PRODDIE T T Part two Knocking on 120mph

Manufacturer interest returned greatly and all of the ‘big four’ Japanese factories contested the three-lap event, particularly the big capacity 1500cc class. It was the GPZ900R Kawasaki that prevailed though and in the hands of Geoff Johnson and Howard Selby they took first and second with Swede Peter Linden giving Honda something to smile about in third after Barry Woodland, leader for the first two laps, was disqualified and removed from his original second place.

In the 750cc class, Trevor Nation and the evergreen Helmut Dahne fought a great duel on their Honda VF750s, with just split seconds separating them throughout. Nation took over the lead on the second lap and eventually got the win by just 2.2s with Dave Dean on another Honda in third.

To further prove the decision to bring back the Production races was a correct one, the 250cc class saw Graham Cannell, Phil Mellor and Mat Oxley all lead at some point and it was Mellor who came out on top for his second TT win, a year after he’d claimed honours in the 350cc race.

1985

It was ‘as you were’ for 1985 and Johnson repeated his 1984 success in the 1500cc class, this time mounted on the unfavoured Honda VF1000F, beating early leader and 1976 winner Bill Simpson by just 3.5 seconds. Selby’s good form continued with another podium in third on his trusty Kawasaki.