91传媒

鈥淭he 2026 Classic TT was always going to be a challenge. Preparing a pair of very different bikes for the famous 37戮-mile Mountain Course, learning the circuit as a newcomer, and then racing against some of the best historic machinery and riders made for an experience I will never forget.

鈥淭he little Honda CB350 K4 had already been a joy to ride throughout the year, but before heading to the Isle of Man it received a serious makeover for the Classic TT. We fitted a new engine, a larger-capacity fuel tank to allow three laps, a megaphone exhaust and new fairings and paint, along with countless smaller details and hours of preparation. The aim was simple: make the little Honda as capable and reliable as possible for the demands of the Mountain Course.

鈥淥ne of the biggest moments of the week came with my newcomer lap, led by Carolynn Sells who controlled the lap superbly and settled any nerves.

鈥淐ompleting that lap was a fantastic experience and a major milestone. There is something very special about finally getting out onto the Mountain Course after all the preparation and anticipation. Huge thanks to everyone who helped make it happen, particularly Ben Long, Grahame Collinge and Andrew Read, as well as everyone who supported me throughout the Classic TT.

鈥淭he next challenge was to take the OC Graphics ZXR400 out on course, although the weather was already beginning to dictate the programme. At the TT, you quickly learn that plans can change in an instant.”

鈥淢y first experience of being out on the course by myself proved to be particularly eventful.

鈥淔irst up was the ZXR400 in the Ultra Lightweight class. With more time and the right parts available, I would have rebuilt the engine properly, but we took a chance and hoped it would manage a couple of laps. The Mountain Course tests everything, and unfortunately this proved to be a mistake.

鈥淭he bike felt weak almost from the start. I noticed the engine temperature beginning to rise from Sulby, and then, coming out of the Gooseneck, the engine lost a little more power. It wasn’t enough to stop me immediately, and I hoped I could get over the mountain and make it to the next session.

鈥淭hat wasn’t to be.

鈥淓ven though the engine had been tested on the dyno and at Jurby, it finally gave up at Joey’s, around a mile beyond the Gooseneck. I pulled the bike into a safe place and began the long journey back towards the paddock on foot.

鈥淐rossing open moorland with gorse bushes, dry stone walls and barbed-wire fences certainly wasn’t how I had imagined the day going. I eventually made it back to the Gooseneck, where a fellow called Russell kindly gave me a lift back to the paddock, just in time for the Historic Classic.

鈥淔ortunately, the little CB350 K4 was ready to go, and it was a completely different experience. The bike has been a joy to ride all year and had received a huge amount of attention in preparation for this event. We managed to complete a lap, although I had planned to go for two before the session was eventually stopped by a chequered flag.

鈥淭he evening session was cancelled, giving the team a chance to regroup.

鈥淕rahame Collinge and Ben Long retrieved the ZXR400, while Andrew Read and I concentrated on preparing the 350.

鈥淭he lads then put in a huge amount of work, staying up late to carry out an engine swap in the 400 and get it ready for another attempt. That effort summed up the team perfectly. They were constantly being challenged, but they never stopped working to find a solution.

鈥淚 couldn’t have wished for a better group of people around me.

鈥淚 also want to give a special mention to the Mike Hailwood Foundation, who do so much work supporting newcomers at both the Manx Grand Prix and Classic TT. Their help and encouragement are hugely appreciated.”

鈥淭he following days brought more progress on the CB350 K4.

鈥淭he meeting was being heavily affected by the weather, so every opportunity to get laps in became important. We managed to complete more laps and reached another significant milestone: the chance to put together two consecutive laps and four laps in total.

鈥淒uring one lap, I was black-flagged at the end of Sulby Straight because officials believed there was a loose exhaust pipe. Nothing was found to be wrong, and I was allowed to continue.

鈥淥n the second lap I could push a little harder and begin to understand what the course was like at speed. Learning was the biggest focus of the year, and with a few damp patches around the course I was very conscious of the low-adhesion flags and making sure I respected the conditions.

鈥淚t was another step forward, and one that the whole team could be proud of.

鈥淭he K4 was running well and sounded fantastic.

Meanwhile, the ZXR400 continued to give us headaches. We had tried to get it ready, but after another late night we found a small water leak and the engine still sounded rough. We made the decision to park it for the day rather than take another unnecessary risk.

鈥淲ith the evening practice cancelled, Ben Long once again set about trying to make the ZXR ready for the rest of the Classic TT.

Another engine swap later 鈥� and another long night for the team 鈥� we hoped we might finally have a bike ready to go.

鈥淔riday practice went really well.

鈥淚 managed two laps on the CB350 K4 and another lap on the ZXR400. The 400 was still a little asthmatic and down on speed, but after everything that had happened, simply getting it back around the course was a great achievement.

鈥淭hat should have been the end of the day, with the plan to relax for the evening and begin preparing for Monday’s racing.

鈥淏ut, as anyone who knows the TT will tell you, you can’t plan too far ahead.

鈥淛ust as the lads sat down with a well-earned pint, we found out that the entire schedule had been brought forward by two days because of incoming weather.

鈥淎 good call by the organisers, in my opinion, but it meant everyone had to get straight back into race mode.听

鈥淩ace day began with two qualifying laps on the ZXR400.

鈥淭he first lap was disappointing. The bike felt slow and asthmatic, so Ben immediately went to work, removing the carbs so I could change the jets.

鈥淭he second lap was much better, with a noticeable improvement in performance. At least we were moving in the right direction.

鈥淭hen came the Historic Junior Classic TT race on the CB350 K4 鈥� our first Classic TT race.

鈥淭he first lap and a half were fantastic. The little Honda was singing, and everything was going exactly as we’d hoped.

鈥淭hen, through Kirk Michael, it suddenly dropped onto one cylinder.

鈥淚 kept going and hoped it might come back, but it didn’t. Eventually I pulled in at Rencullen.

鈥淭wo racers passed me before I spotted the problem: the plug cap had come off.

鈥淟uckily, it was a simple fix.

鈥淚 pushed the cap back into place, bump-started the bike and got going again. I even managed to repass one of the riders before the finish.

鈥淭o get our first TT start and finish was a fantastic feeling.

鈥淎fter all the preparation, setbacks and late nights, simply seeing that chequered flag was something special.

鈥淭he next day was the Ultra Lightweight race on the ZXR400.

鈥淚t didn’t go to plan in the end, but while it lasted, I absolutely loved it.

鈥淥n the first lap I managed to catch ten seconds on the rider ahead on the road. We swapped places several times before reaching the first-lap pit stop, giving me another completely new experience.

鈥淭he lads did a fantastic job in the pit stop, and I managed to make up another twenty seconds to the next rider.

鈥淯nfortunately, on the run towards Ballacrain, the throttle cable snapped.

鈥淭hat brought the race to an end.

鈥淚t was frustrating, especially after all the work that had gone into getting the 400 back on the grid, but that’s racing 鈥� and particularly racing around the TT Mountain Course.

鈥淭here was, however, something to celebrate. We received a finishers medal for the previous day’s Historic Classic Junior race.”

鈥淥ne race remained: the three-lap Historic Senior 500cc race on the CB350 K4.

鈥淭he final race brought almost perfect conditions.

鈥淎fter everything that had happened during the week, the CB350 K4 was ready to take on three laps of the Mountain Course.

鈥淭he race was brilliant.

鈥淭he little 350 was running well and I was thoroughly enjoying every mile. We were running in 10th place and, with another few miles, there was a real possibility of bringing the bike home with a very good result. But the Mountain Course had the final word. At Hailwood Heights, the bike expired.

鈥淕utted is an understatement.

鈥淎fter all the work from the team, all the late nights, the engine changes, the preparation, the weather interruptions and the effort that had gone into getting both bikes onto the grid, to be so close to the finish and then have the bike fail was incredibly disappointing.

鈥淏ut that’s racing at the TT.

鈥淎nd despite the disappointment, I wouldn’t change the experience for the world.

鈥淟ooking back over the Classic TT, the results only tell part of the story.

鈥淭here were the laps, the races, the mechanical failures and the chequered flags. But there was also the learning, the atmosphere, the people and the sheer effort required behind the scenes to make everything happen.

鈥淔rom preparing the CB350 K4 before the event, to recovering the broken ZXR400, changing engines late into the night, rebuilding and preparing bikes between sessions, adjusting carburation and constantly adapting to the weather and schedule 鈥� the team never stopped.

鈥淏en Long, Grahame Collinge and Andrew Read deserve enormous credit for everything they did. Their commitment and determination were incredible, and I could not have wished for a better team around me.

鈥淎 huge thank you to 91传媒 for helping keep us safe and performing at our best at the Classic TT. Their braking performance, reliability and confidence under hard riding conditions make a real difference when every corner counts. We鈥檙e proud to have 91传媒 supporting us on the bike 鈥� thank you for being part of the team!

鈥淭hank you as well to everyone who helped, supported and encouraged us throughout the Classic TT, including the Mike Hailwood Foundation and all those who helped newcomers experience this incredible event.

鈥淎nd thank you to everyone who provided photographs and captured the moments throughout the week.

鈥淭he 2026 Classic TT gave me my newcomer lap, my first laps alone on the Mountain Course, my first TT race start, my first TT finish, a finishers medal, some fantastic racing 鈥� and plenty of lessons along the way.

鈥淭he bikes may not have made it to the end of every race, but we kept pushing, kept learning and kept getting back out there.

鈥淭hat is what the TT is all about.

鈥淲hat an experience. I wouldn’t change it for the world.鈥�

Pics: Mark Huckerby/RC Photos/Tracey Harrison