Alot has been written and alot of opinion given about the TT so I won't bore you with more.
I started going to the TT firstly out of interest as people say it's something every biker should do at least once but also because i got increasingly fed up with going to Brands and Donnington for Moto GP and WSB, spending sh*t loads of money, camping with a complete bunch of idiots and getting lousy views of the all too brief racing, then you've got to try and get out of the place, complete mayhem.
I like riding fast, too fast for the roads and traffic now, I did a track day at Mallory which was great but my need for riding fast wasn't satisfied.
Going to the TT meets every need I have (biking) even if it is just once a year. Spending two weeks riding your bike as fast as you like has taken away that need from everyday riding speed and made me alot safer, yes I still accelerate hard and get it over when I can but I don't take the same risks.
The grin on your face after a quick run round the island hurts and stays for hours, then you do it again.
The racing is fantastic, the vantage points amazing, Ramsey sprint, numerous rallies and events leaves me completely satiated and did I mention riding your bike as fast as you like, that too.
Could talk for hours but that will do for now.

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It's not what you ride, just that you ride

I first went to the Island in 1978 with my brother and a friend as foot passengers. We hauled a huge frame tent over and pitched up in the early hours at Nobles Park. Within 30 minutes we were woken up by the local police to say "you can't camp here". So the tent was taken down and we made the long walk up to Creg Na Baa and pitched in the field beside the pub. This was before the grandstand was built, and seemed quite suitable. We were knackered after the crossing and long walk, so we soon dropped off to sleep. We were woken up to the sound of racing motorbikes, so looked outside the tent and we were surrounded by cars - we had pitched up in the middle of a car park!! After spending the day here we walked down to Douglas and found a proper camp site. We were hooked and returned the following year on our bikes and stopped in a hotel on the front. The atmosphere was totally different to now, as home-stay had not been introduced and the bikes were parked 3 a-brest down the road and pavements along the entire front. Your could even walk into a pub in the evening and stand at the bar to have a drink while listening to a live band. I remember getting up at 5AM in the morning for a quick lap and overtaking milk floats at 120mph. To this day, I can't remember my best lap time but McGuinness hasn't got too much to worry about. Some 30 years later, we are still going - different atmosphere but still the greatest place on earth!! It just sadly misses a few great names like Yer Maun and big DJ. The photo shows our bikes at the Bungalow in 2002.