Here's one to mull over. If the TT/MGP course was made more dangerous, would we take more care?

Please forgive me for playing Devils advocate here.... but has making the course smoother, safer actually compounded the problem?

Are air fences the solution? Is it possible to cover every potential danger with one?

PS I loved racing on the course, so I'm not one to judge others.

You may have a point here.When I went back to the island 35 yrs after I last raced there,apart from road surfaces not a great deal appeared to have altered,but where some alterations had occured it appear that more accidents now occur.One section which come to mind is Quarry Bends,it allways was quite quick,but now being wider and smoother it appears more dangerous than it was forty years back.Just an observation

Pete has a very good point. 40 years ago it was a lot different from 20 years ago.

The road surface was rougher and bumpier, tarmac and chippings, always melting tar on hot days and plenty of oil about from open drip feed primary chains and oil spreader exposed valve spring Manx Norton cam boxes.

The Veranda was a lot tighter with four distinctive bends, Quarrys was narrow with banks and trees from the Wildlife Park right through.

The changes up till the early 80s were immense. coupled with thin unpadded but todays standards leathers and the old cromwells, brakes that could fade to nothing by Signpost, I know all of these factors made me more cautious.

I think the queue that was always waiting for Ken Spraysons magic Welding torch was an indication of how rough the course was, blistered hands and feet were not uncommon. Of course 2 to 2.5 hour races were the norm, even the 250 was six laps so that would account a lot for riders not going like hell from the start.

Just watch some older videos and the difference the way even the top riders on works bikes set at a much more sedate pace until they settled down with a long way journey ahead, now it seems to be drop the clutch and go like hell.

I think today it is possible with the immense advances on brakes tyres and the kit worn and the hugely improved and additional safety around the course can give a false sense of well being that many push harder and harder and beyond the limit.

Now there is always cry who will be the first to lap at 120, 125, what next 130? 135? 140? there once was a maxim of many top riders that you should try to win at the slowest possible speed.

Now of course there is always the increased sponsorship and the need to satisfy the demands of those who are paying the bills.

So much that could be discussed, who knows the answer.

How much more care and attention would you take if there was a dagger sticking out of your car steering wheel instead of an air bag lurking within?

I think the point about record laps, race times etc is one that has been troubling me for a long time, and it seems particularly so in the classics. How reasonable is it to expect bikes (and riders) over 50 years old, to go faster every year. I have no problem with older riders...Dennis Gallagher could whip the ass of most younger men... but the obsession with faster and faster laps seems inappropriate.Surely the whole point is to finish first...and to do that, first you have to finish.

Taking that theory to the extreme; (and not really a genuine suggestion, but....) rather than air fences, why not put chicanes before the known danger points. These could be removed right after the races.
(Howls of horror and much wringing of hands!!!)
Drop the lap speeds to 100 at best, all use short circuit gearing and still have a good race on the Island.
Be a lot cheaper than 37.73 miles of air fencing.
I wonder if anyone has the accident vs injury stats for somehwere like Castle Coombe before and after they did this?
Forgeting tradition for a moment, would it work?

I dont think it is unreasonable for the classics to get faster, Becaquse the bikes are getting faster.

The modern classics are not 50 years old you can bye a brand new one for godsake. They have modern fully adjustable front suspension. Good rear suspension, the mmcc even allowed adjustable master cylinders this year. The frames are made of tubing far better than in the period. The bikes are lighter they're covered in carbon, magnesium and titanium. Avon and dunlop now offer continually improving tyres in a variety of softer compounds and the top teams are more professinal than ever.

Most importantly the engines are getting faster and so is the circuit!