1907 Isle of Man TT - first motorcycle race

On a dry but cold day back in May 1907, twenty-five competitors gathered at Tynwald Hill for the first race in the ‘International Auto-Cycle Tourist Trophy’

This is Harry Rembrandt Fowler (1882-1963), popularly known as ‘Rem’, alongside his famous Peugeot-powered Norton motorbike, upon which he won the first ever Isle of Man Tourist Trophy (TT) on May 28, 1907.

In those days TT racers pretty much wore their everyday clothes – in this case a suit jacket held together with a piece of string – with the leather gauntlets, hat and a pair of goggles seemingly the only concession to the rigours of motorcycle racing. Nevertheless, machines and outfits like these were just enough to see the 27 competitors of 1907 through ten bone-shaking laps of the 15-mile circuit across the Isle of Man’s public roads.

In 1907 the roads of the TT circuit were often little more than rutted cart tracks, meaning that Rem and his fellow competitors faced a trial of skill, reliability, speed and fuel economy that made the TT a testing ground for road-going motorcycles – and their riders.

Rem stopped ten times during the race. He had to change an inner tube and two spark plugs; he fell off twice then wired up a mudguard and also wired up the advance spark lever. Then he dropped his pump and had to pick it up. He also stopped twice to take up slack in his drive belt.

Despite all of this he won in a time of 4 hours 21 minutes 52 seconds, averaging 36.32 mph. For his daring exploits he was given an engraved silver hip flask.

This is his account of that historic event which set the pace for the now world famous TT races.

“Looking back over half a century of motor cycling, I think my first TT race of 1907- which was the first race of all- was fairly well crowed with events and episodes.

During the practice period two competitors were very concerned because my Norton had such a long wheel-base and spring forks.

According to their ideas, spring forks were not safe and would make it very difficult for me to get the long machine round corners.

The answer to that was: I won (twin cylinder class) and made the record lap which remained unbroken the next year.

I had had an abscess in my neck lanced two days before the race- in photographs the bandages could be seen flapping in the wind!

I was in no fit state to ride for I was in a very run down and nervous condition.

Twenty minutes before the race, however, a friend of mine fetched me a glassful of neat brandy tempered with a little milk.

This had the desired effect and I set off full of hope and Dutch courage.

Then the fun started. I carried four spare plugs and a spanner in my coat pocket- plugs had a habit of blowing their middles out and I was lucky to finish on the last one.

Also my front tyre-beaded edge of course- burst off and threw me when I was doing about 60 mph.

I wasn’t hurt much, but I had a very anxious time changing the tube for the spare butt-ended one which I had carried round my shoulders.

We had no front stands then, which didn’t make things any easier.

My most exciting moment was when I had to make up my mind whether to stop and maybe lose the race or plunge blind through a wall of fire which stretched right across the road at the Devil’s Elbow- caused by a bike which had crashed there.

Owing to the density of the smoke and flames I had no idea where the wrecked machine was.

A boy scout with a flag tried to stop me but I decided to risk it and luckily came through OK.

I shall never forget the hot blast of those flames.

Yes, I think the 1907 TT was the most hectic I have had in all my riding years.”

Interesting facts.

A silver hip flask awarded to H ‘Rem’ Fowler on winning the 1907 International Tourist Trophy Race, Twin-cylinder Class
Sold for £ 25,000 (US$ 34,449)

The Single Cylinder class race was won by Charles R. Collier riding a Matchless in 4 hours, 8 minutes and 8 seconds at an average race speed of 38.21 mph. His brother Harry Collier, also riding a Matchless, had problems with an engine seizure on lap 2 and eventually retired on lap 9.

For the 90th anniversary, a 1 Crown coin was issued with the image 1907 winner Charlie Collier and Elisabeth II

Restored 1907 Norton; Rem Fowler's bike. Like most racing machines, this one has had it's share of mechanical changes over the hundred years of it's life, but something of the heart of that original machine remains.

Jack Marshall and Frank Hulbert finished in second and third place in the first ever Isle of Man TT race on single-cylinder Triumphs.

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