Manx Bike festival 'fashionable again'

Bikers from as far afield as New Zealand the US have arrived on the Isle of Man for the 2014 Manx Festival of Motorcycling, organisers have revealed.

The number of newcomers racing has also doubled from 40 to 80, according to the Manx Motorcycle Club (MMC).

Jim Hunter, from the MMC, said the island's mountain circuit "is well and truly back on people's To Do List".

It was now more popular "in tandem with the TT races, both events are becoming fashionable again", he said.

Practice sessions for the fortnight-long Isle of Man Festival of Motorcycling are set to get under way later.

Racing starts with the Manx Two Day Trial on 23 August.

"It's been a long time since we had this level of interest," said Mr Hunter.