An emotional John McGuinness admitted he was “blown away” by a special parade lap held at the Classic TT to celebrate his illustrious 30-year Isle of Man career.

The 23-time TT winner made his debut in 1996 on a Paul Bird Motorsport Honda RS250, setting the Morecambe man on a path that would change his life.

McGuinness became one of the TT’s greatest ever names and the English rider appeared on track to take over from Northern Ireland road racing legend Joey Dunlop as the event’s most successful rider.

However, several injury setbacks ultimately thwarted those prospects following his final TT triumph in 2015, when he won the prestigious Senior race for the seventh time.

placeholder image — John McGuinness at St Ninian's on his iconic 2007 HM Plant Honda during a special parade lap held at the Classic TT celebrating his 30-year TT career. (Photo by Callum Staley/Pacemaker Press)

McGuinness remains the third most successful TT rider ever behind Michael Dunlop (36) and Joey (26), and is firmly established as one of the TT’s all-time greats.

On Tuesday, some of his most iconic TT machines were ridden around the legendary 37.73-mile course by ten of his former rivals and friends in the John McGuinness MBE Parade, which also featured famous bikes he had raced against.

Ian Lougher had the honour of leading the parade on McGuinness’s 1996 Honda RS250, while Ballymoney man Dunlop set off on the 2004 Yamaha UK R1 McGuinness rode to victory in the 2004 Superbike TT – his first big bike success on the island.

Unfortunately, Dunlop only made it as far as Quarterbridge due to an issue with the machine.

McGuinness’s younger brother Kurt rode his 2015 EMC2 Honda Fireblade Superstock machine.

Peter Hickman, a 14-time TT winner, did the parade lap on the Valmoto Triumph Daytona on which Bruce Anstey won the 2003 Junior 600cc TT.

Scotsman Keith Amor rode the HM Plant Honda Fireblade Superstock which took him to second in the 2007 Superstock TT, while Dean Harrison put McGuinness’s 2026 factory Honda Superbike through its paces.

The machine was decked out a special livery paying homage to his 1996 PBM Honda RS250.

Harrison, this year’s Superbike and Senior TT winner, clocked a blistering lap of 131.6mph from a standing start and later quipped: “I had to do it really as we were celebrating a very fast man!”

McGuinness himself rode the HM Plant Honda Fireblade on which he recorded the first 130mph lap around the TT course on his way to victory in the 2007 Senior race.

“It’s amazing, overwhelming at times and I’m blown away by it all and the support from everybody over 30 years; all the memories, the tears, the laughing, the winning, the losing, the injuries – some of the boys we’ve lost over the years as well,” McGuinness told Manx Radio, as he watched Lougher set off from Glencrutchery Road on his beloved 250.

“He was a wily old fox Ian Lougher, he was a hard man to beat but a dead fair man and you could always ride wheel-to-wheel with him. I learned a lot from him and I used to look up to Ian because he was a 250 man at the time – he had the 250 lap record in 1990.

“It took us nine years to beat his lap record but I took it off him all those years later. But he still looks the part for 60-odd years old.

“It’s just a shame Paul Bird wasn’t here to see it because if it wasn’t for Birdy, I wouldn’t be stood here now, that’s for sure.

“To go that full circle of seeing those bikes is making me feel a bit choked up. I did my fastest ever six laps around the TT course on that bike [2026 Honda Racing Fireblade] and there’s no better man on it than Dean Harrison.”

McGuinness marked the celebrations at the Classic TT in perfect style, winning the Historic Senior race on Roger Winfield’s Paton on Monday for his first victory since at the event since 2019. The 54-year-old also claimed a podium in the Historic Junior race, finishing third behind Ulsterman Paul Jordan and Dominic Herbertson.

Reflecting on his lap on his 2007-winning HM Plant Honda, McGuinness said the experience had been “really, really special”.

“It was really, really special – really special,” he told Isle of Man Today.

“Seeing all my bikes out there, some of your old colleagues, some of your rivals, new, old. Really, really special, and you know, all my bikes sort of all come back around.

“It actually felt like I was off out for a Formula One or a Senior TT. I just got a bit nervous, really, but sitting back on the HM Plant bike was good, you know, just a shame the clutch started slipping a bit.

“But through St Ninian’s, that goes away; pretty special, really, really special.”

McGuinness wore a specially commissioned helmet for the occasion which was designed as a tribute to the Isle of Man and featured famous Manx landmarks such as the Laxey Wheel and the Palace Ballroom.

“I love the Isle of Man,” he added.

“It means a lot to me, and it always will,” he said.

“It’s always got a big place on my heart.”

McGuinness has no plans to retire just yet and recently said he would “get round a table with Honda” to discuss his options for 2027.