Video: Climb aboard for a blistering lap of the 1986 TT

26th June 2020

Laura Thomson

If you’ve ever ridden a motorcycle in anger, you’ll know the sheer exhilaration as you open the throttle on an empty road. But it would pale in comparison to a blistering lap of the Isle of Man TT, where motorcycles regularly reach speeds in excess of 170mph on narrow country roads, pushing the limits of velocity. It’s a brutally dangerous sport, there’s no denying, but the motorcyclists that race around the small island in the Irish Sea do so with a fearless aplomb, risking everything on the 37.73-mile mountain course.

It’s hard to put it into perspective, just how hard the riders push, but a strategically-placed onboard camera usually does the trick. And today, we’re inviting you to climb aboard with racing legend Roger Marshall at the 1986 Isle of Man TT, where he piloted a 500cc Rothmans Honda weapon to a sixth-place finish in the senior TT, just 2 minutes and 39 seconds behind ultimate race winner Roger Burnett.

In glorious grainy technicolour, watch as the British racer pushes the 500cc two-stroke V4 to its limit, coming dangerously close to the roadside furniture, the front wheel lifting involuntarily out of bends.

It was a ride that deserved better than a sixth-place finish, and earned Marshall international acclaim.

Welcome to Goodwood Elevenses, a mid-morning helping of motoring-related amusement to help break up your day. Watch the last video: A dreamy drive of Le Mans in a Porsche 935