Isle of Man TT 2015: the world’s wildest road race in pictures

The thrill seeker's lush green paradise. The adrenaline junkie's pilgrimage destination. The pinnacle of bike road racing. It's hard to find the perfect, all-encompassing superlative to describe the intoxicating mix of prestige, danger, speed, and excitement that the Isle of Man represents. The Tourist Trophy week of racing that this small island plays host to every year is regarded with nothing short of reverence among motorcycling fans. This year, I came along for the ride to look at how a new breed of electric bikes is carving out a niche for itself in the nascent TT Zero class. Check out my favorite pictures from the trip below and make sure to also read the full report from my time on the island.

Read the whole story: Do racers dream of electric bikes?

Isle of Man Two things that are particularly abundant on the Isle of Man: lush green scenery and motorcycles.
Victory Racing Despite being rookies to the Isle of Man event, Victory arrived as one of the favorites to do well, thanks to a mature bike design from Brammo.
Final preparations for the bikes ahead of practice include adjusting padding to suit each rider and fine-tuning the batteries so that power is drawn at the same rate from each of them.
GoPro Hero One of the optional components on the Victory bike is a GoPro camera to stare back at the rider as he speeds his way around the island.
Emergency kill switch A standard feature on these electric bikes is an emergency kill switch at the rear.
Before every practice lap, race officials inspect each bike to ensure it adheres to regulations and is safe to ride.
Lee Johnston Finishing third behind the duo of Team Mugen bikes, Lee Johnston set a time of 20 minutes and 17 seconds around the 37-mile TT course, averaging 111mph. Here he's showing the effects of an earlier crash he sustained while practicing for the conventional petrol-powered races.
F13K CANCER Johnston's helmet features his charity fundraising effort, titled F13K CANCER, which contributes to the Marie Curie organization.
Lee Johnston embracing a friend before saddling up.
Guy Martin Stepping into the place of the injured William Dunlop, Guy Martin rode the second Victory Racing bike to a time of 20 minutes and 38 seconds, good for an average speed of nearly 110mph.
Isle of Man TT course The race course offers beautiful views and long undulating bends that can be taken at high speed.
There are a number of long straights that let riders reach speeds in excess of 200mph.
Built-up areas are also part of the course.
When the race isn't on, fans get to recreate the experience for themselves on the same roads, albeit with some limitations.
Front row seat These seats are only a few feet away from the race course itself, providing a very intimate (and potentially dangerous) experience for the fans.
All welcome Camping is the primary way that visitors to the Isle of Man accommodate themselves on the island. The tents across the green fields are almost as numerous as the bikes on the roads.
Mugen Power Mugen took the top two spots in the TT Zero race. Here you see Bruce Anstey's second-place bike in the foreground and John McGuinness' victorious ride at the back.
Immediately after the race, the bikes are plugged into Mugen's computers and the post-race analysis begins. Standing in the middle of this shot is Hirotoshi Honda, founder of Mugen Power.
McGuinness' winning bike has proven quite an attraction for both fans and competitors to check out.
First prize Winning the TT Zero gets you a wreath, a hat, and a place in history, though not much in the way of prize money.
The Isle of Man was used by companies like Kawasaki to showcase their latest technology and bikes, whether they were competing in the races or not.
Lee Johnston, who finished third for Victory Racing, poses alongside TT Zero winner John McGuinness, Mugen team owner Hirotoshi Honda, and second-place finisher Bruce Anstey.
Suzuki, Honda, Suzuki, Honda Every street on the Isle of Man is littered with the bikes of fans, who come for the week's racing in their full racing outfits and even ferry their rides over.
No drones allowed The Isle of Man TT helicopter punctuates an otherwise spotless sky. The area around the race has been declared a no-fly zone this year, and the use of drones has been expressly forbidden.
Fans can get incredibly close to the action.
Michael Sweeney Michael Sweeney, riding for the University of Nottingham, gives feedback to his team following a successful practice lap.
Each bike in the electric race is a prototype, which means you get to see exposed electronics and pieces of duct tape holding a few things together.
Brian Wismann Brian Wismann, Brammo's Director of Product Development and Victory Racing Team Manager, gives an interview to UK channel ITV.