Monday

I had an early start as I wanted to be up at Jurby and getting a run out on the BMWs by 10am. The rain was due by lunchtime so I was hoping to get a decent session in but I was still at the paddock at 11.30am - bloody Germans…

The Superstock bike was misfiring at the North West 200 whilst the Superbike was suffering with a delay in the power delivery and although we think we’ve got to the bottom of it, I really need to get out them. I don’t want to start a practice lap and find it the problems are still there as it’s obviosuly such a long lap.

You need all the track time you get at the TT but we knew we wouldn’t be out on Monday evening pretty early. The forecast was really crap and that’s excatly how it turned out. It’s disappointing for everyone but even more so for a rider especially when you’re riding bikes you’ve never even sat on. People like John and Bruce are ok as they know their bikes inside out but I hadn’t even seen two of mine until I got here.

We’ve lost a day already but there’s nothing you can do about it. Years ago, it would have really wound me up but now I’m a lot more laid back about it and don’t let it bother me so much. At least we can go to the pub earlier!

Sunday

After Saturday night’s exertions, it was a steady start to Sunday and I watched Lorenzo put in a bit of a masterclass in the MotoGP. Then it was off up to the paddock to make sure the Germans were doing all the right jobs. You have to keep on at them otherwise they slacken off…

Once I’d spoken to the teams to get organised for Monday, I did another lap of the course in the van, taking an Australian Ohlins technician with me. He’d never seen the course before and was blown away particularly when we got to the one way section over the Mountain. It had been closed for an accident but when it re-opened, we were first to go so got a real good run and he was suitably in shock at some of the antics that were going on!

Some riders don’t enjoy doing laps in the van but I find it really helpful, not so much for the course itself but for everything else around it. Things change so much, like the vegetation, and I like to see what’s going on around the place as that kind of information is invaluable when you’re on the bike.

We had a nice Sunday roast for evening dinner and then it was a case of educating the thick part of the household (Barty) by watching Silver Dream Racer. I couldn’t believe he’d never seen it before although I’m not sure if he was overly impressed judging by some of his comments. I think his first words were, ‘That’s the worst f*****g film I’ve ever seen.”

Saturday

I arrived on the Island nice and early and then it was a case of waiting for all the teams to turn up. I’m riding for three different teams this year and they’re all parked in different parts of the paddock so it just takes a bit of time trying to organise everything - basically trying to get them to do what I want! Nothing major, just usual stuff specific to the TT like fitting bigger screens, getting the footpegs and levers changed. It’s all about making the bike as comfortable as possible.

I was really looking forward to getting two laps of practice in on the Paton, particularly with Monday’s forecast being so poor. I’d never even seen the bike until Saturday morning so I told them to change the forks and gearing but as soon as I set off down Bray Hill, I could tell it was overgeared.

I was dead careful not to over rev it as I wanted those two laps but unfortunately it broke down at Ginger Hall and I was devastated. It’s so important to get those first few laps under your belt and when I found out I was stuck there for the rest of the evening, my mood worsened! A chap called Arthur bought me some sandwiches and took me for a pint in the pub and before I knew it, I’d had four pints and it was 9.30pm so the world seemed a lot better!

I’m staying with John Barton and BSN’s Phil Wain and they were waiting for me to go to the pub when I got back - not. The gits were already there and well on their way but we ended up staying out until about 1am so from a bad start, it was a good night in the end.