TT Superfan Graeme Crate Dies

If there was ever a man who lived and breathed the TT, it was Graeme Crate.

For 44 years straight, he made his annual pilgrimage to the Isle of Man, setting up camp at Glen Lough in the exact same spot since 1981.

Come rain or shine, Graeme was there, a TT t-shirt permanently glued to his back, a mug of tea never far from hand, and a love for road racing that never wavered.

Sadly, earlier this month, Graeme passed away after a battle with acute myeloid leukaemia.

He may not have had immediate family—having suffered the tragic loss of his wife and sons—but in true TT spirit, he found family in the friends he made on the island.

The TT wasn’t just a race for Graeme; it was his home, his people, his life.

88-year-old motorcycle fan Graeme Crate, who has visited the island for every TT races for the last 44 years aboard the same bike –

His love affair with the event began in the late ‘70s, when he first rolled onto Manx shores with a bunch of mates equally obsessed with two and three-wheeled speed.

Over the years, he became the last surviving member of that original group, but that didn’t stop him from keeping their tradition alive.

Graeme being Graeme, he quickly found new friends—usually over a brew in a neighbour’s tent—and became a fixture at Glen Lough, swapping stories, tinkering with bikes, and generally being part of the TT furniture.

For 34 years, he rode his beloved 1961 BMW R69 sidecar STEIB 501 from Surrey to Liverpool, onto the ferry, and straight back to his sacred patch of grass at Glen Lough. In later years, when the long journey became a bit much, he made sure the bike still got there, roping in a mate to transport it so he wouldn’t miss out.

Even in his final days, his TT family rallied around him. His close friend Debbie McAllister, who met Graeme at Glen Lough back in 1988, summed it up perfectly:

‘He’s got mates everywhere, from Switzerland to Cornwall. When he was in hospital, people travelled from all over to see him. The TT was his family.’

88-year-old motorcycle fan Graeme Crate, who has visited the island for every TT races for the last 44 years aboard the same bike. Pictured with Peter Quayle of Glenlough campsite

A man of strong opinions and zero tolerance for nonsense, Graeme had a few legendary moments over the years. Debbie recalls one particularly brilliant encounter:

‘One year at the TT, he got up early and marched down to Barregarrow to claim his perfect viewing spot. A young lad rocked up and stood in his way, and Graeme, being Graeme, told him exactly where to go. Turns out, it was Ian Hutchinson, scoping out the racing line. Graeme didn’t have a clue who he was – and didn’t care either!’

Beyond the TT, Graeme was a well-respected figure in the BMW biking community. ‘Massively well-respected,’ says Debbie. ‘In Germany, in all sorts of places, everybody in BMW circles would have known Graeme. He was still working on bikes right up to the end—he had this ancient, tattered book full of numbers and contacts. Just incredible.’

Now, in a fitting tribute, his legendary BMW sidecar has returned to the Isle of Man, where it currently rests at Glen Lough. Plans are in place to get it preserved in a museum, ensuring Graeme’s TT legacy lives on.