Table of contents
- Isle of Man – Manx Grand Prix and Classic TT 2014 In Schorsch Meier’s footsteps
- Schorsch Meier first senior TT winner with a foreign machine
- 1939–2014: no easy anniversary
- Fog and clammy coolness creep through the mountains
- “All generosity and friendliness”
- “An Eye on the Ladies”
- Festival of Jurby in the north of the island
- Positive thinking doesn’t help against bad weather
- On the fifth day we can finally start
- Mission accomplished – drove a lap
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During the technical acceptance: Wolfgang in front with the supercharged BMW, next to Sebastian with the R 63, in the back the R 51 SS – all “beautifully prepared”.
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Richard, Maria, Eliza, Sebastian, Liane, Wolfgang and the author (from right) at the Karl Gall memorial just behind the Ballaugh Bridge.
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The welcoming culture on the island has been cultivated for so long that it looks almost natural. After all, TT tourism is an important source of income.
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… and jumping in a passage that can no longer be precisely identified. The photo shows the BMW without a friction damper on the rear suspension, but they were retrofitted during the 1939 season.
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Schorsch Meier at Quarter Bridge …
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The historic BMWs can be seen here at Douglas Head in front of a spectacular view, but rather belong where the blue cloud of smoke rises in the background.
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Wolfgang Meier (# 49) and I practice sliding starts. In 1939, the drivers started individually at 20-second intervals.
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Motorcycles are deeply rooted in British culture. And the old BMWs have numerous fans among the British.
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When the weather is nice at the airfield in Jurby: After some initial complaint, the R 51 runs and the Avons stick to their feet. The spectators have fun too.
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Schorsch Meier not only won the Senior TT in 1939, he also dominated all training sessions …
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The winning pose may be a little exaggerated. But the BMW trio was happy to have completed one lap after a long preparation period.
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On Tuesday morning the weather was bright, the cancellation was canceled and Wolfgang can finally get out on the track with his uncle’s roaring BMW.
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To combat frustration, Wolfgang and Sebastian let the compressor machine warm up and thus attract a large number of viewers and film teams.
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Monday morning: The organizer has moved the lap of honor from 2 p.m. to 10 a.m., causing a lot of excitement. Shortly afterwards, however, he cancels it.
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Schneider at Creg-ny-Baa in the footsteps of Schorsch Meier: The old man was faster in his day.
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… “Meier seems to regard the top row of the display board as his property,” wrote the English press.
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Motorsport
Isle of Man – Manx Grand Prix and Classic TT 2014
Isle of Man – Manx Grand Prix and Classic TT 2014
In Schorsch Meier’s footsteps
A trip to the Isle of Man is always like an expedition. Especially when it comes to driving a lap of honor around the Mountain Course in pre-war BMWs. Because on the island it can take a while for the weather, route and technology to match.
Ralf Schneider
23/10/2014
It’s my first visit to the Isle of Man. And no sooner have I stepped in than she sweeps aside all the angelic scenes and narrations that should prepare me for her. The experiences of others do not help if the stream of personal impressions hits you with full force. Left-hand traffic, Fairy Bridge, fish and chips and Guinness, as John Mc or by the glass. The panorama from Douglas Head, the east coast road, the spectator area at the foot of May Hill in Ramsey.
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A free training session for the Manx Grand Prix and the Classic TT presents me with the complete program of historical and modern racing motorcycles in a frenzied elevator of images, sounds and smells. A lot of material in a few hours. On the first night, the sea air lets me sleep like a happy baby, but even before I use the mobile phone alarm, I take May Hill a dozen times between dreaming and waking. It is important to avoid as many of the bumps as possible, which crumple the rear suspension of the racing motorcycles with malicious intensity. Why am I here again? It is best to tell in sequence.
Schorsch Meier first senior TT winner with a foreign machine
As an “embedded journalist” I am allowed to accompany a BMW delegation to the Classic TT. 75 years ago Schorsch Meier was the first foreigner to win the Senior TT with a foreign machine, and for the anniversary his nephew Wolfgang Meier is set to drive the Lap of Honor with his uncle’s supercharged BMW. So that he is not so alone on the almost 60 kilometers of the Mountain Course, Sebastian Gutsch and I go out on the track with him. Sebastian, a lawyer in his main profession, but also an expert on older BMWs and BMW history, is the soul of this mission. BMW finances the trip and the stand with the old racing machines in the paddock, especially since Michael Dunlop won this year’s senior on an S 1000 RR and is delivering his motorcycle.
But the contacts to BMW collectors, the access to spare parts, the knowledge of the caprices of the old technology and numerous historical details contribute to Sebastian. In rare abundance and depth. He found out that Schorsch Meier’s winning TT in 1939 was driven by a Brit named Tim Reid. On an R 51 SS, an early production racer, as it were, which BMW derived from the series in 1938, tuned it gently and sold it to private drivers. Tim Reid completed a respectable first lap, but then fell behind Keppel Gate in the mountains because he had to avoid a spectator who was walking around the track. Reid sustained a broken arm. I’m allowed to drive the Lap of Honor in an R 51 like the one he had – and hopefully I’ll be better off than him.
1939–2014: no easy anniversary
We are celebrating a difficult anniversary anyway. Just look at BMW’s one-two victory in 1939 – Meier’s team-mate Jock West finished second at the time – and ignore what happened before that and what began two and a half months later, that’s not possible. Because the races were by no means apolitical at the time. After all, like other German motorcycle manufacturers, BMW received subsidies from the Nazi government for the development of racing machines. Between 1933 and 1939, 320,000 Reichsmarks flowed into the Bavarian account; this amount roughly corresponded to today’s purchasing power of 1.2 million euros. The historian Frank Steinbeck has calculated that around a quarter of the development costs were contributed by the state, a figure that is more meaningful than a comparison of purchasing power. In addition, there was additional funding for the expensive expeditions to the Tourist Trophy.
So I ask many of the older Brits or Manxmen who come to the BMW stand what memories of that last TT before the start of World War II were passed down in their families. Most of them are in a nostalgic mood, are looking for a conversation to bring their motorcycle knowledge to the man and say sentences like: “It was a crazy time back then, luckily it is over.” The best answer is given by an elderly native of the island : “People from so many countries meet here. They all love motorcycles and discover many other things in common. That was the case before 1939 and has remained so to this day. So don’t worry, my boy, it’s good that you are here. “
DVD with Guy Martin “Isle of Man – TT – Hard at the limit”
Isle of Man action team motorcycle tour to TT 2015
Fog and clammy coolness creep through the mountains
It is also good that we can explore the route with today’s motorbikes. The weather behaves less well. Early in the morning three quarters of the Mountain Course are wet, fog creeps through the mountains and the cold is damp. After all, it’s almost dry in the evening. Shortly after the Ballaugh Bridge we interrupt the third tour of the day and lay a wreath on the bronze relief in memory of Karl Gall. He was the third driver in the BMW works team at the time, but had an accident in the first practice session because he overtook another driver on the left when approaching the bridge and was heading far too sharply towards the jumping hill. At the last moment he must have noticed his mistake, turned sharply to the left and fell when his machine took off in an inclined position on the bridge. Eleven days later, Karl Gall died of his head injuries at the Ramsey clinic. His fate is also part of the commemoration.
It is consoling that today it is another British-German encounter: At our meeting in honor of Karl Gall, I get to know the owner of “my” motorcycle. His name is Richard Wyldes, he is a collector, motorcyclist, tax advisor and car dealer. And fascinated by German vehicle technology, especially when it was put on wheels by BMW. Before we met, before he even saw his R 51 SS, he gave me a huge leap of faith.
“All generosity and friendliness”
I was allowed to ride his motorcycle in a preliminary test; he was only allowed to pay the purchase price and the bills for the repair of the minor and major weaknesses that Sebastian, the racing mechanic John Bostin and I had discovered. My fluent English briefly fails when I try to thank him for it. But Richard and his charming partner Eliza are “all generosity and friendliness”, generosity and friendliness itself.
At this point I must ask readers not to consider myself naive. I understand that under different circumstances all those lovely people might get on my nerves as much as I do them. I am also under no illusions about the hospitality that is cultivated on the Isle of Man. Last but not least, it also arises from economic interests – the islanders draw a good part of their income from TT tourism. But the welcoming culture there has been practiced for so long that it almost seems natural and the visitors are downright infected. Everyone is trying hard not to spoil the party – and that works pretty well.
“An Eye on the Ladies”
Obviously, the island government also has the ability to fill important posts with impressive characters. The technical inspector is calm and friendly, but does not change his face as long as he is sliding on knee pads and examines engines and transmissions for oil leaks or inspects the nipples of brake cables. The R 51 is the last of the three BMWs he checks, and it is only when he sticks the approval sticker on its license plate that he grins and releases the tension. “Beautifully prepared,” he praises. John smiles.
Shortly afterwards, race director Phil Taubman tells about Schorsch Meier’s last visit to the island. That was in 1989, on the 50th anniversary of his victory. A friend of his mother’s had come very close to the German in 39, and he introduced her to him again 50 years later. “She had the time of her life,” he says. And adds: “Meier had quite an eye on the ladies.” Of course, he is talking about 1939. When the three drivers line up for the briefing, he gets serious. “Ride as you want, but take care of yourself and the others. I don’t want anything to happen. We already had a fatal accident this week. “
Then he explains the situation to us: At the scheduled date for the lap of honor early Monday afternoon, the airport in Castletown had forecast bad weather. “When there’s fog in the mountains and the helicopters can’t fly, I don’t start training or races. Also no lap of honor. ”If the worst comes to the worst, could it be postponed to Tuesday? “Looks bad. On Tuesday I can only close the track from three to six o’clock, that’s when the races come first. Remember, to close the course, I need 500 marshals, because you can’t just change the schedule. So keep your fingers crossed and be good. “
Festival of Jurby in the north of the island
Right now it’s Sunday and the sun is shining. At seven in the morning, Wolfgang Meier and I simulated sliding starts for the photo in front of the historic leaderboard, the large display board at the start and finish, then staged the motorcycles up at Douglas Head against the backdrop of the city and harbor. Then the technical acceptance and the instruction by Mister Taubman with the weather report. His pessimistic prediction increases the desire to have driven the valuable scrap material at least once here on the island. Don’t go home without it. Meanwhile, the Festival of Jurby takes place in the north of the island, a real motorcycle party, as you can hear. On the airfield course there, parade laps are also driven to see if you can take part?
We take a look, the R 51 is already in the trailer anyway. Sebastian drives there with an S 1000 R and immediately turns back when he realizes what a huge boom is going on there. He fetches the 1928 R 63 from Douglas, which he took with him for the Lap of Honor. By axis, there is no other option. In principle, the R 63 is street legal, but in its current condition it looks a little relieved. About such trivialities as lighting or license plates. But the policemen on the island are no longer surprised about anything when it comes to motorcycles, and so he arrives in Jurby unmolested.
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Motorcycles are deeply rooted in British culture. And the old BMWs have numerous fans among the British.
In the meantime Richard dragged me from pillar to post to secure a start for us. He absolutely wants to see his motorcycle in action and presses us into the starting field of the “TT Legends”. The drivers are meant. One of the marshals asks me ironically: “And what kind of TT legend are you?” But this time my English is keeping up with my quick wittedness. “My bike is the legend.” That comes across convincingly, he laughs and gives me the golden sticker for the legends starter group. Old racing bikes can be moody. During the last test drive, the R 51 worked flawlessly, now it rioted at the pre-start at 3500 rpm while idling. The carburettors have no idle system at all; when the valves are closed, the engine should actually stop. Every time you accelerate, the slides pop hard on their stops, but the speed does not decrease. The cause cannot be found out in a hurry, so I go out on the track in readiness to brake with the short-circuit button in front of the bends if necessary. It won’t be necessary.
It’s always nice to see how much tension you lose when you finally get down to driving. Concentrated, I knead the brand new Avon racing tires warm. You immediately instill confidence, but the chassis urges prudence. Above all, the undamped hindquarters with the tight suspension travel leads to reactions that cannot be assessed straight away. Harmless wobble or worse? I prefer to feel my way carefully to the correct answer. The agitation in the steering after the quick left bend in the back straight increases a few times in the direction of the handlebars until a driving line with fewer bumps is found. Still, I can’t keep TT legend Carl Fogarty behind me on a Ducati Panigale, but I hang on to the driver of an air-cooled two-stroke Kawasaki until he waves me past, slightly annoyed. Why not now? The precious time on the route goes by far too quickly; with more training, the really excellent grip of the Avons would be even better exploited.
Positive thinking doesn’t help against bad weather
The next morning there is a hangover mood. The weather is as bad as Phil Taubman prophesied. But as if he wanted to wake us up with an adrenaline injection, he announced at around 9 a.m. that the lap of honor had been brought forward to 10 a.m. Everything gets going. Check tire pressure, mix gasoline-oil mixture in a ratio of one to 50 – the compressor of the Meier-BMW is lubricated like a two-stroke engine. Where is the clear Pinlock visor, who saw my gloves, can I also have the fuel funnel, is the battery already connected, do you really want to drive the steering damper fully open? At 9.15 am, race director Taubman lets the air out of all the hustle and bustle: the lap of honor has been canceled. Not postponed, canceled. Sebastian combats emerging depression by warming up the compressor machine in front of the stand. He does this in alternation with the RS 54, which is also present, every hour from then on, and the mighty roar of undamped exhausts causes a crowd every time.
In contrast, the race management, tourism ministers, police and whoever else has something to say on the island are negotiating in silence. Perhaps there will be a way to start the races and the lap of honor after all. We have planned a reserve day as a precaution. In the evening we are so confident that we do another wet sightseeing tour. That only helps to a limited extent, because many passages of the Mountain Course look different in the race trim than in public transport. Sure, you have to drive off it as often as possible. But you can learn individual striking spots faster if you look at them from the outside during training and races. And preferably always in the direction of the race and from a point as close as possible to the braking and turning points. Then you can see pretty much what the drivers are seeing and can recognize the image later. Of course, this procedure does not replace precise knowledge of the correct route. But this can only be acquired through a lot of training; a lap of honor is not even a drop in the ocean.
On the fifth day we can finally start
During the wet Monday it was decided to close the route to traffic from Tuesday morning. So there is enough time, and around two o’clock in the afternoon in bright sunshine we are sent on the lap of honor after all – out of an inferno of exhaust noise and exhaust gases. Sebastian has won Mike Farall as a traveling cameraman, who drives us in front of us with a gopro on his Rudge. Unfortunately, Mike loaned his fast 500 to a TT legend, so the camera vehicle used is a street-legal 250 rudge. The little one turns the piston out of the engine, but we need a maximum of two thirds of the throttle to follow her. Again and again I drive just behind or next to Wolfgang Meier and hear how the supercharged BMW spits and scoffs. If he doesn’t accelerate and drive away soon, he’ll be lying there with oily candles; his engine is running a bit rich anyway.
As if he had read my mind, he walks past Ballaugh Bridge, pulls from right to left in the direction of the jump hill and gives a short gas blow on the crest. He leaps over the bridge, but probably no one took any photos there. I know what I owe the winning machine and myself, and I hit the R 51 when I take off. That’s only enough for a short hop, so I’ll be back on the gas sooner. As the last of the three BMW drivers, I overtake the Rudge and the slow-moving Sebastian, who is filming forward and waiting for me. But here of all places I get into trouble with a former world champion – I don’t want to mention his name. His motorcycle runs faster on the straights than the R 51, but wherever there is a bend, it drives such unpredictable lines that I need all the way to the Ramsey Hairpin to safely overtake him. Before that, I had to drop back to take May Hill, as I learned in a dream. That worked out well, it also worked on the Gooseneck.
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When approaching the Signpost Corner, the BMW turns over 8000 rpm.
Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to offer the clean ride that I would have liked to show at every spectator hotspot. In the mountains, this was mainly due to a lack of knowledge of the route. Sometimes also on the pitfalls of technology. At the bungalow I shift down into third gear and engage the clutch. The gear is also in there, but just as I apply the gas I hit a bump in the ground and it puts me in intermediate idle. Maybe I accidentally touched the gear lever, it could be. I cautiously latch the fourth back on and creep out of the curve at low speed. Sorry.
But I won’t apologize for my biggest faux pas, because it didn’t harm anyone and gave a lot of people a lot of fun. When approaching the Signpost Corner, the BMW turns over 8000 rpm. A great feeling because the old engine literally craves more speed in this area. In the euphoria, I realize where we are a tad too late and rush straight ahead across the roundabout into the emergency exit with the brake levers pulled through, have to shift down two gears, turn around and return to the track to the cheers of the spectators.
Mission accomplished – drove a lap
Wolfgang and Sebastian are waiting at the destination. In the mountains they drove up and away from me, but to save my honor I may add that the R 63 was brought to awe-inspiring and proven 75 hp by its owner Karl Schwab. A rider like Sebastian on such a motorcycle is unstoppable. The compressor machine goes like hell anyway, if it’s allowed to run, and Wolfgang knows how to handle it. We are kindly cheered by press spokeswoman Liane Drews and Maria Hanke, who organized everything, as if we had won the Senior TT again. We only drove one lap. Albeit with a four and a half days approach.
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