Isle of Man TT legend John McGuinness says Honda reunification was 'meant to be' and hails team-mate Dean Harrison impact

The 23-time winner re-joined Honda in 2022 after splitting from the manufacturer in 2018 in the wake of a crash in qualifying at the North West 200 the previous year, which left the Morecambe rider with a badly broken right leg among other injuries.

He rode briefly for Norton in 2019 and signed with Bournemouth Kawasaki for 2020, but the Covid pandemic wiped out the major road races for the next two years.

McGuinness, though, feels his reunification with Honda in 2022 was ‘meant to be’ and has no intention of passing up the opportunity to ride the Honda CBR1000RR-R Fireblade at the North West 200 and TT while the offer is there and when he still remains fit and competitive.

“I don’t want to sound disrespectful to anybody else but if there was somebody potentially a lot faster than I was, then they’d get a Honda ride, wouldn’t they?” said McGuinness, who is preparing for his 35th season of racing.

“To me, to line up on the grid with my Honda shirt on, I’m proud of that and nobody can take that away from me.

“My role now is slightly changing, I still get to ride the bikes and it’s lovely that Honda just go ‘there’s a bike, enjoy it, wherever you finish we’ll support you’, and I hope I can bring more than just a result for the brand.

“Nothing would give me greater pleasure than to see the brand right back at the sharp end, especially with Dean.

“Dean doesn’t mince his words, he gets on with the job and he pushes hard, he pushes right to the end of the envelope on any bike he’s on.”

Looking back at the years after his NW200 accident in 2017, McGuinness – who will be 53 in April – admits it was a trying period in his illustrious career.

“The Honda relationship in 2017 went a little bit pear-shaped and it was sort of like getting divorced when you didn’t want to, if that makes sense,” he said.

“There was a lot of stuff going on at that time and it was a hard time, you know. For me, it was quite tough because I’d been in such a (winning) rhythm for so long.

“I made that decision to ride the Norton which in hindsight probably wasn’t the best decision, then I was going to go Kawasaki, then Covid; sometimes the stars just line up and it was meant to be for me to be back at Honda I think.

“That’s the top and bottom of it and it was like slipping on an old pair of slippers I suppose."

McGuinness returned to the podium at the North West 200 last year, taking third in the Superstock race after a last-lap tussle with James Hillier. It was his first rostrum at the event in 12 years.

At the TT, he claimed a best result of fifth in the blue riband Senior, sixth in the Superbike race and seventh in the Superstock event.

McGuinness may not be among the hot favourites for race wins at this stage in his career, but he remains a solid top-six contender and still enjoys his racing as much as he ever did.

“I get a different buzz now which is super weird, because people probably can’t understand it,” he said.

“If I get passed I get passed, but I get passed with respect, they’re not trying to stick me through a hedge.

“I actually really enjoy being in the hotseat watching what they’re doing because I’ve been in that situation before; not learning anything because there’s nothing for me to pick up off them, they’ve just stepped it up a gear.

“But to follow Hicky for three or four miles, or Todd or Dunlop for three or four miles, it’s quite a nice place to be.

“When the flag comes out and you’re fifth, sixth or whatever – fifth in the Senior (in 2024) – a lot of riders would take that.

“My lap times are still the same, they’ve flattened out a little bit but them big bikes take some holding onto and people don’t understand that.”

McGuinness will concentrate on the Superbike and Superstock classes on the roads again this year.

While he is not under the same pressure as he was when he was expected to win every June at the TT, he knows better than anyone that there is absolutely no room for complacency.

“It’s the big bike and stocker for me, four races (at the TT) which is enough, same at the North West. We’ll do the Oulton Park BSB because you need to get that for your licence, plus you need to sharpen your pencil a little bit,” he said.

“I’ve got this opportunity, I love it, I enjoy it, I ride trick bikes and there’s tons of cool stuff that goes on, so there’s always something that keeps your attention.

"The same pressure’s not there, but you’ve got to concentrate, do the testing, and keep your eye on the ball.”