No Limit

From Wigan, George Shuttleworth is a chimney sweep who dreams of winning the Isle of Man TT. When his bid to land a factory ride with the Rainbow Motorcycle Company falls through, he tacks on a homemade solution: a bike of his own design, the Shuttleworth Snap, derived from an old Rainbow machine. This homebuilt machine becomes the centerpiece of his stubborn effort to prove himSelf on the race circuit.

During a test run, he accidentally knocks the bike off its stand and crashes into the fence of his next‑door neighbor, Mr Hardacre, who relentlessly taunts him about his TT dream. The setback only strengthens his resolve to find a way to the race.

Undeterred, he asks his mother to lend £5 for the journey to the Isle of Man. She cannot give him the money directly, so she tries to borrow it from Grandpa Shuttleworth, who keeps his savings hidden in the lining of the settee. With funds secured from his grandfather, the young racer makes his way by train to Liverpool and then boards the steamer bound for Douglas.

As the ship pulls away, he spots some of the top TT competitors arriving aboard, including Bert Tyldesley, who travels with the Rainbow Motorcycle Company boss’s secretary, Florrie Dibney. George even tries to join a group photograph with Tyldesley and another rider, Norton, but a stray cargo crate steams toward them. In a split‑second act of courage to save Florrie Dibney from the danger, he pushes her aside and watches her hat tumble over the side of the ship.

Desperate to reclaim the hat, George descends the ship’s side on a rope, just as the deck hands cast off. The rope is hauled up at the last moment, and in the commotion he slips into the water, narrowly avoiding disaster.

Despite the peril, he reaches the start with seconds to spare. He rides with furious speed, taking advantage of rivals’ crashes and blown engines as he closes in on the finish. With yards to go, his bike conks out, but he fights to push the Shuttleworth Snap across the line, finishing a split‑second ahead of his closest competitor. The victory is sweet, and in the celebratory moments he finds himself paired with Florrie Dibney, marking a surprising win both on the track and off.

Last Updated: October 09, 2025 at 11:16