The Isle of Man TT course is one of the most challenging events on the motorcycle racing calendar nearly every year—or it was until the pandemic struck. For a racer, the more time spent away from a course, particularly one as challenging as the IOM, the more difficult it could be when you finally come back. As both the experienced racers and the newcomers get to grips with the unique nature of the Isle of Man TT in 2022, here’s an onboard look at how living legend John McGuinness is faring.
This onboard video is 18 minutes and 35 seconds in length, and of course has a very short bit of extra time at the front and back ends where he’s not actively doing the lap. For reference, as of May 31, 2022, the outright fastest lap record of the TT course was set by Peter Hickman on board his BMW S 1000 RR in 2018, with a time of 16:42.778 and an average speed of 135.452 mph.
This onboard lap with McPint offers views from multiple cameras placed around the bike, which is helpful to get a better sense of the entire breadth of the experience. There’s an unobstructed view from the front, where you get a sheer sense of speed. McGuinness also has a chin-mounted camera, through which we occasionally get a good look at the dash so we can see what gear he’s using for various parts of the course. While there’s plenty of flat out, full throttle bits to be had, there are also quite a few first-gear bits as well, where riders have to carefully attenuate their speed to most efficiently and safely get around.
Speaking of gear shifting, there’s another camera mounted to occasionally show some of McGuinness’ shifting, though perhaps we don’t see that as much as we see some of the other angles. We also get a good look at his right hand on occasion, seeing how carefully and precisely he handles the front brake at various points during the lap.
There’s a low-angle camera view on the low left side of the bike, another from the rear of the bike looking out behind. Finally, there’s one looking at the rider from the back, where you sometimes get to see moments when he lifts off the saddle completely as he capably pilots that Fireblade around the Isle.
All in all, it’s a testament to the monumental amount of concentration that riders have to have to do the IOMTT course well. Most of us aren’t John McGuinness, but have you ridden this course before, at any speed? If not, would you want to try one day? Let us know in the comments!
