On May 30, Guy Martin will be joined by more than 200 riders competing in the Isle of Man TT races, racing at an average speed of over 130 mph—and topping 200 mph at times—on the closed public roads. He has escaped many big incidents during his career, but his greatest fear is the routine, settling down, making commitments. Martin, who has contested 11 Isle of Man TTs, has finished on the podium 15 times, seven as runner-up, but never has tasted victory. And this year, his 12th TT, may be his last. He’s racing a Triumph Daytona 675 run by the Smiths Racing Team in Supersport TT.
Cycle World: You are considered an icon of the TT, thanks to your charismatic personality and your vintage style. How do you describe yourself?
Guy Martin: I am not trying to be anyone. I'm not following a special style. I like to wear sideburns. My friend's wife cut my hair. I'm not cool. When I look at the MotoGP guys wearing sunglasses or listening to the music on the grid, well, I have nothing against it, but it's not me. For me, it's just, "Let's go ride!" I like to have a cup of tea between heats of dirt track or during a break at the Isle of Man TT, but definitely not music.
CW: What is the scariest thing you have done in your life?
GM: Competing the Pikes Peak with the Martek Suzuki 1100 Turbo that I built, was particularly challenging due to the elevation. But I will repeat this experience, and I'm already thinking about a special bike for it. And then, the Isle of Man TT, because I've had several serious incidents.
CW: Could be your last TT?
GM: I think this could be my last year because I'm not enjoying it anymore. There are too many people, and it has become difficult to even get out of my van. Because racing is a hobby for me. If I am not enjoying it, there is no reason to do it. Anyway, whatever I do, I'll give it 100 percent. In a race like the TT, you have to be smooth but you have to push 100 percent. If you don't push, you don't win. I have competed 11 years, got some podiums, and I have always given my maximum.
CW: What is the closest you've come to death?
GM: I hit a wall in the North West 200 in 2012. I had a big crash and I came out with just a few bruises while I could have been dead. I was lucky. Another big incident was during the Senior TT of 2010, when I crashed my Honda at over 170 mph, hitting a stone wall and destroying my bike in a huge fireball.
CW: And you were back working as a lorry mechanic within a fortnight...
GM: Work comes first. Bikes are not a lifestyle for me; I'm a lorry mechanic. This is my job, and I'm lucky, because I love my job. I have been doing it since I was 12. I used to work in the local Scania garage on Friday after school, spending the weekend and the school holidays there. I wake up every day at 5:00 a.m., and then I cycle to and from work daily.
CW: What about your next challenges?
GM: I'm working on a Rob North Triumph to do the "Wall of Death" in the UK, a motordrome where you ride vertical walls. I am also I'm studying the possibility to ride by motorcycle from the ocean in Goa, in the deep south of India, to the Everest base camp in the Himalayas in Nepal. And then there is the mountain bike racing—it's an incredible mental and physical effort.
CW: Do you love technology and electronics or you are more a rider of the “old times”?
GM: I love technology. There is a lot of technology in a lorry. I'm keen of Formula 1 because of the technology and I think that, in this respect, motorbikes are still far behind. But they will catch up. I am building and tuning race engines in my spare time. One day I will build a complete bike, all made in Lincolnshire.
CW: How many bikes do you have in your garage?
GM: I have the Martek Suzuki 1100 Turbo that I built to race at Pikes Peak. I worked five years on that bike. Then I have the bike I raced at the TT in 2014, a Suzuki GSX-R Superstock, and now I'm working on the Rob North Triumph to do the "wall of death." What's more? A Bimota V Due and a Honda 450 Flat Track. I am passionate about bikes. Britten is the bike for me—a unique motorcycle. So far, 10 V1000s have been produced. One is in Italy, one is in Holland and five are in the US. One day, I will have one. The colors of my helmet—pink and blue—are a tribute to the Britten.
CW: What is your greatest fear?
GM: Settling down and having commitments. Having a normal life scares me, the wife... I'm not ready to settle down. The routine scares me: Every Sunday you mow the grass, every Saturday you go shopping, you get home at 5 o'clock, you watch the telly, you have your tea. For me, every day is different. I don't have a television or Internet at home. When I want to see a friend, I call him; I don't tweet or go on Facebook. I have no wife or kids, but a dog, a Labrador called Nigel (after Formula 1 World Champion Nigel Mansell).
CW: What is your earliest memory?
GM: Racing with my dad. I was 6 and he really didn't want me racing motorbikes because it was expensive. I also remember building engines since I was a kid. I built a Lorman to cut the grass. I loved it.
CW: What do you owe your parents?
GM: I owe a lot to my parents and I take a lot from them. My father was lorry mechanic and my mother brought up four children. Once we were old enough she went to college and now she is a nurse.
CW: Property aside, what's the most expensive thing you've bought?
GM: I always buy things for work. My American Snap-on . I have spent a lot of money on it.
CW: What would your superpower be?
GM: My toolbox is everything I need, so I don't need any superpower.
CW: When did you last cry, and why?
GM: My ex-girlfriend. She was very special. I'd like to say sorry for cheating on her.
CW: How do you relax?
GM: I have a cup of tea before racing. And when I am at home I like reading, watching movies, and listening to the music. My favorite book? 1984 by George Orwell. Favorite movie? Quentin Tarantino's Jackie Brown and Pulp Fiction. Music? This is my special playlist:
- Led Zeppelin: Ramble On
- Rolling Stone: Gimme Shelter
- Nirvana: Lithium
- Eric Clapton: I’ve Got a Rock and Roll Heart
- Ottis Redding: (Sittin’ On) The Dock of the Bay
- Prodigy: Diesel Power
- Morrissey: Every Day is Like Sunday
- Oasis: Go Let it Out
- Queens of the Sone Age: Go With the Flow
- Ian Brown: F.E.A.R.
CW: And finally what is the limit for you?
GM: In racing we all have different limits, but in life the limit is when I'm not true to myself. I need to be true to Guy Martin.