| Grand Prix: | Isle of Man |
| Gp Suffix: | TT |
| Flag: | UK |
| Location: | Isle of Man TT Mountain Circuit Clypse Course (Ultra Lightweight and Sidecars) |
| Course: | Public roads; TT Course ; Clypse Course |
| Race No: | 2 |
| Season No: | 9 |
| Official Name: | Isle of Man Tourist Trophy |
| Date: | 14–19 June |
| Year: | 1954 |
| Fast Rider 500: | Ray Amm |
| Fast Rider 500 Country: | Rhodesia and Nyasaland |
| Fast Rider 500 Bike: | Norton |
| First Rider 500: | Ray Amm |
| First Rider 500 Country: | Rhodesia and Nyasaland |
| First Rider 500 Bike: | Norton |
| Second Rider 500: | Geoff Duke |
| Second Rider 500 Country: | UK |
| Second Rider 500 Bike: | Gilera |
| Third Rider 500: | Jack Brett |
| Third Rider 500 Country: | UK |
| Third Rider 500 Bike: | Norton |
| Fast Rider 350: | Ray Amm |
| Fast Rider 350 Country: | Rhodesia and Nyasaland |
| Fast Rider 350 Bike: | Norton |
| First Rider 350: | Rod Coleman |
| First Rider 350 Country: | New Zealand |
| First Rider 350 Bike: | AJS |
| Second Rider 350: | Derek Farrant |
| Second Rider 350 Country: | UK |
| Second Rider 350 Bike: | AJS |
| Third Rider 350: | Bob Keeler |
| Third Rider 350 Country: | UK |
| Third Rider 350 Bike: | Norton |
| Fast Rider 250: | Werner Haas |
| Fast Rider 250 Country: | Germany |
| Fast Rider 250 Bike: | NSU |
| First Rider 250: | Werner Haas |
| First Rider 250 Country: | Germany |
| First Rider 250 Bike: | NSU |
| Second Rider 250: | Rupert Hollaus |
| Second Rider 250 Country: | Austria |
| Second Rider 250 Bike: | NSU |
| Third Rider 250: | Reg Armstrong |
| Third Rider 250 Country: | Ireland |
| Third Rider 250 Bike: | NSU |
| Fast Rider 125: | Rupert Hollaus |
| Fast Rider 125 Country: | Austria |
| Fast Rider 125 Bike: | NSU |
| First Rider 125: | Rupert Hollaus |
| First Rider 125 Country: | Austria |
| First Rider 125 Bike: | NSU |
| Second Rider 125: | Carlo Ubbiali |
| Second Rider 125 Country: | Italy |
| Second Rider 125 Bike: | MV Agusta |
| Third Rider 125: | Cecil Sandford |
| Third Rider 125 Country: | UK |
| Third Rider 125 Bike: | MV Agusta |
| Fast Rider Sidecar: | Eric Oliver |
| Fast Rider Sidecar Country: | UK |
| Fast Rider Sidecar Bike: | Norton |
| Fast Passenger Sidecar: | Les Nutt |
| Fast Passenger Sidecar Country: | UK |
| First Rider Sidecar: | Eric Oliver |
| First Rider Sidecar Country: | UK |
| First Passenger Sidecar: | Les Nutt |
| First Passenger Sidecar Country: | UK |
| First Rider Sidecar Bike: | Norton |
| Second Rider Sidecar: | Fritz Hillebrand |
| Second Rider Sidecar Country: | Germany |
| Second Passenger Sidecar: | Manfred Grunwald |
| Second Passenger Sidecar Country: | Germany |
| Second Rider Sidecar Bike: | BMW |
| Third Rider Sidecar: | Willi Noll |
| Third Rider Sidecar Country: | Germany |
| Third Passenger Sidecar: | Fritz Cron |
| Third Passenger Sidecar Country: | Germany |
| Third Rider Sidecar Bike: | BMW |
The 1954 Isle of Man Tourist Trophy was the second race in the 1954 Grand Prix motorcycle racing season and proved highly controversial for TT Course and race changes.[1] The 1954 Junior TT was the first race where the official race distance was reduced from 7 laps to 5 laps. The 1954 Senior TT Race was stopped at half distance due to the weather conditions on the Mountain Section of the course.
The first world championship event for the 1954 Isle of Man TT Races was the 350cc Junior TT Race. The race was led on lap 1 by Fergus Anderson from Gilera team-mate Ken Kavanagh by 10 seconds and Ray Amm riding for Norton a further 6 seconds adrift in 3rd place. On lap 2, Fergus Anderson retired at Kirk Michael with an engine problem and Ken Kavanagh retired at the pits with an engine mis-fire on lap 3. The race was then led by Ray Amm by 24 seconds from Rod Coleman riding for AJS motor-cycles. However, Ray Amm retired at Barregarrow on lap 5 allowing Rod Coleman to become the first New Zealander to win an Isle of Man TT Race at an average race speed of 91.54 mph.[2]
The new 10 lap (107.90 miles) Sidecar TT held on the Clypse Course was led from start to finish by Eric Oliver and passenger Les Nutt riding a Norton outfit with a "dust-bin"[3] fairing at an average speed of 68.87 mph. The Norton outfit of Bill Boddice/J.Pirie hit a bank at Creg-ny-Baa and flipped over on lap 7, but continued on to finish the race in 6th place.[4] The winner of the 1954 Lightweight TT race, Werner Haas crashed at Governor's Bridge on lap 1 of the 1954 Ultra-Lightweight TT Race, also held on the Clypse Course.[4] This allowed Rupert Hollaus to win the race in 1 hour, 33 minutes and 3.4 seconds at an average race speed of 69.57 mph. His victory was notable because he was one of only seven riders to have won an Isle of Man TT race in their first attempt.
In deteriorating weather conditions and with reduced visibility on the Mountain Section of the course the 1954 Senior TT Race was held after a short delay and started at midday. Despite the conditions, Geoff Duke riding the works Gilera set a time of 25 minutes and 41.0 seconds an average speed of 88.18 mph and led Ray Amm riding for Norton by 14 seconds on lap 1.[5] On the second lap, Geoff Duke lapped in 26 minutes and 23 seconds at an average speed of 85.84 mph and Ray Amm lapped at an average speed of 86.49 to reduce the lead to just 2 seconds.[6] Further heavy rain and low cloud on the Mountain Section reduced speed further and the conditions caused John Grace and Ted Frend to retire at the TT Grandstand on lap 2 and Ray Amm used "feet-down"[4] tactics on the slower corners. The leader, Geoff Duke, decided to refuel on lap 3. Ray Amm in second place went straight through without stopping and lapped in 25 minutes and 28 seconds at an average speed of 88.93 mph and now led Geoff Duke by 32 seconds.[6] At the Windy Corner on lap 4, the visibility was down to 20 yards and a decision was made to stop the race because of the conditions. This allowed Ray Amm, due to refueling at the TT Grandstand on lap 4, to win the 1954 Senior TT Race in 1 hour, 42 minutes and 46.8 seconds at an average race speed of 88.12 mph. The controversial decision by race organisers to stop the 1954 Senior TT Race on lap 4, just as the weather started to improve, was protested by the Gilera management.[6] This was on the grounds that the works Norton team were told of the decision allowing Ray Amm to lead the race on lap 3, but the official protest was rejected by the race organisers.[7] During lap 1 of the 1954 Senior TT Race, Simon Sandys-Winsch riding a Junior Velocette crashed at the Highlander and died in hospital a few days later.[4]
10 June 1954 – Mountain Course (4 laps – 150.92 miles)
| Rank | Rider | Team | Speed | Time | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Alistair King | BSA | 85.76 mph | 1:45.36.0 | |
| 2 | Ben Denton | BSA | 85.69 mph | 1:45.41.6 | |
| 3 | Ewan Haldane | BSA | 85.26 mph | 1:46.12.2 | |
| 4 | Tony Ovens | Triumph | 84.47 mph | 1:46.42.2 | |
| 5 | Maurice Baigent | BSA | 84.74 mph | 1:46.51.8 | |
| 6 | Percy Tait | BSA | 84.58 mph | 1:47.05.0 | |
| 7 | Dave Chadwick | Norton | 83.20 mph | 1:47.05.0 | |
| 8 | Eric Cheers | Triumph | 76.53 mph | 1:58.20.0 | |
| 9 | Len King | Triumph | 82.92 mph | 1:50.17.2 | |
| 10 | Eddie Dow | BSA | 81.40 mph | 1:50.33.0 |
10 June 1954 – Mountain Course (4 laps – 150.92 miles)
| Rank | Rider | Team | Speed | Time | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Phillip Palmer | BSA | 81.83 mph | 1:50.39.4 | |
| 2 | Des Wright | BSA | 81.68 mph | 1:51.50.8 | |
| 3 | James Davie | BSA | 81.66 mph | 1:50.54.4 | |
| 4 | Sandy Bowie | BSA | 81.56 mph | 1:51.06.0 | |
| 5 | Geoff Tanner | Norton | 81.54 mph | 1:51.04.0 | |
| 6 | George Arnold | BSA | 81.20 mph | 1:51.30.8 | |
| 7 | Jimmy Buchan | BSA | 80.75 mph | 1:52.08.6 | |
| 8 | Willie Gibson | BSA | 80.05 mph | 1:53.08.0 | |
| 9 | J Muir | Norton | 79.70 mph | 1:53.08.0 | |
| 10 | Bill Robertson | BSA | 78.37 mph | 1:55.33.0 |
14 June 1954 – 5 Laps (188.56 Miles) Mountain Course.
| Place | Rider | Number | Machine | Speed | Time | Points | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Rod Coleman | AJS | 91.51 mph | 2:03.41.8 | 8 | ||
| 2 | Derek Farrant | AJS | 90.14 mph | 2:05.35.0 | 6 | ||
| 3 | Bob Keeler | Norton | 90.03 mph | 2:04.43.6 | 4 | ||
| 4 | Leo T Simpson | AJS | 89.17 mph | 2:06.58.8 | 3 | ||
| 5 | Peter A Davey | Norton | 88.13 mph | 2:08.26.4 | 2 | ||
| 6 | John R Clark | AJS | 90.49 mph | 2:08.26.4 | 1 |
14 June 1954 – 3 Laps (113.00 Miles) Mountain Course.
| Place | Rider | Number | Machine | Speed | Time | Points | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Werner Haas | NSU | 90.88 mph | 1:14.44.4 | 8 | ||
| 2 |  Rupert Hollaus | NSU | 89.99 mph | 1:15.28.6 | 6 | ||
| 3 |  Reg Armstrong | NSU | 89.92 mph | 1:15.31.8 | 4 | ||
| 4 | Hermann Paul Müller | NSU | 88.87 mph | 1:16.25.6 | 3 | ||
| 5 | Fergus Anderson | Moto Guzzi | 86.48 mph | 1:18.32.2 | 2 | ||
| 6 | Hans Baltisberger | NSU | 86.46 mph | 1:18.33.6 | 1 |
16 June 1954 – 10 Laps (107.90 miles) Clypse Course.
| Place | Rider | Number | Machine | Speed | Time | Points | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Rupert Hollaus | NSU | 69.57 mph | 1:33.03.4 | 8 | ||
| 2 |  Carlo Ubbiali | MV Agusta | 69.52 mph | 1:37.07.4 | 6 | ||
| 3 | Cecil Sandford | MV Agusta | 66.35 mph | 1:37.35.8 | 4 | ||
| 4 | Hans Baltisberger | NSU | 65.78 mph | 1:38.25.2 | 3 | ||
| 5 |  Ivor Lloyd | MV Agusta | 62.68 mph | 1:43.16.6 | 2 | ||
| 6 | Brian Purslow | MV Agusta | 60.84 mph | 1:46.24.6 | 1 |
16 June 1954 – 10 Laps (107.90 miles) Clypse Course.
| Place | Rider | Passenger | Number | Machine | Speed | Time | Points | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Eric Oliver | Les Nutt | Norton | 68.87 mph | 1:34.00.2 | 8 | ||
| 2 | Fritz Hillebrand | Manfred Grünwald | BMW | 67.48 mph | 1:35.56.2 | 6 | ||
| 3 | Willi Noll | Fritz Cron | BMW | 65.22 mph | 1:39.16.4 | 4 | ||
| 4 | Walter Schneider | Hans Strauss | BMW | 64.45 mph | 1:40.27.4 | 3 | ||
| 5 |  Jacques Drion | Inge Stoll | Norton | 61.91 mph | 1:41.18.8 | 2 | ||
| 6 | Bill Boddice | John Pirie | Norton | 62.28 mph | 1:43.22.8 | 1 |
Friday 18 June 1954 – 4 Laps (150.74 Miles) Mountain Course. (Reduced Race Distance)
| Place | Rider | Number | Machine | Speed | Time | Points | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ray Amm | 93 | Norton | 88.12 mph | 1:42.46.8 | 8 | |
| 2 | Geoff Duke | 76 | Gilera | 87.19 mph | 1:43.52.6 | 6 | |
| 3 | Jack Brett | 56 | Norton | 86.04 mph | 1:45.15.2 | 4 | |
| 4 | Reg Armstrong | 53 | Gilera | 86.63 mph | 1:45.45.6 | 3 | |
| 5 |  Rudy Allison | 64 | Norton | 83.85 mph | 1:48.06.6 | 2 | |
| 6 |  Gordon Laing | 22 | Norton | 83.85 mph | 1:48.37.2 | 1 |