Ok folks , the dust has settled and after months and months of debate over this years TT i would like to hear from you lot if you think all the negative vibes have been vindicated , myself after spending the race week and seeing things that have changed and the things that havnt changed , i think that the future of the TT is looking brighter than its been for years.

Its a shame about losing the 125 and 400 classes though , but are the organisers finally listening to the competitors? Or is it just not worth the effort due to the low number of entrants?

We admit to feeling the same old buzz once we were on the Island: the old faces, the old places, the booze, the bikes and the gals, they were all the same:

However, we felt that everyone had a beef of one sort or another, especially about the classes which are now eliminated from the "suggested" programme for 2005...
.We feel that there will have to be one more year of transition and then things must happen to make this fortnight a real TT again....

Some people said "why TWO sidecar races ?" since they are pulling out other classes.
Perhaps a four lapper with pitstops would be interesting ?

We are now preparing our own report about this years TT, gleaned from people as old as our esteemed leader (TTFAN with 57 visits), to TT virgins (this was their first encounter) who have no other previous TTs on which to base comparisons.
It could make an interesting report.

So yes We are keen to read of anyones feelings POST-TT, how did it all pan out for you, was it the same for you as before, or are you going to Skegness next year ??

Does anyone have any info on the petition to keep the 400/125 race being discussed/raised by the riders.

The petition was organised by David Madsen Mydals Team,and signed by many of the riders, sponsers and entrants,unfortunatley it would appear the issue is already closed and not open for disscussion ,the riders forum on thursday confirmed this ,so it looks bleak for us supporters of this great racing class .
Many of us feel the decesion is short sighted,and only brought about to give the big teams/manufactures what they want and no consideration to the smaller teams who make up the core entry of the TT,yes its sad.

Be a ****** of a wait between bikes when the grid is down to 30 and they all look and soung the same.

Oh Bu***/r me did that one have a '''power commander'''.

I could tell by the exhaust note.

Couperman

Hi Guys and Girls well isnt it funny that the powers that be drop the 125/400 from the program.
Yet if you look at the stats their were 54 finishers in the F1 TT and Also 54 Finishers in the combined 125/400 event. So what is the Rider that Wins this Years 400 cc MGP going to do if he only races 400 as he will have give up racing his 400 because their is no class for him to move to the TT proper. I think the Powers that Listen to The Riders and the manufacturers, But only to the top 5% of the Riders what about the other 95% who make up the best part of the TT Entry list. I personally this Mr Cretney & co have been very short sighted as far as the 125/400 class goes not everybody wants to lap the TT course at 125+mph. I think he will see the error of his ways in the fullness of time but then it might be to late all the best for the rest of the season Irish Ago......

I believe the loss of the 125/400 race and the bull headed attitude shown by the orginisers is the first nail in the TT's coffin.

After 97 years the event is in complete turmoile, entries returned to riders for not disclosing bike frame numbers, yet certain riders were TBA in the programme, Scrutineers that dont know one end of a bike from the other and do more talking amongst themselves than checking machines, Scrutineering bay that resembled Quantanamo bay, Black numbers on blue backgrounds were strenousley enforced in the TT regs, then replaced with white ones, Production Bikes, What are they.??? the TT scrutineers dont know, "but dose it have a unleaded filler sir"?

The races are being delayed due to reasons other than saftey, it's not that the medical helicopter can't fly, But the Duke Video Chopper can't film the racing, and traffic que's in Douglas etc.

At least 80%+ of the paddock are privateer's just a few teams supported by the manufacturers, not even Dunlop or Arai bothered to show this year..

The new reg's has made most of the current machines obsolete, so for Cretin to say the new format will save the competetors having to build special machines for the TT is complete rubbish, where are all the new 600's going to come from, and how will Tommy Cooper's team of scrutineers police them????

Will the TT survive with a entry down by 80%?
I personaly dont think the TT was a spectical this year, and as for the programm of events, its been the same for 10 years as I know it.
I for one wont be supporting the TT from now on, Daytona has a far greater attraction, and I don't have to buy the Steam Packet to get there, ...

The TT is now just a PR exersise for the TT committee and the government, Foot and mouth didn't stop the festival so why should the racing affect it...??????

Yes I do think that the organisers have shot themselves in the foot with the changes for 2005. The 'we must please the manufacturers loby' has probably caused problems for many of the privateers - how many riders are factory supported - who make up the majority of the entry?

The superbike regs for 'F1' & Senior will not allow many of the bikes currently being raced since they don't confirm to BSB regs.

600's - probably wont be affected but I like many others like to watch racing bikes ie 250's as well.

125/400 class - In my opinion this is a bad decision. 400's are the only class where a privateer can prepare & race a competetive bike againt the top riders. As for dropping 125's this is BAD - its the only class (250's & sidecars excepted) where real race bikes not modified road bikes are racing. Why have they dropped this could it be that it promoted grey import 400's and one manufacturer (Honda) where the 125's are concerned?
The production change to superstock regs is probably fair enough (less chance for cheating since it will be an equal playing field) but why only 3 laps?
At least they kept the chairs as is and reversed the stupid decision of 4 lap senior/F1.

I just hope this changes have not put the 1st nail in the TT coffin. I would like to have seen the riders views taken in to account - the TT regulars in the privateer ranks since they make little or nothing from the TT but support it every year as well as the top aces.