Road Racing

Sports motorcycles make competitive return to 2017 Classic TT

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The iconic Sports Motorcycles Ducati team will make their return to the 2017 Classic TT, thirty-nine years after motorcycle racing legend Mike Hailwood won the Formula One TT.

Hailwood’s spectacular achievement was done under the watchful eye of Steve Wynne. Although Wynne is now enjoying retirement, the team will live on in the hands of his long-time friend and engineer Glyn Robinson, who is producing special parts and creating factory replicas.

The team will make their return to the Isle of Man to contest the Dunlop Lightweight Classic TT on a newly built 750cc TT1 with Yorkshireman Chris Swallow on the seat. Swallow is no stranger to success around the Mountain course, with two podiums at the Classic Manx Grand Prix and fifth in the 2015 Bennetts Senior Classic TT. He has worked with Robinson before and has ridden his Sports Motorcycles Ducati 600 TT2 in New Zealand for the past four years.

The Sports Motorcycles Ducati TT1 is built from scratch using parts which are all manufactured in their own machine shop, using a wide range of CNC production equipment. These include Marzocchi replica 41mm magnesium forks and adjustable yokes, brake discs, footrests and controls, dry clutch assembly and housing, rear spindle clamp assembly and calliper carriers. The frame itself, swing arm, exhaust system and fuel tank are also made by Glyn.

Chris Swallow commented, “When I head off down Glenclutchery Road on this bike it will be the proudest moment of my relatively short TT Mountain Course career so far. We tested the bike at Pukekohe in New Zealand recently and the bike Glyn has produced is some thing.

The attention to detail is simply brilliant, it’s quick and it handles very well. It’s a real credit to Glyn and the Sports Motorcycles name.”

Project leader Glyn Robinson added, “It’s indeed a great honour to have the opportunity to represent Sports Motorcycles at the Isle of Man with Steve Wynne’s blessing and we are all looking forward to making our debut at the Classic TT.”

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