Written by Martin Hodgson
Since 1907 man and machine have boarded countless ferries to cross the Irish Sea and compete at the legendary Isle of Man TT; at the beginning of each European summer. It’s no place for the faint of heart, over 260 professional and amateurs alike have lost their lives doing battle on the Snaefell Mountain Course. But in more than a hundred years of racing only World Wars have put a stop to what commentator Murray Walker calls ?the greatest motorsport event of any kind.? With the action set to commence again today, Pipeburn delivers you five of the most important racing machines ever to take on the mountain.
1. ?52 Manx Norton

It wouldn’t be a proper list without the Manx Norton, taking its name from the language and people of the Isle of Man. The bikes run spanned over decades but the basic architecture remained the same and was the weapon of choice for two of the races greatest ever riders. The great Geoff Duke won the Senior TT in 1950 aboard the long stroke version of the 499cc air-cooled single. Mounted inside the rails of the famous McCandless brothers ‘Featherbed Frame’ the Norton, especially designed to win on the island, had the handling required for such a fast circuit.
But as the years wore on the engine was struggling for power, a switch to a short stroke configuration and with Mike ?The Bike? Hailwood aboard a win in 1961 broke a string of wins for Italian manufacturers. Having won the first ever event and nam...