Bruce Anstey completed a lap of the Mountain Circuit on a 250cc two-stroke for the first time in 14 years on the Valvoline Padgetts Honda RS in Classic TT qualifying tonight.

The bike, built in four days by the Padgett team for the new 250cc Lightweight race, zipped through the Sulby speed trap at 145.89mph as he sped to fastest lap time of the evening at 113.776mph.

“It’s so easy to ride”, Anstey said as dismounted from the V-twin after a two-lap session. “It’s small and light, and stays in line. But they can catch you out and slip away on acceleration out of,low speed corners.”

Anstey, then a 33-year-old, won the last proper 250cc TT in 2002 at 115.32mph, and hasn’t been out on one of strokers since. “We did two standing-start 113mph laps,” Clive Padgett said. “We’ve learnt that we can do two laps on a tank of fuel. Mechanically, it’s superb.”

Padgett will make carburetion and gearing improvements to get the bike closer to the 150mph top speeds set by his fastest rivals. Ian Lougher, on the Laylaw Racing Yamaha TZ250, has ripped through the lights at 154.63mph.

Ian Lougher has been the fastest rider through the Sulby speed trap in qualifying for the new Lightweight Classic TT this week.