Two questions that often crop up are, ‘What are we actually seeing at the Classic TT?’ and ‘Will I see original Manx Nortons and MV triples from the 60s?’

You only have to reflect for a micro-second to realise that the answer to both is no. Fifty-year-old components would be unsafe on any racetrack, let alone the TT Mountain Circuit. In any case, racing motorcycles are in a constant state of modification and evolution, so that the 500cc MV on which Giacomo Agostini started the 1967 grand prix season would have been quite a different from the one on which he finished it.

No, the Classic TT, for which practice stars this Saturday (August 19) is a loose representation of what once was. Even an entrant such as New Zealand’s Ken McIntosh, who likes to keep his Manxes in close-to-original spec, will use contemporary manufacturing techniques, components and materials for the 350cc model that Cameron McDonald will ride in the Junior race.

A Suzuki XR69 in the form that Michael Dunlop will ride for Steve Wheatman’s Classic Team Suzuki was never raced in that state in the 1980s. To keep the Kawasaki ZXR750s competitive with the XR69s, they’re allowed to run big-bore 800cc motors this year. In the 500cc race, you’ll find Manx Nortons and a Matchless G50 with Molnar four-valve heads, which are not eligible for mainland CRMC racing.

This flexible attitude towards originality has brought Classic TT chief Paul Phillips some flak, but he brushes that aside in the interests of presenting a great spectacle.

And what a show it is. If you like metal, there’s acres of it here: all the above-mentioned, plus 500cc Paton twins, 500cc Honda fours and 350cc Honda twins, a four-cylinder MV, Yamaha YZ250s and a YZR500, Ducati V-twins and singles, a Norton Rotary, Honda RC30, Yamaha OW01, 500cc Egli-Vincents and much more.

Dorna has inconsiderately dumped its British MotoGP round on the very weekend that the Classic TT takes place. I deliberated about which event to attend, but in the end I decided against watching technicians decode computer screen readouts in the Silverstone pitboxes to opt for the earthier fare on offer in the Glencrutchery Road paddock.

I like the the feeling of rawness and authenticity at the Classic TT, and the great cast of characters, in the form of bike builders and riders, who support it. This is no criticism of MotoGP, especially in this year of a fantastic four-rider battle for the front. It’s just that the Classic TT is unique: there’s nothing remotely like it on the racing calendar, so it’s not as though you can miss the Isle of Man event and drop in at a later round.

Who are the favourites? The Superbike race could be a shootout between Michael Dunlop, the lighter and slightly more modern ZXR750s, led by Dean Harrison, and Bruce Anstey on Padgett Racing’s YZR500.

In the Senior race either Dunlop or Harrison will get a new short-stroke version of Black Eagle Racing’s MV triple, to ward off the Patons and the Davies Motorsport Honda fours, the latter ridden by Alan Oversby and William Dunlop. The Brit one-lungers can run the four-lap, 151-mile race straight through, so there’s always the possibility that Michael Rutter, on Ripley Land Racing’s Seeley G50, can make the podium if mechanical mayhem strikes the multis.

In the 350cc race Black Eagle’s MVs normally pit for fuel, while the 350cc Honda K4s, with Rutter again on a Ripley version, can go straight through. Ian Lougher on a Laylaw Racing TZ, and last year’s winner Bruce Anstey, on a Padgetts Honda, will be front-runners in the 250cc contest.

The Australian Josh Brookes drops in from BSB duties with Anvil Hire Yamaha to ride Winfield Racing’s 500cc Paton, and Wiz Norton’s 588cc Rotary in the Superbike race. It would be unfair to expect podiums from Brookes, as this is his first Classic TT, but he will add a lot of colour to the event.

Race weekend schedule

Saturday August 26
11:30: Bennetts Senior Classic TT
14:30: Bob McIntyre 100mph Lap Anniversary
15:30: Dunlop Lightweight Classic TT
17:15:IoM Steam Packet Company Vintage Parade

Sunday August 27
10:00: VMCC Festival Of Jurby

Monday August 28
10:15: Sure Junior Classic TT
12:55: Team Obsolete Honda 6 Demonstration Lap
14:00: Motorsport Merchandise Superbike Classic TT
16:15: Classic Racer Magazine Lap Of Honour