Steve
02-06-2009, 11:16
Ballymoney rider William Dunlop had a miraculous escape while taking in private testing in the Isle of Man on Monday, when the double North West 200 winner crashed his PJ Flynn Honda at over 120mph while taking a test run on country roads near Port Erin in the Isle of Man.
Dunlop, who was visibly shaken by the incident almost totally wrecked the PJ Flynn Honda in the accident and is running against time to have it restored before next weekends Lightweight TT Race at the Billowen circuit near Castletown.
Battered and bruised, William took in Monday nights practice session for the 2009 TT Races on the Chris Dowd's Yamaha's, where Dunlop completed three laps of the 37.73-mile mountain circuit.
William Dunlop: "I don't really know how I am still here. I decided to take Paddy Flynn's 250 Honda for a blast up a wee winding road near Port Erin, to try and sort out a few problems that we have had with the bike since the North West. I had no leathers on and was just riding in my jeans and a top, but thankfully I had my helmet on. I had just clicked into 5th gear when I lost it and hit a stone wall at about 120mph, and I can't explain how I did not come of worse than I did."
"The bike is very second hand, she is basically in two bits, but I am heading off after practice tonight to rip out the engine and see if we can get her welded up and race ready for next weekend. I took quite a battering and am roasted all over with friction burns, so I expect to be very stiff and sore tomorrow" said William.
In tonight's TT practice, William managed to get two laps in on his Superstock R1 Yamaha, setting his fastest lap on lap two in a time of 19m:03.00s, a speed of 118.835mph.
Dunlop, who was visibly shaken by the incident almost totally wrecked the PJ Flynn Honda in the accident and is running against time to have it restored before next weekends Lightweight TT Race at the Billowen circuit near Castletown.
Battered and bruised, William took in Monday nights practice session for the 2009 TT Races on the Chris Dowd's Yamaha's, where Dunlop completed three laps of the 37.73-mile mountain circuit.
William Dunlop: "I don't really know how I am still here. I decided to take Paddy Flynn's 250 Honda for a blast up a wee winding road near Port Erin, to try and sort out a few problems that we have had with the bike since the North West. I had no leathers on and was just riding in my jeans and a top, but thankfully I had my helmet on. I had just clicked into 5th gear when I lost it and hit a stone wall at about 120mph, and I can't explain how I did not come of worse than I did."
"The bike is very second hand, she is basically in two bits, but I am heading off after practice tonight to rip out the engine and see if we can get her welded up and race ready for next weekend. I took quite a battering and am roasted all over with friction burns, so I expect to be very stiff and sore tomorrow" said William.
In tonight's TT practice, William managed to get two laps in on his Superstock R1 Yamaha, setting his fastest lap on lap two in a time of 19m:03.00s, a speed of 118.835mph.