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Honda Rift


TomTucker

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Soichiro Honda vists isle of man, 1954 declares that this is the place that proves successful engineering and sets about trying to win a TT and accomplishes this feat 2 years later, Honda Corp goes on to be come a dominant global business at the bleeding edge of technology.

 

Centerary TT organisors refuse to let John McGuinness ride joeys F1 winning bike in the centerary parade lap after he wins senior race as he has not attended the safety briefing held during the Senior race. Honda Corp officials reportedly wash their hands of IOM and public state that there will be no Honda support at TT 08.

 

Few months later IOM Honda bike dealership closes....these 2 events couldnt posssibly be related ??

 

our DTL minister doesnt think so...

 

Energys report:

 

DTL plays down rift

The Department of Tourism Leisure claims there's no rift with bike manufacturer Honda.

Talk of a breakdown in the relationship between the two parties is rife and there's increasing speculation of how this will affect TT 2008.

Next week in Tynwald, MLC Alex Downie will ask Minister Adrian Earnshaw what he's doing to build a more constructive bond with the company.

 

Mr Downie says there were tensions by the end of the last year's Centenary TT.

 

Further to this, Honda won't be supplying the bike's for the travelling marshals as in previous years. The contract is to go out to tender.

 

But TT Development Manager Paul Philips maintains there's no problem.

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And of course they have been supplying the Motorcycles to the Travelling Marshalls for - how long ? (!)

 

Honda is big. Really big. They have respect too. Especially at the TT. Masses of respect. And rightly so.

 

Then they came face to face with "New" TT.

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I don't blame Honda if they never come back after the way they've been treated.

Didn't Honda threaten to throw the toys out of the pram a couple of years ago unless the 125s, 250s and 400s were barred from the TT, because their biggest profit margin came from the big bikes?

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mmm thats and RC45 not an sp1, which parade was that ?

 

On closer inspection you are right - it hasn't got the centre air intake the SP1 has - it is indeed an RC45 - possibly the one Joey Dunlop won the senior on ?

 

It was the centenary parade after the senior event - I was gobsmacked to see McGuinness flat out on the parade lap so soon after winning the senior !

 

Plenty more photos of other riders (Foggy, Whitam, Hodgson, Haga, Corser etc) from the same place if you want 'em.

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I don't blame Honda if they never come back after the way they've been treated.

Didn't Honda threaten to throw the toys out of the pram a couple of years ago unless the 125s, 250s and 400s were barred from the TT, because their biggest profit margin came from the big bikes?

 

I don't think so, Honda dominate those classes at the TT etc, although not at world championship level with 125 and 250's.

 

I think there was a major PR 'faux pas' with the largest motor cycle manufacturer and TT supporter this year. Not only relating to the parade lap, but the treatment of them prior to the event and during it.

 

The TT needs Honda more than Honda needs the TT these days, they paid back the huge debt they owed the event in their history years ago. They supplied bikes for the TM's for 30yrs with no mention in the centenery programme. No small commitment.

 

I just hope that the bridges can be mended.

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ive been told that mcguiness did not start the parade lap on senior race day by a reliable source but stand to be corrected.

 

right or wrong the fact remains that TT organisers have f'*ked up the IOM Honda relationship wholesale, why else is there no honda support for 08, and moly has suzuki power underneith him , the travelling marshalls are without bikes as confirmed by tynwald.

 

sad times indeed for the island that once stood on the shoulders of giants and now has to go begging for whatever is available mostly due to the "new TT"

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Well it was going to happen, too many ego's in one room if you ask me fighting for air lol.

 

The TT is on its way out sad times for the races we all love.

 

They cannot compete with BSB due to price and the way they ripped of the fans last year they deserve all they get. :o

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Much as I want the new regime to be a success, I can't help feeling that some sort of revolutionary coup has taken place which is determined to enforce change in areas that need it least. Like the dumpimg of the MMCC who resigned to negotiate a less onerous contract and then employ the ACU Events company (two people) and actually set up the sort of organisation which the MMCC had suggested to run the event. Now they seem to have thrown the baby out with the bathwater and the allegiences which have run the TT for years are now being tested unneccesarily!

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interesting that it was alex downie, TT stalwart and official that asked this question of mr earnshaw. put in the context of this thread it could be seen as an attack of the old guard versus the new,

 

earnshaws resegnation has been asked for before perhaps this episode will add pressure, maybe he could push forward Phillips as a sacrificial lamb his copntract must be up soon

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