The Isle of Man TT takes place on a small island located in the Irish Sea, between Ireland and Great Britain. For two short weeks every year, the local roads running around the island are converted into a grueling test of motorcycle and rider. The Isle of Man TT road course runs a length of 37.73 miles, which is equal to nearly three laps of the Nürburgring Nordschleife, the 'Green Hell' located in Germany's Eifel forest. The Isle of Man TT course qualifies as the longest race track in the world.
Parliament wouldn't permit English roads to be closed for racing events, so the Isle of Man's government saw an opportunity to make their island into what their current slogan calls "the Road Racing Capital of the World." First came the running of the 1905 Gordon Bennett car trials there, which used a 52.15-mile course around the island for the British-based event of this early Europe-wide auto racing championship.
The original version of the Isle of Man TT motorcycle race began in 1907 and was intended to promote the island. The term 'TT' stands for Tourist Trophy and is also what TT stands for on Audi. From 1907 through 1910, a shorter, 15.85-mile course was used, moving in 1911 to the Snaefell Mountain Course, which is similar to the course still in use today. Starting as a very rough, largely unpaved course, road conditions improved over time and the lap speeds steadily increased, from 55.62 mph in 1920 to 91 mph in 1938 and 100 mph in 1957.
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What's The Fastest Anyone's Ever Gone During The Isle Of Man TT Race?
The fastest lap time ever recorded during the Isle of Man TT was during the 2023 TT race. The record-setting lap was achieved by Peter Hickman, shown above, who ran the course at an average speed of 136.358 mph while riding a BMW M 1000 RR. This lap occurred on June 9, 2023, during the final lap of Hickman's Superstock race and was also the occasion of his 11th victory at the Isle of Man TT. Hickman's lap time was 16 minutes, 36.115 seconds for the 37.73 mile course, set during the second of the two Superstock races that Hickman, also known as 'Hicky,' had won. As of the 2025 running of the Isle of Man TT race, Hickman's record still stands.
The BMW M 1000 RR that Hicky rode on his record lap back in 2023 was powered by an inline four-cylinder engine displacing 999 cc and producing 209 horsepower. The engine features titanium connecting rods and valves, forged pistons, and a full titanium exhaust system. the M 1000 RR's redline is 15,100 rpm, with peak power occurring at 14,500 rpm. The bike's top speed is claimed by BMW to be 195 mph (314 kph). The latest version of the BMW M 1000 RR is one of the new BMW motorcycles announced for 2025 so far.
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Read the original article on SlashGear.
