Tourist Trophy races

Tourist Trophy races, best known and most demanding of the European motorcycle races. First run in 1907 on the Isle of Man off the northwestern coast of England, the race attracted many riders from all over England and the European continent. The race was originally intended for motorcycles “similar to those sold to the public,” called touring machines, and soon became known as the Tourist Trophy. In 1911, the course was changed to a 37 1/2-mile (60.5-kilometre), later a 37 3/4-mile, route from sea level into the mountains and back, with over 200 bends along the way. The race has been run in various divisions determined by cycle size and racer experience. Sidecar races have also been held. English riders’ skill on the course helped create that nation’s early lead in motorcycle racing and manufacturing. From the late 1930s on, Italian machines also won, and, beginning in the 1960s, Japanese machines. From 1976 the Tourist Trophy was no longer a world-championship event. The term tourist trophy is now sometimes used for any dirt-track motorcycle race in which there are both right- and left-hand turns as well as steeplechase-style jumps.