2026 Isle Of Man TT Qualifying

TTFan 2019

Coverage of the 2026 Isle Of Man TT qualifying.  Course Guide - 08:30  Sportbike Info - 11:34  Sportbike Qualifying - 14:31  Michael Dunlop Interview - 17:57  Supersport Info - 20:35  Supersport Qualifying - 21:57  Sidecar Info - 25:05  John McGuiness - 30:25  Superbike Info - 32:26  Superbike Qualifying - 34:32  Dean Harrison Interview - 37:11  Superstock Info - 39:38  Superstock Qualifying - 41:30

Transcript

00:00We regret to inform you that 33-year-old Daniel Ingham from Melton Mowbray

00:06was fatally injured in an incident during qualifying at the TT on Wednesday.

00:12We extend their heartfelt condolences to his family, loved ones and friends.

00:58We'll see you next time.

01:25We'll see you next time.

01:30But before we do that, let's take a look at how it all played out last year.

01:36And finally we're away for TT25.

01:39Can you know what this is like?

01:41First race of the week.

01:42Absolutely there's no easy to put on the superbike.

01:45Ah, this machine's on course.

01:47There is nothing like this place.

01:52Here comes Davey Todd.

01:54Tucks down behind the bearing now over the start-finish line.

01:57And he's done it.

01:58Todd takes his 13 team.

02:05Oh, they get a standing lap record.

02:07It's a 121, 121 miles an hour for the Crow brothers.

02:10And they take the winning sidecar race one.

02:14It's been 30 years since Ducati took a win here.

02:18And Michael Donald's going to take his 30th victory at the TT.

02:232015 was the last time in an official Team Honda entry won a TT.

02:29Dean Harrison, who now resides on this fantastic island, takes his fourth TT win and his first since 2019.

02:46Dunlop comes through to take an incredible 31st TT with his second win of the week.

02:53TT number 32.

02:56He's into his stride now.

03:00Been a brilliant performance.

03:02No mistakes from this man.

03:03Harrison cranks the factory Honda over to the right-hand side.

03:07The fans are going mad as he comes down the finish straight here.

03:09And he does the double in the super top class.

03:15It is a second sidecar TT win here for the Crow brothers.

03:19Ryan and Callum up home on the Isle of Man.

03:29Donlop for his 33rd TT win.

03:38So a Superbike win for Davey Todd.

03:40Superstop domination for Dean Harrison and Ryan and Callum Crowe setting that new lap record.

03:45Incredible 121 miles an hour in the sidecars.

03:49And Michael Dunlop adding to his legacy too.

03:52Delighted to be joined once again by two-time TT winner Cam Donald all the way from Australia.

03:57Great to have you back with us, Cam.

03:59And yeah, Michael, first of all, picking up on him.

04:02The two super twin victories last year.

04:04Two in the super sport.

04:05But denied in the senior again.

04:07This time by the weather.

04:08You've got to think that coming here this year his focus is going to be on getting back to big

04:12bike wins again.

04:13Without a doubt.

04:14And I'm sure that was his motivation to make the announcement.

04:17The late announcement in April that he was going to try Ducati Machinery.

04:20Which being successful for him in super sport.

04:22But he was going to jump on the V4 Ducati Superbike.

04:25It's going well all around the world.

04:27He tested the bike at Alton Park.

04:29But post that test said there was some issues.

04:32And arrived at the Northwest 200 back on his usual BMW stocker Honda Superbike.

04:38So there was a question mark whether the Ducati would arrive here.

04:41But it hasn't.

04:42So yeah, his lead up has been far from a conventional one.

04:45But you know, that's what we're used to with Michael Dunlop.

04:47Yeah, well you could never rule him out.

04:48Although it's been three years now since he last won a big bike race.

04:512017, the last time he won the senior.

04:54One thing I guess in his favour.

04:56And it's a real shame for everybody else.

04:58But especially for the man himself.

04:59Davey Todd.

05:00Last year's Superbike race.

05:01Win a star boy for the last couple of years here.

05:03And out from injury.

05:04Yeah, what a shame.

05:05I mean he was doing all he could to prepare for this year's TT.

05:08Racing over in the USA at Daytona.

05:10Heavy fall.

05:11Ended up breaking both his legs.

05:12And he has worked relentlessly to try to make this year's TT.

05:17But he ran out of time.

05:18And his fitness just wasn't there.

05:20So unfortunately a huge blow for both Davey and for us as spectators.

05:24He's such an exciting rider to watch.

05:25Yeah, Davey will be back next year I'm sure.

05:28But no doubt that his absence this year.

05:29The big story coming into TT 2026.

05:33But there's been lots of other stuff going on too.

05:35Grace Webb and Lee Johnston have more.

05:43So Lee, actually there's some big milestones happening across the paddock this year.

05:48So one of them is the legend John McGuinness is celebrating 30 years since his TT debut.

05:54A career like no other.

05:56And actually he's got something quite special up his sleeve for his Superbike.

06:00So make sure you look out for that.

06:01Yeah, that's going to be really exciting.

06:03But the other big one for me is Manx resident Connor Cummins has 20 years of starting the Isle of

06:09Man TT.

06:09But someone else that you definitely wouldn't rule out, of course, Michael Dunlop.

06:13We might see his 100th start this year.

06:15Yeah, that's always going to be on the cards.

06:18The fact that he started 100 races and 100% he's going to be aiming to win two, three, possibly

06:23even more TTs this year.

06:29And talk of the legend, look who we've bumped into.

06:32John McGuinness, how you doing?

06:33Absolutely.

06:34Loving the job at the minute, yeah.

06:35Just heading for my lunch and you've commandeered me.

06:38Bikes are next door.

06:39Big number one on the Honda.

06:40So I'm so, so excited, ready to get going.

06:42With sun shining like this on the Isle of Man, there is no better place.

06:50Right, so we've had a little bit of a walk around the paddock and we're going to have a bit

06:53of a sit down now at RST

06:55because the big development this year, that airbag suits are now mandatory for every competitor at the Isle of Man

07:01TT.

07:02The TT is always pushing to make the events safer and something else that they've done as well is that

07:06the six lap races,

07:08so the super bike and senior TTs will have their own standalone day.

07:16What a day it's been so far, Lee.

07:18It's been great to see the paddock ahead of any bikes going to the course,

07:21but I guess we have to talk about the super bike race, the senior TT.

07:26That's been won the past two years by Davey Todd, but of course, he's not riding this year.

07:31So that opens the gates to a few competitors.

07:35Yeah, and I think on paper, coming in, you can't look past Dean Horace and he's probably the most consistent

07:41rider.

07:42He's looking really, really strong, but that still can't count out Megan Laugh, Peter Hickman.

07:47We're all excited to see, so I guess we can't do much more until the bikes actually go out.

07:52But for now, I think we can enjoy an ice cream. Cheers.

08:00So that's the main news coming into TT 26.

08:04Coming up, we'll have all the action from what has been a spectacular qualifying week.

08:08Steve Day caught up with the man himself, 33-time TT winner Michael Dunlop.

08:13Grace tracked down TT legend John McGuinness, still at the sharp end at the age of 54.

08:19The real star of the TT, though, is the mountain course itself.

08:2337 and three-quarter miles of some of the most challenging and beautiful roads on the planet.

08:28Few men and women know what it's like to master it, but one of those is Cam Donald.

08:34Let's take a look at this incredible course from the onboard view,

08:38along with Josh Brooks on the Dow Racing Honda, heading off through Sector 1.

08:45Coming down over St. Minion Crossroads and clean airborne off the hump in the road

08:49before heading down Bray Hill.

08:51A steeper dip than you could ever imagine, doesn't show it on camera,

08:55bottoming out before launching off Aggo's Lake.

08:59Sector 2 on the course only gets more technical as we wind our way around

09:03through countless turns and changes of elevation.

09:08End of Cronkovati straight.

09:10We're in excess of 180 miles per hour here on a superbike.

09:14Blind entry to a tight right turn before dropping down towards the 11th milestone.

09:22Sector 3, Belaf Bridge to Ramsey Hairpin, and we're well into the lap now,

09:26but there's no time to rest as every section of this course throws challenges at the rider.

09:32Over the Belaf Bridge, Humpback Bridge, landing hard before fighting the bike right to left,

09:38trying to change direction with all the while building speed,

09:41holding the throttle open and that fire-breathing machine.

09:46Sector 4, Ramsey Hairpin to the bungalow.

09:48We're now climbing up onto the mountain course,

09:51and you may as well be on a different planet because the scenery is so different through this section.

09:56There's a lot less reference points for the riders to gauge where they are,

10:00and of course the speeds are only higher as the road opens up,

10:03climbing the mountain, chasing those tell-tale black lines that have been left from the competitors before you.

10:10Sector 5, Bungalow to Cronkney Mona.

10:12Now we're riding high as we head across the mountain before working our way back down on the run towards

10:18home.

10:20You can see the ocean in the backdrop behind the Craig Navar pub,

10:23but there's no time for sightseeing as you break hard from high speed back to the slow right-hand turn,

10:29beautiful smooth bitumen taken short circuit style.

10:33So that's just a few of the over 260 turns that make up this incredible course,

10:38taking the riders through an elevation change of over 1,500 feet,

10:42countless challenges, nothing else like it.

10:47The Isle of Man TT is made up of a week of qualifying and a week of racing.

10:52To qualify, solo riders must complete a minimum of five laps,

10:55and the sidecars have to have done three.

10:58Solo riders riding in multiple classes need to complete two laps on each bike,

11:02which makes for a busy week for them,

11:04especially if they're competing in all four.

11:07Super Sport, Superstock, Superbike,

11:09and new for this year, Sportbike.

11:12Lee Johnston has been taking a look.

11:34Sportbike class, the most talked about class right now because of rule change.

11:39We've come down here to look at this previously known Super Twin,

11:43which is what the class was called,

11:44to try and explain why it's changing and the cost of that.

11:53The biggest reason is cost.

11:55We're in here at Peter Hickman's own,

11:56and look at this beautiful Yamaha R7 Swan bike.

12:00I'm going to try and run through some of the parts on this bike

12:03and why it is so expensive.

12:05First of all, the outside of the bike, Moto2 bodywork.

12:09Price, I'm going to say upwards, £1,500 to £2,000.

12:13Moto2 Mudguard, £500.

12:16Superbike forks, £10,000 to £12,000.

12:19Superbike brakes, £6,000.

12:22Di-Mag wheels, £2,000.

12:26Hand-built tank.

12:29Guestimation, £2,000 to £3,000.

12:31Hand-built radiator, oil cooler, £1,500.

12:36And this beautiful hand-built, probably one-off exhaust by Sean Reid.

12:41I'm not even going to guess at the price for that.

12:43But this is the reason that this class has come to where it is now.

12:48It is too expensive for teams and riders to compete right at the front.

12:52And that's the reason that the sport bike is going to be moving into what we're going to look at

12:57right now.

13:04The super twin bike we have just looked at is in excess of £60,000.

13:09We are now going to have a look at the sport bike option,

13:12which is more in the region of £20,000 to £25,000.

13:15It is not possible for teams and riders to be spending that much money on bikes going forward.

13:22So the organisers have deemed that this is the future.

13:27I'm going to show you around some of the parts which makes the cost a lot cheaper

13:31and hopefully makes it more accessible for teams and riders to get into this class.

13:36Front of the bike, standard forks, standard wheels.

13:40The engine is a lot more standard.

13:42The frame is standard.

13:44Swing arm is standard.

13:46It's got an exhaust system.

13:48The tank is slightly modified for the TT, but that is just for mileage.

13:53But all in all, the bike is a lot more standard with controlled electronics.

13:57Everybody's going to have the same.

13:58The outcome of this is going to make for closer, more accessible racing for more teams, more riders.

14:04And that's what the future of sports bike is going to look like for the Ironman TT.

14:15So that's the bikes. Let's see how they got on in qualifying with Andrew Coley.

14:31Conditions were once more perfect for the first qualifying of TT 2026.

14:35With a raft of new machinery eligible for the sport bike TT,

14:40much attention was paid to how well they would stack up against the established super twin brands.

14:45The best of the sport bikes was Dominic Herbertson, who finished the session in eighth place

14:50aboard his KTS Racing Triumph Daytona's 660.

14:53No, the lads have done a fantastic job.

14:55Well, mainly Kevin here, the owner of KTS Racing.

14:58Like, for the first time ever, they've actually pushed me to the front.

15:00And it's great, you know, you've got Kev, though.

15:02Go get your finger up and see what happens.

15:04And a bit of a confidence boost where no one's actually passing you.

15:07The likeable Geordie's best of 116.4 mph, nearly four away from the fastest in qualifying one.

15:15And that honour would go to Paul Jordan from Northern Ireland,

15:18the only sport bike rider to break the 120 mph mark.

15:22The smiley Ulsterman was on top of the pile in qualifying one.

15:26Next best was Jamie Coward, a Yorkshire rider riding for a Yorkshire team, Malenko by Paget Patton.

15:34It will be a second place and a best lap speed of 119.1 mph on the opening night at

15:40qualifying.

15:42And in third, Cork's Mike Brown.

15:45Aboard the Melbrae-Laycock Racing Patton, the Irishman's best of 119.0 mph was less than a second slower than

15:53Coward.

15:54The second day of qualifying for the 2026 Isle of Man TT races would consist of a pair of sessions.

16:01One under the blistering heat of practice week's glorious weather, followed by evening running with a cooling track.

16:08Having focused on other classes on day one, Michael Dunlop took to his pattern for the first session of day

16:14two.

16:15Just one lap sufficed for the Northern Irishman to launch his way to the top of the standings.

16:20This year, the number one plate in Sportbike TT goes to Mike Brown.

16:25He'd reached third place in the opening night of qualifying, but improved on that time on day two, breaking the

16:31121 mph barrier, only the second rider to do so.

16:36Equally building pace as we approach race week, Jordan.

16:40Having led the first qualifying session, he pushed his benchmark on day two to a 120.475 mph lap, enough

16:48to secure third in the standings.

16:52Friday, a 0.2 mph improvement wasn't enough for Jordan to remain in the top three, as Hickman and Brown

16:58both went faster.

17:00Dunlop on top of the pile with a 123.5 mph lap.

17:04So, a new category for 2026, but Michael Dunlop and the pattern still very much the combination to beat.

17:11After the break, we'll be catching up with the TT legend.

17:30Welcome back to the Isle of Man, where last year's TT races saw Michael Dunlop move clear of his uncle

17:35Joey from 29 wins to 33.

17:38A new all-time record arriving here for 2026.

17:42He's looking to cement that legacy even further and redress the misfortune that he's suffered on the big bikes over

17:48the last couple of years.

17:50Dunlop for his 33rd TT win.

17:57Michael, this is the first chance that we've had to speak to you since you added four to the tally

18:02from last year to make it 33.

18:04Would you have thought this was possible when you picked up your first TT win in 2009?

18:09Probably I wouldn't have really cared.

18:11It was more every year we just wanted to try and be as successful as we possibly could.

18:15We never thought about a tally or a, you know, my always goal was at one point in my life

18:20was to be the greatest TT rider of all time.

18:22That was always my goal.

18:23So, obviously the goal was obviously beat the 26th record or be the first person to beat it and that

18:28was always my goal.

18:29We know initially that you were supposed to be riding the Ducati for this year's TT, but that's changed.

18:34You're now out there on the Honda. Has that affected preparation in any way?

18:38We've had zero miles with the Suter bike, which is, it's just the way it is obviously.

18:46It hasn't helped, that's for sure, but nothing we could do about it.

18:49So, that's going to be a big hill to climb basically.

18:56Last year you managed four in a week. To make it five this year, which would be amazing, you would

19:00need a win on a big bike.

19:02Looking at them at the moment, which of the two do you feel like you have the strongest chance?

19:06There's no reason why I shouldn't be good in any of them.

19:1023, we won a Suter bike race. 24, we should have won a Suter bike race. Visor had detached itself.

19:19Absolute nightmare stopping on one of the fastest parts of the track here.

19:23Michael Dunlop is hemorrhaging time.

19:27It's easy saying you had it won because we obviously didn't, but you know, so we're competitive, that's for sure.

19:36Final question, Michael. We come into this year's TT, 33 TT wins, and we expect that number to climb.

19:43You're in the peak of your powers at the moment.

19:45You mentioned 26 was a target, but are there any more?

19:49No, listen, the main thing is I feel like I'm riding well enough.

19:54The bikes are all in a good place, hopefully.

19:56And, you know, just be competitive, not just come here because I've got s**t all else to do.

20:01You know, I want to be here, I want to be fast, and I want to, you know, put as

20:04much into it as I can.

20:05And there's not anything on my mind other than I would like to win races.

20:08That's what I like to do.

20:09All being well, we can push as hard as we can.

20:12Thank you for your time. Good luck this week.

20:16So, Michael, looking to build on those 33 wins then, which includes eight on the bounce in Supersport,

20:21a class that, with regulation changes, has opened up to a variety of manufacturers over the last couple of years.

20:27Here's Lee with more.

20:36Supersport racing. If you want close action, this is where it's at.

20:52In years gone by, Supersport has always been 600cc engines. That is not the case right now.

20:59With next generation rules, different manufacturers have now been allowed into the class.

21:04One of them is this beautiful 765 Triumph we are looking at.

21:08There's all the multiple manufacturers that previously wouldn't be allowed to run in the class,

21:12such as the Suzuki GSXR 750, the Yamaha R9, and the Ducati V2.

21:29All this adds up to really close racing, which is great to watch.

21:37This bike is capable of doing upwards of 170mph and lap speeds of over 130mph around the Adamant TT.

22:02And in the Supersport class, it was all the familiar faces at the front, bar Dean Harrison.

22:07The pit limiter on his Honda got stuck on, so he had to return to the assembly area while the

22:12mechanics got to work, missing out on important track time.

22:16Of those who completed laps, it was no surprise to see Michael Dunlop at the top of the timesheets.

22:22Aiming to continue his Ducati domination in class, an average lap speed of 126.9mph would be good enough for

22:29the top spot.

22:30Next best was the ugly and co-racing Suzuki of Josh Brooks.

22:35The Aussie strong across all classes in qualifying one, and Supersport was no exception.

22:40A 124.2mph lap, good enough for second place.

22:45And in third place, Peter Hickman.

22:47Aboard his swan racing by PHR Triumph, Hickey posted a 123.5mph time, just six tenths faster than Ian Hutchinson.

22:57The second day of qualifying, Michael Dunlop displayed a statement of intent.

23:02Not only was his lap speed a shade under 130mph, but it was also only seven seconds off the outright

23:09lap record.

23:10Dunlop and Ducati, the clear favourite going into race week.

23:14Almost 20 seconds adrift, Peter Hickman was next best, aboard his swan racing by PHR Triumph.

23:21The 14-time TT winner improving to a 127.2mph effort on his second lap.

23:29I need to get my brain into gear of, like, attacking a little bit.

23:32Because sometimes, you know, it's like if you relax off too much, you end up making daft mistakes.

23:36Which happened a little bit yesterday.

23:38I'm trying to, like, almost rein myself in a little bit too much, maybe.

23:41So, today I thought I'd try and dig in a little bit more and the little 7.65 feels pretty

23:47good so far.

23:48Also bettering his time with Dean Harrison, who used the afternoon session to make up valuable missed time from the

23:54previous evening.

23:55The time difference between Harrison and Hickman after the 37 and three-quarter mile circuit was just four hundredths of

24:02a second.

24:04And after Friday's qualifying sessions, Harrison stays in third place.

24:08A slight improvement for Hickman in second, while Dunlop's 129.5mph lap remains the benchmark.

24:17So, it's looking like a wide open battle for the podium in Supersport.

24:21After the break, we'll add a third wheel and bring you up to speed with the sidecars.

24:49Welcome back to the 2026 Isle of Man TT races.

24:53Which, for this year, have seen a slight change to the regulations for the sidecars designed to bring the field

24:58a little bit closer together.

25:0014-time TT winner Tom Burchill has been taking a close look at the new outfits.

25:08The sidecar class at the TT.

25:10You don't just watch it, you feel it.

25:15Let's do a few numbers.

25:17220kg minimum weight.

25:1910-inch wide rear slick tyre.

25:213-4g in the turns.

25:26121mph lap record.

25:2827.5mm restrictor plate.

25:31But we'll get to that in a second.

25:33It's the same thing as it was before, only different.

25:37Three wheels.

25:38Two people.

25:40One goal.

25:46So let's start with the chassis.

25:48There's two major manufacturers.

25:50LCR, produced in France, and CES, produced in England.

25:54They're very similar in the construction that it's aircraft grade steel.

25:58Slight difference in geometry, but basically, sidecars across the paddock are a very similar design.

26:10The engine.

26:12600cc supersport rules.

26:14The usual big players.

26:16Yamaha, Honda, Kawasaki.

26:18The class features KTM 890 and a Triumph 675.

26:22The difference for this year is the teams have to run a 27.5mm restrictor plate.

26:28So that means each cylinder can only take in a certain amount of air.

26:33Now that's going to slow down top speeds and reduce force power.

26:42The tyres.

26:44Hoosiers, specifically designed for TT and sidecar.

26:48It's the second year that Hoosiers have supplied the class with tyres, and they hold the current lap record at

26:53121mph lap.

26:56Ten inch wide provides a massive amount of grip on this course.

27:00So that's where we see the G and the really, really high corner speeds.

27:03Look at this.

27:04Oh, look at the speed.

27:07Unreal.

27:18There was big news for the sidecars following an incident involving the Crow brothers, Ryan and Callum, on Wednesday evening.

27:24In conjunction with the event promoter, a decision was taken to suspend the sidecar class for the remainder of this

27:31year's TT.

27:32I caught up with Clark of the course, Gary Thompson, to explain.

27:39Yeah, a big decision, a sad decision.

27:41We had an incident on the Crosby League on Wednesday evening involving Ryan and Callum Crowe,

27:47which kind of mirrored the similar incident that happened last year with Pete Fowles and General Warnsley out at Red

27:54Cullen.

27:55And in both cases, the sidecars lifted, which pointed towards the aerodynamics.

28:02So, you know, it could have, fortunately, it didn't end as bad as what it could have done.

28:11Nobody was seriously, seriously injured.

28:13But in the interest of safety for competitors, officials, marshals and, of course, the general public,

28:20we've decided to suspend sidecar action at the TT this year.

28:25So, for clarity, that means there's no qualifying four, no qualifying five, no sidecar race one or two.

28:32We've suspended all activity.

28:34And once the TT's finished, we'll do a complete full review, both technically and operationally,

28:40with the sidecar teams and our technical staff, just to see what we can do to preserve the class,

28:48make it more sustainable and more resilient for the future.

28:51So it's more the nature of the incidents that have occurred rather than the number of them necessarily?

28:56Yeah, it is. Obviously, we've had the two incidents, the one on Wednesday night, the one last year,

29:02which points towards aerodynamics. We just want to take stock. It's not the place to second-guess.

29:10It's not the place to take risks. So we just want to take stock, get everybody together,

29:16have a consultation process and do what we can to preserve the class.

29:20We all want to see sidecars, so we want to preserve the class, have a consultation process,

29:26discuss what can be done and hopefully improve things for sidecars going forward.

29:34Yeah, real shame for the Crow brothers. No doubt they'll be back next year to pick up the pieces

29:38and continue to build their legacy here at the TT.

29:42Now, one man whose legendary status is already secure, of course, is John McGinnis.

29:57What was it that initially drew you to this sport?

30:01It's my dad. My dad raced. You know, we had a motorbike shop in Morecambe.

30:05So bikes were just there. There was nothing else.

30:08You know, we wouldn't go to a football match or cricket.

30:10It would always be a scramble or a road race. I suppose that's where the love affair came.

30:16Here's McGinnis. What a British championship he's having at the moment.

30:20This, though, is your winner, John McGinnis, for the Vimto team. What a ride.

30:25What's been the biggest difference between the TT that you first started and what you ride now?

30:32You know that bit? That's not changed.

30:34You know, when you put your helmet on, you look down Braille, it hasn't changed at all.

30:38You know, there's still that nervous anticipation, the excitement.

30:41You look down and you think the trees, the walls and the bumps and everything that gets thrown out here.

30:46The wind, the sun, that's exactly the same, but the paddocks changed a lot.

30:50If you were to choose an era that you look most fondly on, what would you say?

30:55You know, the late 90s were cool. The characters were different then.

31:00Whether they're better or worse, I don't know.

31:04I would like to say we had more fun.

31:08Look at this massive wheelie. John McGinnis comes over the line to take his seventh senior TT and his 23rd

31:15TT overall.

31:17What do you hope people remember about John McGinnis?

31:21I just hope that they remember that I was a good guy, a good guy, a nice guy.

31:26I always did my best. I always tried to spend as much time as I can with the fans and

31:33the people, which I always have done.

31:35Everybody's got a memory. It seems to be a good memory.

31:39And you were there.

31:39I think it's a good memory that they were there and I provided some fantastic entertainment for them.

31:44So that means a lot to me, you know.

31:48I hate the fact that I have to stop at some time. I wish I could relive it all again.

31:5854 years old now and no sign yet of slowing down. Quite the opposite, in fact.

32:03We'll show you how John got on and the rest of the boys on the Superbike when they come back

32:08from the break.

32:26Welcome back to the 2026 Isle of Man TT races. Time now then to take a look at the action

32:32from this week during qualifying.

32:34Starting off with a closer look at the bikes that will battle for supremacy in next week's senior TT, the

32:40Superbikes.

32:55This is the pinnacle class here at the Isle of Man TT. And the main reason for that is the

33:01cost and top speed.

33:03We are going to run through some of the parts on this bike that ends up to that top price

33:07being upwards of £80,000.

33:10We're going to start on the front of the motorcycle. Beautiful Ohlins Forks, £12,000.

33:16Even nicer, Nissan calipers to get that bike stopped. Upwards of £6,000.

33:22Some of the things towards the top of the bike, yokes and bottom clamp, all made in-house at Honda.

33:28Price unknown.

33:29This bike's currently running Kit Electronics, between £3,000 to £5,000.

33:34This is something that a lot of riders have chose this year rather than using the original MoTeC Electronics that's

33:40on most Superbikes right now.

33:41But we're going to go back to that fact. Running back down through the bike,

33:45really beautiful Suter rear swinging arm, up towards £15,000.

33:50Beautiful gold oil and shock, £6,000.

33:55Factory Acropovic exhaust system, upwards of £3,000.

33:58So this all ends up at a figure of £80,000.

34:02Is that really worth it?

34:04This is one of the debates in the Superbike class right now.

34:07But while these riders seem to go back and want to run Kit Electronics,

34:11it makes the bike more playable for the rider to use.

34:14And that always ends up in ultimate lap time.

34:17Because at the Isle of Man TT, the more comfortable the rider is, the more speed there is.

34:39The Honda Racing UK rider would complete two laps on his Fireblade Superbike, with a best lap of 133.9

34:47miles per hour.

34:48The fastest lap ever seen on an opening day of qualifying.

34:53The adopted matchman looking for his first Superbike win since 2018.

34:58You know, honestly, I'm comfortable doing what I'm doing.

35:00I feel like I need to, I'm rushing in a bit in a few places.

35:03I need to sort of take a step back and I'll take two forward, which I feel like I,

35:07I did a quicker standing start off my Superbike then and I felt like I was going slow.

35:11So, I just need to do a bit more of that and it'll let it come to me a little

35:14bit.

35:15Second fastest on the Superbike, the similar Fireblade of Michael Dunlop.

35:20The 33-time TT winner, returning to Honda Machinery on the big bike with a fastest time of 130.3

35:28miles per hour.

35:30Also in the 130 Club on Tuesday evening and sporting a similar Honda, Leighton Harrison.

35:36Just two seconds adrift of Dunlop, and that's been finished with an average speed of 130 miles per hour.

35:42While the returning Peter Hickman was seventh fastest, his best lap at 125.5 miles per hour.

35:51In 2026, John McGuinness celebrates 30 years at the TT.

35:56Despite his seniority, the Morecambe man still has it in him.

36:00He surpassed even his 130 mile per hour lap of the day before and jumped to second in the standings.

36:07Behind him, another veteran of the TT in Michael Dunlop.

36:11The rider sporting the number six on his Honda CBR 1000 couldn't quite match his lap time of the day

36:17before.

36:18But ahead of them both, the number 10 returns to the fore.

36:23Peter Hickman has been gathering momentum and improving his pace throughout the 2026 qualifying sessions.

36:28And finally found himself in P1 for a big bike session, placing his marker at 131.3 miles per hour.

36:37And if that wasn't enough, the evening session saw Hickey bump that into the 132s as he slowly but surely

36:43closes in on Dean Harrison's lead.

36:45And in Friday's final qualifying sessions, Hickman would improve further to a 132.7 mile an hour lap,

36:53slotting into second place behind Dean Harrison and ahead of Josh Brooks, Michael Dunlop and John McGuinness.

36:59So Dean Harrison setting the Superbike benchmark right from the first lap on the Honda Fireblade.

37:04He's in a real sweet spot at the moment in his life and in his career.

37:07He's been talking about all of that with Grace Webber.

37:15Harrison's actually extending his lead over David Toll.

37:20And he does the double in the Superstock class.

37:28Dean, let's start by looking back at 2025.

37:31Double Superstock win and a personal best lap.

37:34Would you say that TT25 was a good one?

37:37Yes.

37:38It was nice to get a few wins under the belt and then for after finishing second quite a few

37:43times on the podium, let's say.

37:44So to break the duck, get a few wins, it sort of takes the pressure off and now I can

37:48try and enjoy myself a little bit more.

37:50Fans are going mad as he comes down the finish straight here.

37:53And he does the double in the Superstock class.

37:56And how's it going so far?

37:57What are your reflections from qualifying up to now?

38:01Honestly, qualifying's going good so far.

38:02I've just been riding around, enjoying myself, doing my own thing.

38:05So I'm looking forward to Saturday to be honest, but I'm ready to sort of go racing now.

38:09Just do what I do.

38:09Keep doing my own thing.

38:10I'm in my own little world.

38:11I'm not paying attention to anybody else.

38:13I'll just keep riding my bike.

38:19We're seeing your teammate John McGuinness celebrate his 30th anniversary since his TT debut.

38:24Can you see yourself staying in the sport for many years to come?

38:29He's just committed to the cause and he loves it.

38:32Yeah.

38:32No, but I do love it.

38:33I've always said I'll keep racing as long as I'm enjoying myself.

38:35Yeah.

38:35Honestly, I'm enjoying myself.

38:37So as long as this continues, I will continue doing what I'm doing.

38:53Let's go.

38:59Let's go.

39:01Let's go.

39:03Let's go.

39:05Let's go.

39:08Let's go.

39:09Let's go.

39:15So Dean looking good then to battle for the big prize on the Superbike and he's looking

39:19good in Superstock trim as well with only subtle differences between the two machines.

39:24It'd take an expert to tell them apart.

39:26Thankfully, we've got one with Lee.

39:47Superstock class does exactly what it says on the tin.

39:51This class is the closest thing to your road going motorbike in the racing calendar right

39:56now.

39:57But do not be fooled by the name.

40:00Superstock currently holds the outright lap record at the Isle of Man TT with Peter Hickman

40:04at 136.7 miles per hour.

40:10Andrew, I can't believe it.

40:11Looking at our timing screen, Peter Hickman is 13 seconds under the outright course record.

40:19This man is about to break the outright lap record on a Superstock machine.

40:25Best thing about this class is bang for your buck.

40:28Stock is in the name, but I'm going to list a few small changes that are different from

40:33your road going bike.

40:34Starting at the front, we've got standard forks.

40:37We've got standard brakes still on there.

40:39Same as your road going bike.

40:40The wheels are the same as your road going bike.

40:43One of the biggest differences though is the body work.

40:45Remove all the lights, indicators and we put some fiberglass body work on there.

40:50Moving on to the rear of the bike.

40:51The rear suspension is obviously changed from a road going model.

40:54But the beautiful Akrapovic exhaust system is something that you could even buy as a road goer.

41:00All in all, this bike will cost in excess of £45,000.

41:04And for that you get a bike with 210 horsepower and will easily break 200 miles per hour.

41:32It would be Superbike and Superstock machine that would open the evening.

41:36Australia's Josh Brooks was the only rider to break the 130 miles per hour barrier on the Superstock,

41:42piloting his Dow Racing Honda to a 130.197 miles per hour time.

41:47With Davey Todd absent through injury, Brooks could be a dark horse for podiums or more.

41:53And in third place, Jamie Coward.

41:56The Yorkshireman missed the 2025 event with injury,

41:59but it's clear he's quickly gelling with the Rapid Honda team.

42:03A best time of 128.7 miles per hour.

42:07After completing a standing start lap record on the first day of Superbike,

42:11Dean Harrison proceeded to do the same on day two of Superstock qualifying.

42:16A 133.362.

42:19He followed that up with a 133.8 mile per hour lap on his second tour,

42:24putting himself almost 15 seconds clear of the competition.

42:28Michael Dunlop is winless on the big bike since 2023,

42:32but showed strong pace in the first session of day two on the stocker.

42:37131.9 is 15 seconds off the pace of Dean Harrison,

42:41but the 33-time TT winner looks, so far at least, to be Harrison's nearest threat.

42:47And Dunlop would find himself fulfilling in a Harrison sandwich.

42:50Nathan Harrison completed the top three in the second qualifying session of the week.

42:55The Maxman has looked on form for a TT podium since last year,

42:59and by entering the 130 mile per hour club for 2026,

43:03he certainly hammered in that fact.

43:06Sun setting and blinding the eyes,

43:08Ian Hutchinson overcame the tricky conditions to set a 130.691 mile per hour lap.

43:15Good enough for second in the evening session,

43:17while others struggled to compete.

43:20The Bingley bullet would match his time on Friday's last qualifying,

43:24hitting him to fourth place behind Brooks and Dunlop.

43:27Dean Harrison the clear favourite heading into race day.

43:32So qualifying in the bag,

43:34the riders really couldn't have wished for better conditions throughout the week Cam,

43:37and it's looking like it's going to lead to some seriously fast racing.

43:41It certainly is.

43:42They've had a huge amount of laps in all classes,

43:44so time to perfect their setup with their machines,

43:47get comfortable with the course, get out there for some close racing.

43:50Anything can happen in the races, we know that of course,

43:52but there are two standout favourites on the big bikes and the small bikes.

43:55Yeah, without a doubt.

43:56Our favourite on the big bikes is Dean Harrison,

43:58and on the smaller bikes, Michael Dunlop.

44:00There's already a pattern starting to emerge.

44:03A pattern on the pattern.

44:04I like it.

44:05Okay, join us for the first race of TT 2026 with the Superstocks on Saturday.

44:10We'll see you.

44:11We'll see you next time.

44:12We'll see you next time.

44:13We'll see you next time.

44:48We'll see you next time.

Category

Transcript

Comments

Recommended