Top Gear star Richard Hammond on his first visit to the Isle of Man TT

Tindle News

Media Isle of Man Editor Dion Jones speaks with Top Gear star Richard Hammond on his first trip to the Isle of Man

Transcript

00:00Richard, thank you very much for spending the time for you. How's your day been so far in the Isle of Man?

00:03It's been brilliant. I mean, I'm ashamed to say it. I don't know why it's the case.

00:0739 years I've been riding bikes, they've been a massive part of my life, bigger than cars, from my personal life, for me.

00:14And this is my first ever TT.

00:16What's kept you back for so long then, and why are you coming this year?

00:20Mostly because every year at about this time, I'm working.

00:23So this year, I was clever, and I turned work into this.

00:27So I am actually working, but I'm working at the TT.

00:30That was clever, wasn't it? Come on.

00:32Very clever indeed.

00:33So has it been like a bucket list ambition for you to attend, do you think?

00:38No, it has been bucket list. I mean, it's not, I'm not going.

00:42Yeah, because, well, it's kind of transformed into a biker world, isn't it?

00:47And it really is, and in that sense, it's exactly what I thought it would be.

00:51The people, the vibe, the feel, the look.

00:53And, you know, I'm amongst thousands of bikers, so you don't have to have a conversation about why you do it, about what it is about it.

01:01You don't have to explain the difference between cars and bike.

01:04None of that. Everybody knows.

01:05So anybody you meet, you're standing on common ground, and that's wonderful.

01:09The only thing you can't prepare yourself for is the spectacle of watching them.

01:14I was in the Secret Garden looking down to watch them going down the hill and then up, over where the traffic lights are.

01:20And watching the compression, and then the bike move, and then lift the front wheel as it powers up the hill,

01:26was just, it seemed two things unfamiliar with.

01:30Kind of actually quite suburban life, really, and motorsport, overlaid.

01:35And that's just mind-blowing. I couldn't compute it at first. It was incredible.

01:40So you mentioned work briefly there. Can you tell us a bit about what the upcoming series of the workshop is about?

01:45Yes, it's a slightly convoluted story.

01:48I run a classic car and motorcycle restoration business called The Smallest Cobb, and I make a TV series about it.

01:54But it's a real business.

01:55A friend of mine, Ellis, that I knew the best part of 40 years ago, we used to work together in an antique pine showroom.

02:03Got in touch a few years back, and in the intervening period, he'd become an industrial designer.

02:08Teamed up with Ian Oliver, and they've started a new motorcycle mark called Mack Motorcycles.

02:13Now, I should stress, I have no commercial interest in the business.

02:16I'm not invested in it. I'm not a chef. I have nothing to do with it.

02:19It's just a mate's thing.

02:21But then I said, well, hang on a mate.

02:22These are quite, you know, sort of bespoke, low-volume bikes.

02:25I said, well, can my workshop paint them? Can we give it a go?

02:28So we painted three pre-production bikes, and then we thought we should soft-launch this.

02:32And then we thought, well, where better is there in the world?

02:35Where you're going to find a bunch of people who get bikes, who get what it's about.

02:39So we've launched it here this evening at the Paramount City Coffeehouse.

02:43And what do you think of the Paramount itself?

02:44Obviously, it's owned by Mookie Krayal, a former TT champion and stuff,

02:48and you can use a bit of a mecca for motorbikes and enthusiasts.

02:51Yes, what do you think of it?

02:52I think it's absolutely great.

02:54But when you were here for TT, you kind of, you almost forget that the rest of the world isn't motorcycle.

03:01So you come in here, and yeah, again, people speak the language.

03:04They get it. They are your people.

03:06You're never more welcome.

03:08Bikers are like that.

03:09They're quite up front.

03:10They're not shy.

03:12They're quite forward.

03:13And it's great, because you're stepping onto Common Ground together, and you've got something to talk about.

03:19So I've been speaking to your team, and they say you were going to be here for a few days now.

03:22Are you looking forward to anything in particular, watching from a certain bend?

03:27Well, I'm riding the Legacy lap tomorrow morning with the chaps on these bikes, which are going to really love.

03:33A friend of mine, a dear friend of mine, John Lane, who flies one of the helis that they film from,

03:38he taught me to fly helis. I've got my license with him.

03:41He's flying it tomorrow, and I don't know. I've got to go and find him to see if I'm allowed.

03:45If I'm allowed to go for a left seat flight and watch that, that would be extraordinary.

03:50Even if I'm not, I'm going to go and find some vantage points on what's the bike,

03:53and just have my mind blown and enjoy it.

03:56And what do you think about, obviously, it's a race that's full of renown, but fraught with difficulty,

04:02and these riders tackle incredible bends with incredible speeds.

04:07What do you think of that in general?

04:09I think the levels of skill and bravery displayed, you don't see anywhere else.

04:13I mean, I know it's dangerous.

04:14And you don't see people going out to do something that dangerous,

04:21just to pursue their ultimate passion, their ultimate drive, anywhere else.

04:27And it's legendary. It is the stuff of legend.

04:30Every race is the stuff of legend.

04:33And last question.

04:35Obviously, people know you a lot from probably top gear,

04:39your time with James and Jeremy.

04:41Jeremy, being a former resident of the Isle of Man,

04:44have you let either of them know that you're going to be here?

04:46Are they giving you any some advice?

04:48Do you know, I haven't actually.

04:49I just got on with it.

04:52Fantastic.

04:52Well, thank you so much for your time.

04:53We really hope you enjoy the rest of your TT, Richard.

04:55I'm sure I shall, I've no doubt.

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