Peter Hickman, the 2018 Isle of Man Senior TT victor and outright lap-record holder, believes he’s capable of eclipsing the 136 mph barrier around the island’s Mountain Course.
Speaking on his 2018 Senior TT efforts, Hickman said, “I think if that last lap had been a perfectly clear lap, and I did it perfect, I’m confident I’d hit 136. If you just take the backmarkers out, it makes such a big difference. Definitely, 136 is possible.”
Hickman’s riding on the BMW S1000RR still netted him the 2018 Senior TT crown and the lap record at an average speed of 135.452 mph. However, the backmarkers he passed during his record lap significantly hindered his pace. “I passed 10 backmarkers — that’s a lot of people to pass; they cost me a lot of time in a lot of places,” he observed. “When I watch [the lap] back, I realise just how much I did actually have to roll off. For me, I’m thinking there’s at least another five or six seconds, just with backmarkers.”
Onboard video from the record lap highlights Hickman’s view around the 37-mile-long course. “You can download the ride-onboard lap, the 135 mile-an-hour lap, on dukevideo.com. It’s like 99p or something, so it’s not expensive. I even bought it myself, and I’m tight,” laughed Hickman.
Hickman claimed the 2018 Senior TT victory over Kawasaki rider Dean Harrison by two seconds after racing for nearly one and three-quarter hours. Both riders are slated to race again at the 2019 TT.