For two weeks in June the world’s focus is on a small island in the Irish Sea. The Isle of Man TT is the most incredible race that reduces riders and on-lookers to their most basic instincts. It is a race that is regularly touched by tragedy where riders perish in pursuit of going faster than most believe is possible.

John McGuinness has seen both sides of the coin at the TT with 23 victories offering the highpoint in contrast to the number of friends and rivals that have met their end on the roads. Having achieved all that he has on a bike what is it that drives McGuinness to still compete at the TT at 43 years of age?

“It’s a good question and I wish someone could answer it for me because I honestly don’t know,” said McGuinness. “This island has just got a hold of me. This is my 20th year racing year and I’ve had 90 starts and ridden every type of bike here whether it’s a two-stroke, a four-stroke, a single cylinder, a V twin; I’ve ridden everything.”

“It’s just such a beautiful island and a special circuit. It’s the oldest track in the world and the longest track. If anyone ever wins one they’ll probably understand why you do come back. But it’s just a beautiful island that produces some spectacular stuff. I’ve had a bit of success here. I’ll keep plugging away until I stop enjoying it, I stop being competitive, and I’ll hang my boots.”

McGuinness doesn’t look like being uncompetitive any time soon with two podiums racked up again this year to bring his tally to 46 rostrum finishes. This year was his twentieth on the island and surrounded by some of the most significant bikes of his career the lustre of road racing was clear.

“All of my bikes tell me a story straight away as soon as I look back at them. I think to myself about races and remember this or that. Obviously the first win is probably important but it was a long time ago now. But it was a special day. I was on the TSR 250, I was leading the British Championship on that bike, and I won my first TT with a lap record.”

“It was actually a bit of an anticlimax when I won it. I didn’t know how to celebrate. I could have done a nude streak or whatever because I didn’t know what to do! It was just all happening and that was it.”

“When I won my first big bike race in 2004 on the Yamaha R1 that was a special day for me. I beat Dave Jefferies’ lap record in that race. The TT was in a bit of a tough time after Dave got killed and in ’04 and ’05 it was sort of in the doldrums a little bit. It’s picked up again and now it’s pretty big but the first 130mph lap in 2007 was really special.”

“I like the electric bikes but I could talk forever about all my bikes because they’re all pretty special to me. They all play a big part in my TT career and the success that I’ve had over here for 20 years.”

20 years is a very fitting milestone for reminiscing and to evaluate the changes that have taken place over the course of the passage of time. “It wasn’t like this in my day…” is one of the most common phrases bandied about throughout life. The TT however is just like it was “back in the day” as far as the on track riding is concerned but what about the changes that McGuinness has witnessed inside the paddock over his career?

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