Interviews

Ten things you didn't know you needed to know about ........

I met Peter Hickman at this year's Bike Show @ the Excel and he very kindly answered some questions for me. 

Peter is a 2019 Superbike, Superstock and Supersport TT 2 race winner; 2nd in the Senior and Supersport 1 and the Joey Dunlop TT Championship winner. In 2018 he won the Isle of Man Senior TT race with a new outright lap record of 135.452mph; the Isle of Man Superstock TT race winner with a new lap record of 134.403mph and came 2nd and 3rd in the Supersport Isle of Man TT races.

Peter had five podiums from five races at the 2017 Isle of Man TT races – second (Superbike and Senior) and third (Supersport 1 & 2, Lightweight); was winner of the 2014 Newcomers Trophy and has now finished 25 races at the TT, standing on the podium on 14 occasions and winning 24 silver and 1 bronze replica.

In 2014 Peter was the fastest newcomer in TT history with a 129mph+ lap and he also achieved this feat at the North West 200 and Ulster Grand Prix in the same year; was a triple Macau Grand Prix winner, with victory in 2015, 2016 and 2018 and finished second in 2017. Peter is also a 13-time winner of the Ulster Grand Prix winner including seven wins from seven starts in 2019 and a hat-trick in 2017; the North West 200 race winner in 2018 and 2019 and the British Superbike Championship race winner and won the 2016 BSB Rider’s Cup. In 2017 he was fourth overall in the British Superbike Championship in 2017 and in 2018 was fifth overall.

1. What is the best feeling about being on a motorbike?

There is no other feeling like it.

2. What is the one thing people would never know about you just by looking at you?

There are too many to list!

3. What was your most embarrassing moment on a motorbike?

When I went out of the pits at Cadwell Park going down to the race start and I crashed it!!!

4. What is the worst thing your mum caught you doing as a kid?

Oh blimey… um ….. [Apparently he couldn't think of anything!!!!]

5. Do you have a lucky thing/ritual before the start of a race?

No.

6. What was the first motorbike you owned?

A Kawasaki AR50 when I was 12 years old which I bought myself.

7. What is your favourite stretch of road to ride on (not including a race track)?

I don’t ride on the road. [!!!]

8. If you hadn’t been a racer, what would you have been?

A fighter pilot.

9. Would you ride pillion? If so, who with?

Yes, but only with Valentino Rossi.

10. If you got arrested, what would your friends and family assume you had done?

Oh there’s too many to list……!!!!!

BK

I met Neil Hodgson at this year's Bike Show @ the Excel and he very kindly answered some questions for me.

Neil is a former British motorcycle racer who won the 2000 British Superbike Championship, and the 2003 Superbike World Championship titles. He then went on to have a successful four years in the American Superbike Championship, with a best 5th place championship finish.

1. What is the best feeling about being on a motorbike?

That you are completely free and no one is talking to you, it’s just you and your thoughts.

2. What is the one thing people would never know about you just by looking at you?

That I am not a very confident person!

3. What was your most embarrassing moment on a motorbike?

When I was with some mates and I pulled a wheelie, flipped it and came off. What a dick!

4. What is the worst thing your mum caught you doing as a kid?

Shoplifting. It did not go down well!

5. Do you have a lucky thing/ritual before the start of a race?

No.

6. What was the first motorbike you owned?

A 125 Honda motorcross bike in about 1993.

7. What is your favourite stretch of road to ride on (not including a race track)?

I live on the Isle of Man and I love the mountain road at night.

8. If you hadn’t been a racer, what would you have been?

A builder, that was what I was when I left school.

9. Would you ride pillion? If so, who with?

Yes, but only with my business partner, Neil McKenzie.

10. If you got arrested, what would your friends and family assume you had done?

Shoplifting :-) :-) :-) No, just kidding, probably speeding!!!

BK

I met John McGuiness at this year's Bike Show @ the Excel and he very kindly answered some questions for me.

John is the second all-time Isle of Man TT winner with 23 victories, second only to Joey Dunlop and has taken more podiums (47) than any other rider in the history of the Isle of Man TT races. John held the Isle of Man TT outright lap record for ten years (2004-2014), is a six times winner at the North West 200 with 21 podiums and two times winner at the Ulster Grand Prix with five podiums. He won the 2001 Macau Grand Prix, the 1999 250cc British Champion and came third in the 2001 British Supersport Championship.

1. What is the best feeling about being on a motorbike?

The freedom you get with just you and your bike.

2. What is the one thing people would never know about you just by looking at you?

That I am a lot heavier than you would think!

3. What was your most embarrassing moment on a motorbike?

In 2001 when I crashed my SP1 down the middle of the High Street and ended up under a Mark V Escort.

4. What is the worst thing your mum caught you doing as a kid?

When I was 4 years old I cycled off on my bicycle and had to be brought back to my mum in the back of a police car.

5. Do you have a lucky thing/ritual before the start of a race?

Yes, on my helmet I have a voodoo doll to ward off evil spirits and I also put a lucky penny down my leathers.

6. What was the first motorbike you owned?

It was a Suzuki AP50, but the first bike I rode was an Italjet 50 when I was 3 years old.

7. What is your favourite stretch of road to ride on (not including a race track)?

The road from Morecambe to Devils Bridge.

8. If you hadn’t been a racer, what would you have been?

I wanted to be a motorbike mechanic but my dad said I had to learn a trade and so I did that in bricklaying.

9. Would you ride pillion? If so, who with?

Yes, but only with Michael Rutter.

10. If you got arrested, what would your friends and family assume you had done?

That I’d put red diesel in my van!

BK

I met John Reynolds at this year's Bike Show @ the Excel and he very kindly answered some questions for me. 

John is a former 1992, 2001 and 2004 British Superbike Champion and is an all time great of BSB. With 202 starts, John had 37 career wins and 117 podiums which makes him one of a select few riders to finish on the podium in over half of his career wins.

1. What is the best feeling about being on a motorbike?

The freedom.

2. What is the one thing people would never know about you just by looking at you?

That I used to ride motorbikes!

3. What was your most embarrassing moment on a motorbike?

Scott Spar beating me in the Irish round of the BSB. I had a 1.9 second lead when on turn 3 I lost the front end and on the last corner I got overtaken. When I got back to the pits, I threw my spanners across the garage.

4. What is the worst thing your mum caught you doing as a kid?

Smoking. She wasn't very happy about it, I can tell you!

5. Do you have a lucky thing/ritual before the start of a race?

Ooo, I had a few - I had to put my right leg in my leathers first; then my right boot on first; when I put my helmet on I had to be looking in the direction of the circuit; I also used to have to use the urinal that I used first at the circuit for all of the weekend.

6. What was the first motorbike you owned?

A Honda 50 when I was 7 years old.

7. What is your favourite stretch of road to ride on (not including a race track)?

Oh that would be the road from Nottingham to Matlock.

8. If you hadn’t been a racer, what would you have been?

I trained as a sign writer before racing full time.

9. Would you ride pillion? If so, who with?

Yes, but only with my brother-in-law. I went pillion on the back of a 350 Yamaha when I was 17 and it was the worst ride I’ve ever had and it put me off.

10. If you got arrested, what would your friends and family assume you had done?

They would just be flabbergasted if I got arrested!

BK