcement for the IOMTT, electric racing, and Victory Motorcycles itself. The evolved Brammo Empulse RR race bike that Victory will be using is certainly a well-sorted race machine, capable of giving Mugen a run for its money — not mention,William Dunlop and Lee Johnston are certainly some of the top riders around the Manx road course.

Testing with Brammo Victory at what looks like Thunderhill Raceway, Lee Johnston gives his first thoughts on riding an electric race bike, and what competing in the TT Zero class will be like at the 2015 Isle of Man TT.

We will be excited to see what Victory can accomplish this year at the TT. Hopefully this is what reignites the interest in electric motorcycle racing, and electric motorcycles in general.

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Racing

Video: Honda Previews the Road Racing Season

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When it comes to real road racing, the boys on Hondas are always the short-list of whom to beat. Gearing up for the North West 200 this weekend and the rapidly approaching Isle of Man TT, the road racing season is firmly upon us.

Never mind circuits and race tracks, these guys let it all hang out on public roads, with speeds approaching and surpassing 200 mph on some courses. Make no mistake, this is risky business.

Mental preparedness and track knowledge are key, but that doesn’t mean that machine shakedowns are unnecessary. Although the Honda CBR1000RR racing package hasn’t changed much over its eight years of use, HRC has been able to refine the Fireblade to be a keen, and more importantly, a reliable weapon on the roads.

This year, John McGuinness and Conor Cummins will wear the factory HRC livery, as they take on the other top riders. Honda has put together a quick video of the two racers, with their thoughts on the 2015 season. Check it out after the jump.

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Racing

Victory Entering an Electric Race Bike at Isle of Man TT

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It looks like we were only partially correct in our news that Brammo would be returning to the Isle of Man TT, as the brand’s sister company, Victory Motorcycles, will in fact be racing an electric entry — one that looks like a rebadged Brammo Empulse RR — in the TT Zero event at the historic road race.

According to its press release, Victory Motorcycles will field a two-rider team, comprised of William Dunlop and Lee Johnston (a photo of “General Lee” testing a Brammo superbike is what initially sparked this news).

While Victory is calling its racing platform a “Victory electric race prototype motorcycle” the chassis and fairings give way to a shape we recognize as the Brammo Empulse RR electric superbike.

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