Left : Phil Read Isle of Man TT race 1977 . Right : Reid on the starting grid 1977
were too dangerous , and unfit to cope with the speed and performance of their modern motorcycles . The Isle of Man authorities , anxious not to lose many of the estimated 60,000 plus visitors who flock to the island every year to watch the stars of international road racing test their skills on the most challenging circuit in the world , needed a star rider to assure them that the TT was alive and well . Who better to achieve this than Phil Read . He is said to have been offered £ 10,000 as start money . His fear of the dangers of the circuit appeared to vanish , or perhaps he thought the money made it worth the risk . He didn ’ t disappoint , winning the 1977 4-lap Formula One TT in 1hr 33m at an average speed of 97.0 mph and recording the fastest lap of 101.74 mph . He also won the Senior TT for Suzuki . Read ’ s illustrious record also includes two 500cc World Championships for MVAgusta in 1973 and 1974 , four 250cc World Championships between 1964 , and 1971 and a 125 title in
1968 . Following Read ’ s seven World Championships on a variety of machines , none of them Hondas , it may seem puzzling that the Phil Read Replica should be a Honda . It could of course be simply the result of Honda Britain looking for an effective way to commemorate Read ’ s stunning victory in the Isle of Man . The company engaged British frame builder Colin Seeley to take a standard Honda CB750F2 . and produce 400 Phil Read Replicas . For some reason it appears that only 150 were built , and it is believed that less than half have survived . This , of course , makes the Phil Read Replicas extremely rare and , therefore , very expensive .
MIKE HAILWOOD - DUCATI Close to Phil Read ’ s successful return to the Isle of Man , the following year in fact , came Mike Hailwood ’ s triumphant 1978 return to the island . This time it was Hailwood ’ s race . In the TT Formula One
76 KIWI RIDER