The Isle of Man Classic TT returns from 16-28 August, promising to be bigger and better than ever. The event came back after a five-year hiatus in 2025 and, after a relatively soft relaunch last year, it’s now combining with the Manx Grand Prix to deliver a 13-day programme for road racing fans.
Why’s it such a big deal? Here are 10 reasons why we’re getting excited…
The top names are racing
Sure there are some parades where big names from the past will sign autographs and ride around the iconic TT course, but the races themselves are far from glorified parades.
All the top racers from the modern day TT races are in attendance, meaning you can see Michael Dunlop, Dean Harrison, Davey Todd, Peter Hickman and John McGuinness heading down Glencrutchery Road at full gas. Indeed almost all of the seeded riders from the TT will be getting their fix of the iconic Mountain course. You don’t get many chances to put laps in around this iconic course, so they always make the most of them.
The length of the event and its more relaxed nature mean it’s a great event if you want to hang out in the paddock and maybe meet some of the top riders.
While TT GOAT Dunlop is racing in pretty much every class, most of the others are only entering one or two races, meaning they’ll be out there doing meet and greets and pretty much just enjoying the festival like the rest of us.
Riders, mechanics and owners are often happy to chat, after all it’s a festival as much for them as it is the fans, and it's common to find priceless machinery sitting with bodywork removed while restorers and engineers will happily stick the kettle on and tell you proudly about their bikes. This is the ultimate workout for these iconic bikes, and their custodians are always incredibly proud to play their part in keeping the legends alive.
Welcome back to 600s and 125s
There will be even more racing at this year’s Classic TT, with a new class for 600cc supersport bikes likely to prove super competitive. The Junior 600 Classic TT will resonate with many fans and features 600cc ‘pre-injection’ supersport bikes, like the Honda CBR600F, Kawasaki ZX-6R, Suzuki GSX-R600 SRADs and first-generation Yamaha YZF-R6s, we rode in the late 1990s and early 2000s. With plenty of bikes around, we expect it to be a hotly contested class and a welcome addition to the programme.
Two-stroke fans will also get an additional buzz as 125cc Grand Prix bikes will be back on the island. The Ultra-Lightweight TT will see the screaming 125s competing with 400cc four-stroke production bikes and will be run alongside the Lightweight TT, which this year will be exclusively for 250cc Grand Prix two-strokes.
The Norton rotary returns
One of the most anticipated sights and sounds will be provided by Peter Hickman and the iconic the Norton Rotary. The 14-time TT winner will race the WizNorton machine on which Michael Dunlop set a 123.505mph lap at last year’s event. The bike is a Classic TT regular and pays homage to Steve Hislop’s legendary 1992 Senior TT win on the Norton ‘White Charger’. The distinctive shriek of the rotary engine echoing across Bray Hill and through the Sulby Straight is guaranteed to draw huge crowds – just make sure you’re part of it!
Ben Birchall goes solo
After years of success in sidecars, 14-time TT winner and multiple world champion on three wheels Ben Birchall will be racing solo, making one of the most intriguing storylines of the meeting. Is it a one-off, or could we be seeing the start of a new career for the sidecar legend?
While his full programme is not yet known, we do know he’ll be riding a 350cc Honda for Ruthless Racing in the Historic Classic Junior TT. It should be an emotional event for the Ruthless Racing team, whose rider Alan Oversby died in a racing accident at the Pre-TT classic races earlier this year.
Celebrating John McGuinness
Perhaps the most emotional moment of the festival will come when 23-time TT winner John McGuinness rounds out the event with a ceremonial closing lap. The theme of this year’s event is based around ‘McPint’s’ 30-year racing career, with an exhibition containing some of the 23-time TT-winner’s bikes and memorabilia providing a fitting tribute throughout the race week. The 54-year-old, a multiple winner at the Classic TT too, will be racing in the two Historic Classic TTs, where he’ll be among the favourites for a podium, if not the win.
Red Devils dropping in
The world-famous Red Devils Army Parachute Display Team will be descending on the island with an amazing aerial display over Douglas Bay on Thursday 27 August.
Formed in 1964 and made up of serving soldiers from the Parachute Regiment, the Red Devils will drop in from heights of up to 10,000 feet (that’s around three kilometres, or almost two miles) at 19:30, demonstrating pinpoint landings and a spectacular display.
Rare motorcycles you'll probably never see in anger anywhere else
It’s not that difficult to see classic bikes at shows throughout the summer. You can hear them fired up at events like our favourite Stafford shows, or being run up the hill at the Goodwood Festival of Speed. You can even find clubs running amateur races from time to time, and at the Goodwood Revival meetings too.
But there’s nowhere else where you can see such exclusive bikes being run at such high speed by such talented riders. This is no parade. Although the bikes remain true to their era, advances to tyre technology in particular mean today’s riders are going quicker on these classics than they did in their heyday.
Want proof? Dunlop went quicker on the Norton Rotary than Hizzy ever did, while the outright lap record for a 250cc Grand Prix bike was set at the 2017 Lightweight Classic TT – when Bruce Anstey became the first ever rider to break the 120mph average on a Honda RS250. Previously the ‘official’ lap record had been set in 1999, when John McGuinness averaged 118.29mph. There are a lot of very expensive bikes on track, but they still get ridden to the maximum. Whether they’re classic MV Agustas, Manx Nortons or more modern stuff like Honda RC30s and RC45s, they’re absolutely not hanging around!
The Mountain Course without May and June's crowds
We’ve mentioned it before, but it bears mentioning again. One of the biggest attractions is simply the atmosphere. Popular viewpoints such as Ballaugh Bridge, Guthrie's Memorial, the Bungalow and Creg-ny-Baa are generally much easier to access than during the main TT, giving spectators more freedom to move around and enjoy multiple vantage points. We reckon the Classic is one of the TT’s best kept secrets. Sure it’s still busy, but definitely more chilled and easier to get around than you’d find at the TT. And, if you’re taking your bike, you’ll be able to ride the famous course with the Mountain section closed to two-way traffic.
The Manx Grand Prix
Now this, we think, it one of the big appeals. Part of the rejigging of the festival is to integrate the Classic TT and Manx Grand Prix as one event.
The Manx is essentially the amateur version of the TT. It's where tomorrow's TT stars cut their teeth, so you'll be watching newcomers and privateers tackling the Mountain Course while established names compete in the Classic TT races. After a week of practice, the four Manx Grand Prix races take place on Saturday 22 August and Monday 24 August, before handing over to the classic boys and girls for their six-race programme.
All the content!
Even if you’re not heading to the island yourself, there’s still plenty of content to consume. TT+ will cover the event with round ups and features, while highlights programmes historically air on ITV4.
There will be plenty of opportunity to follow the action through social media, including Carole Nash’s channels. We’ll be on site to bring you the best of the Manx and the Classic, with plenty of behind the scenes coverage and articles to bring you even closer to the action.
Photos: Isle of Man TT Races
