Northwest 200

Pipz

Heading up to the NW200 this year, but it'll be my first year and I'll more than likely be going up solo. Anyone else heading up or know somewhere decent to stay? Also suggestions on where the best place to watch from are welcome.

Seanbass

few mates are talking of going up but ill be likely only one on a bike.
went up before 3 years ago on the friday.
we just pulled up in a field in between university corner and black bridge and camped for the night
got a nice spot the next day at a small kink in the road they hit a full speed

cantdecide

I'm tempted to go but I really don't know what's involved and what the experience is likely to be like. I used to go to cage rallying and it never lived up to expectations. Mainly due to not knowing where to find the best view points or having any idea of how the even is proceeding.

Wonda-Boy

Myself and Lookbehindyou will be doing radios and flags again this year, you are more then welcome to travel along with us and find a spot once up there. Its a savage ride about 395klms return if I remember correctly....but you really need to get up there early (before roads close) and stay away from the centre (the roundabout) as its jammers and you cant really get a good position and you get a few clowns drinking etc.

If you head up for the practise you will have the pick of the spots, its a very fast track. York corner is a good spot along with Cross Chicane.

If I get the same spot as last year I will be chuffed.....

KamiKazi

Bit far for me, hoping to make Skerries though

Notch000

what would be the best day to go up to get 2 days racing and stay over inbetween

MrPudding

Wonda-Boy wrote: »

If you head up for the practise you will have the pick of the spots, its a very fast track. York corner is a good spot along with Cross Chicane.

Agreed. York corner is great and has the advantage of being a short walk from civilisation. You also have "The York" for food and booze, though it is completely mentally busy. You can, or at least you could, walk from Portstewart along the coast road to Portrush. There are some lovely spots there, particularly if the weather is good. It is only about a 4 mile walk. The Metropole in Portrush is also a decent spot.

If you want to head out of town there are a few really nice spots, but you need to get there early and you are pretty much stuck there.

Where to stay? I would recommend trying to stay around Portstewart. Portrush is a little more... scummy. Portstewart is much friendlier and there are a few good bars that are open reasonably late. Portrush has a couple of larger clubs but it is only a short taxi ride away once the roads are open.

It might be hard to score accommodation this close to the race though...

MrP

MrP

sweet girl

Hi

Im just looking for some advice, we are hoping to go to the NorthWest 200 next weekend, just going up for the day. Im wondering where is the best place to view from with easy enough access to get in and out of, somewhere that we wont be stuck in for the day or do you reccommend we buy grandstand tickets? I see the roads close at 10 am, if we were to arrive later than that, which area would suit best?
Sorry for all the questions, neither of us have been before so we arent familiar with the usual run of things.

MrPudding

sweet girl wrote: »

Hi

Im just looking for some advice, we are hoping to go to the NorthWest 200 next weekend, just going up for the day. Im wondering where is the best place to view from with easy enough access to get in and out of, somewhere that we wont be stuck in for the day or do you reccommend we buy grandstand tickets? I see the roads close at 10 am, if we were to arrive later than that, which area would suit best?
Sorry for all the questions, neither of us have been before so we arent familiar with the usual run of things.

You can get in and out of both Portrush and Portstewart during the race. Parking will be tricky, you may have to walk quite a bit.

Personally, I would go for Portstewart. It is a much nicer town and the main road in and out remain open throughout. Portrush is not as nice, and the main road in and out is part of the course, so it is a little trickier and more convoluted for access.

In the past I tended to start in Portstewart get the best view I could around York Corner and maybe take a wonder over to Portrush along the coast road as the day progressed. I think if I was doing it again I would probably opt for a York Corner grandstand ticket. The prices seem fairly reasonable to me.

MrP

enricoh

i go up most years, last year went by car, got up late coz we decided to try going up thro cookstown.
went into portrush town n got parked a 5 minute walk from metropole. fairly packed for viewing but if u walk up the straight ask someone can u hop into there garden or else view at one of the crossroads. there going flat out there - u cant believe the speeds, its savage! then u could walk towards the pits stopping for a pint along the way n watch a race there.
easy enough to get outta town, take it easy though, there does be a hape of cops nailing anyone speeding

sweet girl

Thanks for the info folks, that's a great help, it doesn't sound like to much of an ordeal to get around.

Aced_Up

Stayed in Bushmills one year, bit of a dive that area and not much going on...but we booked late so had to make do.

mr chips

Agree on Bushmills, it's a bit of a kip for the most part. Ballycastle is a nice spot to stay, and only a short spin from Portrush/Portstewart along the coast road, which is a fantastic riding route.

jimgoose

Last time I was there I stayed in a lovely little B&B in Portrush, one of a small line of them on the northside of town near the golf course. I wish I could remember the name of it! You could walk along the golf course, with the North Sea cliffs to your right and one of the world's greatest road-races to your left.

KamiKazi

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/northern-ireland/13455884

Wonda-Boy

Leaving now....hope its a good days racing.....VROOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!

Please Kill Me

Enjoy it! Hope everyone has a safe day, riders and spectators.

Skill Magill

Wonda-Boy wrote: »

Leaving now....hope its a good days racing.....VROOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!

Will you take photos to share with those who won't be going?

Bikerguy

Skill Magill wrote: »

Will you take photos to share with those who won't be going?

jesus, how long time have you been here on boards? (joke) gary is semi-profesional photo weekend maker i bet he is already shoooting the way there!

Skill Magill

Bikerguy wrote: »

jesus, how long time have you been here on boards? (joke) gary is semi-profesional photo weekend maker i bet he is already shoooting the way there!

Or maybe I knew that all along, Mr Smartypants












I didn't :cool:

kaimera

boop

live - http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/northern-ireland/13455884

jesus thats some weather for street racing

Richard tea

Skill Magill wrote: »

Will you take photos to share with those who won't be going?

And did you take your new Go pro with you? Any footage with it. A shot of Micks dust cloud will do nicely:D

paddy147

I presume the BBC will show NW200 race highlights next week on one of the evenings???

Hornswoggle

Made the trip up this morning, we arrived at the magic roundabout just as the red flags went out in the supersport race. Was devastated it was called off but it was for the better, awful conditions!

Wonda-Boy

DISASTER!

Talk about a wash out....still got a few hrs vital experience in the worst rain I have been in up and back, and to top it all when I came back to the bike after it was called off I had a puncture!

The offending item was about 3inches long and shaped like a brass T......nightmare!

Richard tea

Wonda-Boy wrote: »

DISASTER!

Talk about a wash out....still got a few hrs vital experience in the worst rain I have been in up and back, and to top it all when I came back to the bike after it was called off I had a puncture!

The offending item was about 3inches long and shaped like a brass T......nightmare!

And that tyre was fairly new:(

LookBehindYou

Richard tea wrote: »

And that tyre was fairly new:(

Tyre is still ok. We put 2 plugs in it added air, and it sealed. I test rode the bike on the way back, all ok.

Bikerguy

Wonda-Boy wrote: »

DISASTER!

Talk about a wash out....still got a few hrs vital experience in the worst rain I have been in up and back, and to top it all when I came back to the bike after it was called off I had a puncture!

The offending item was about 3inches long and shaped like a brass T......nightmare!

jesus thats a story... its reminding me last year me -->

honda cb400 not charging - me heading to service on dorset street. 140e fix --> on the way from there got puncture on front tyre, 120e fix/new tyre, took bike from them - all the same day --> heading balbriggan got second puncture on rear tyre near airport, guy in garage coudlnt believe me, another 160e none of the punctures were fixable. it was more like a cut. i wanted to burn the bike on the spot L)

Wonda-Boy

Still had the craic up there talking to the people around and sure smiler knows every one with a mouth up there so it was all good...I also drove the Suzuki V-Strom 1000 all the way home to see what its like on long journeys. Bike is very under rated, really can do anything you throw at it.....

Wonda-Boy

Skill Magill wrote: »

Will you take photos to share with those who won't be going?

No photos this year mate....but from the end of page 5 on my FLICKR you can see a few from last year and the other RR from last year.


http://www.flickr.com/photos/wonda3oy/page5/

Nodster

Bummer Wonda-boy, reminds me of arriving in Cookstown two years ago in time to get a lap of the Orritor circuit before roads closed only to get a puncture as I went up the Main Street - £65 lighter and missed two hours of racing. No quick cure as it had a tubed back tyre (Bonneville)

Wonda-Boy

Ahh sure it is what it is....the joys of racing and biking. At least I have the fastest circuit to look forward to the Ulster GP.

paddy147

There was supposed to be NW200 highlights on BBC1 last night at 10:25pm.

But it was naturally canceled,as a result of the non event.

Hope everyone got home safe from the NW200.

Wonda-Boy

paddy147 wrote: »

There was supposed to be NW200 highlights on BBC1 last night at 10:25pm.

But it was naturally canceled,as a result of the non event.

Hope everyone got home safe from the NW200.

Cant really show "Highlights" when there was none to show....they could have ran highlights of last years show all the same.

LookBehindYou

Nodster, remember the time we met on the way home from 1 of the races in the North a few years ago. I had pulled in to a bus shelter to have a smoke. It was lashing rain.

Nodster

remember it well - just outside Armagh on the way back from Cookstown (09?). That was some downpour, when it finally stopped the roads were bone dry a mile up the road!

Wonda-Boy

Nodster wrote: »

remember it well - just outside Armagh on the way back from Cookstown (09?). That was some downpour, when it finally stopped the roads were bone dry a mile up the road!

LMFAO...Classic Pic.

Lucky there were no potholes! :pac::pac:

MrPudding

Is it next year they are planning racing for Saturday and Sunday? Slightly smaller chance of a total washout.

MrP

Wonda-Boy

They are trying to change the road closure rules to allow more flexibility so lets hope they do that.....it is a fabulous race when its a go'er. Will never forget last years in the sunshine.

LookBehindYou

Nodster, I think it was either 07 or 08

Nodster

LookBehindYou wrote: »

Nodster, I think it was either 07 or 08

pic is dated '09 - went up on a CBF250 prior to that, only got the Bonnie in May the previous year

paddy147

Anyone watch the highlights on BBC1 tonight?

They showed the races from Thursday evening and then the 600 wet race that was red flagged after 2 laps.



Mervyn Whyte (NW200 course clerk) let ripp at the goverment for not funding the NW200 and giving big money to the golf instead.

He has a very valid point and he was right to let ripp at them.

charlieIRL

was watching the highlights last night as well - they managed to make a decent enough programme from what racing there was on. Agreed there needs to be more flexibility on the road closures - look at the fantastic weather we had all week and we all knew deep down that saturday was going to be a washout.
Didn't stop us going either though! We normally stay in Derry or just outside it and spin over to Portrush on the Saturday morning. Go from Friday to Sunday.

View from the York pub on Saturday lunchtime (buggers were charging £5 to get in as well)

MrPudding

charlieIRL wrote: »

was watching the highlights last night as well - they managed to make a decent enough programme from what racing there was on. Agreed there needs to be more flexibility on the road closures - look at the fantastic weather we had all week and we all knew deep down that saturday was going to be a washout.
Didn't stop us going either though! We normally stay in Derry or just outside it and spin over to Portrush on the Saturday morning. Go from Friday to Sunday.

View from the York pub on Saturday lunchtime (buggers were charging £5 to get in as well)

It's funny, or perhaps a selective memory thing, but I always remember NW200 weekend as being a good weekend, while I was growing up. I remember the whole it will be nice this weekend, it is the NW200. I don't know when that changed...

MrP