Manx Grand Prix: Moritz Klaus surprised by his own first lap time

Even before the Manx Grand Prix had begun with the newcomers’ practice session, Moritz Klaus had a test to pass. “Because I’d brought my own bike, which had never been to the Isle of Man before, the first hurdle was getting it through scrutineering. After a few extra adjustments, though, that was sorted too,” recalls the 29-year-old German, thinking back on the unplanned extra work.

If your only familiarity with the Snaefell Mountain Course – which is over 60 kilometres long – comes from studying on-board videos and doing a few laps in a car, then it goes without saying that, as a newcomer, you’ll have a healthy dose of respect when you take to the track on a motorbike for the first time: “I felt a bit queasy before my first lap behind the instructors, but the pace turned out to be quite relaxed, which gave me confidence.”

“I had a plan in mind of how I wanted to ride the circuit, and I wanted to put that into practice on my first solo lap. That worked out brilliantly. The fact that I managed an average speed of 109 miles per hour straight away really did surprise even me. After that, progress was a bit slower because the weather simply didn’t play along, and there were repeated cancellations or postponements.”

With every lap, the marketing analyst from the Landshut district in Lower Bavaria felt more confident. Although he was held up by a mechanical fault during practice, the Honda rider still managed to complete his first lap in under 20 minutes. “On Thursday I had my first mechanical problem when the automatic gearbox broke down just before Kirk Michael. On Friday I had to ride without it, which was considerably more strenuous.”

Moritz Klaus (2. von re.) mit seiner Boxen-Crew

Foto: Moritz Klaus

On Saturday afternoon, the Supersport Manx Grand Prix was on the programme. 56 competitors took on the challenge of four gruelling laps. After the first lap, Klaus had not only achieved an average speed of over 115 mph but had also moved up to 16th place. By the halfway point, he had moved up two places. After 242.9 kilometres – roughly the distance from Munich to Stuttgart – he crossed the finish line in 13th place.

“Thank goodness the automatic gearbox was working properly again during the race. I was able to set a good pace right from the start. The pit stop also went off without a hitch, even though the whole thing was uncharted territory for my crew – consisting of a friend of Chris Meyer’s, a friend of Lorenz Rothärmel’s, both of whom stepped in at short notice, and my father. Towards the end, I ran out of steam a bit, but it was still enough for 13th place.”

After this experience, the Senior Manx Grand Prix was tackled with a great deal of confidence. “For the second race, we adjusted the handlebars to take the strain off my forearms. The start and the first sector went really well. On the many bumps, my front wheel was wobbling back and forth without any resistance. It was too dangerous, so I withdrew. I reckon it was a faulty steering damper; we’ll find out more when we get home.”

True to the saying ‘once is never enough’, Klaus is already thinking about repeating the adventure. “It was one of the best experiences of my life. I’d like to go back to the Manx Grand Prix next year.”