The Ballahutchin is most likely to be top gear – even the right hand kink halfway up the straight. As you get through the kink you'll pass the Glen Lough campsite on the left and the road heads down into a dip.  As you come up out of the dip, you'll be able to see the next big corner. Ballagarey Corner is a fearsome test as there is no scope for running wide under any circumstances. It is vital that the apex is clearly identified on approach (- look for the black-and-white angled kerbstones on the right) and that a good entry line is taken. You need to have your right knee hanging over the gutter as you apex the corner. Modern 600s are a lot quicker than they used to be and the corner feels very fast indeed – Ian Hutchinson commented that he always comes back to 5th gear for Ballagarey. When asked if this was to save 6th gear to kill the wheelie on the exit, he replied that “you need to get the bike driving in 5th because you need the power to tighten the exit line”.

If you've got Ballagarey right, you'll be in 5th gear and accelerating down the hill towards Crosby. There's a small crest which causes the bike to pull a little wheelie – use 6th gear to kill the wheelie and maintain speed down the straight. Look for the smoothest possible line as this is one of the sections where good lap times are made. After opening the throttle on the exit of Ballagarey, you'll be in 6th gear for the next couple of miles until you brake for Greeba Castle.

Approach to Ballagarey. Click here for 360° Panoramic view. VitualIoM.com

The Crosby Left (- some people know it as Glen Vine) is taken in top gear.  If you're unsure of the entry line, roll off and then roll back on again – don't take the corner on a closing throttle as you'll tend to drift wide. You need to be driving the bike to hold the line. This is a really important corner because you’ll carry all that speed up past the Crosby Hotel and on past the The Highlander. It’s an early apex corner and it’s a bit superfluous to say that you must be exactly on line through here.

The effect of the Crosby Left is to 'slingshot' you through the turn and up the hill. The speed is so high that you'll need all of the road and the importance of learning the line cannot be overstated. As you go up past the Crosby Hotel, make sure you’re just to the right of the double white centre line. You're now approaching the crest at the old Waggon & Horses. As you approach the crest, you will probably be close to your top speed so you need to get your head buried under the screen to keep the front end down as you cross the crest. It also helps if you trail a little bit of back brake over the crest because the bike can stand up really sharply, often catching you unaware. If you get it right the bike should pull a small(-ish) wheelie and then settle down gently as you start the drop down to The Highlander. It's a completely blind crest so if you are following another rider, don't take exactly the same line as they're on – you can't be certain that they'll keep the throttle pinned!

The drop down to The Highlander is VERY fast and was reckoned by some people to be the quickest part of the course. You should be very close to peak revs in 6th gear as you pass the restaurant. Just after the restaurant the road goes up a slight right handed incline and into a left hand bend over a slight crest. Come back one gear into 5th to get round the left hander and then look for the black-and-white markings on the right hand kerb. Get the bike well over to the right and come back two more gears to 3rd for the left-handed dip that is the first part of Greeba Castle. This will be the first time you've closed the throttle properly since you accelerated into Union Mills 2 or 3 miles earlier!

Roll the bike into the dip fairly close to the kerb and then pick it up and aim for the right hand kerb on the way out of the dip. The camber will help you on the way into the left hander. You need to try and hold the bike in fairly tight around the first part of the right hander as you leave Greeba Castle as the crest and the adverse camber take the bike over to the left as you exit the corner. This can bring you very close to the straw bales lining the wall!

Because of the adverse camber, you need to manage the throttle carefully and not just bang it wide open. This is especially true in marginal grip conditions! You now need to get the bike upright and on it's way into the first left hander of the Appledene section. As you go through the first left hander into Appledene, you need to get your body weight shifted across to the right very fast even while the bike is still cranked left as the two right handers that follow are on you very quickly. Part of the problem here is that the road drops away beneath the front wheel and this makes turning the bike a very big effort.

If you get this right, you should be able to take the next two right hand bends as one long sweep and you'll be on the left hand side of the road. Just missing the baled telegraph pole by the whitewashed stone cottage, you'll be able to see the run in to Greeba Bridge.

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