HE'D only been back in Wanganui for a couple of minutes, but Britain's famous Isle of Man TT racer Guy Martin was already making sure to pick up a bit more of the Kiwi lingo as he prepares for another fun tour before Boxing Day's Cemetery Circuit.
The popular rider and television presenter touched down with his father, Ian, at Wanganui airport yesterday after a direct flight from London to Auckland.
Suzuki Series organiser Alan "Flea" Willacy was there to greet him and said just like his visit last year, Martin could not wait to go hang out in the garages and sheds of the racing fraternity, and being a student of all things built for speed and engineering, the 33-year-old was in his element.
"He loves the good-natured people - easy going, great time," said Willacy.
"He doesn't get hassled here, he goes to the Bike Shed, just gets a bike and goes ... to Rotorua for mountain biking.
"He'll probably go down and drive the [Wanganui] tram today."
Martin says the locals who put either racing machines or their own gadgets together in their back sheds, while sharing their stories, are who he loves meeting - being in an element he is finding less of back home as this modern, social-media world progresses.
"I'll go wherever, I met a lot of interesting people last year.
"The Circuit's good, but it's just the people, the weather and some of the stuff [I'm shown], the boys we met last year."
But when told he must come from that same "Number 8 wire" mentality - the quick-witted English lorry mechanic had to pause.
"Number 8 wire. What's that?"
When it was explained this meant Kiwi ingenuity - the ability to create or repair machinery with whatever is lying around - Martin understood, much like the universal use for "duct tape" back home.
Number 8 wire mentality was used by Christchurch's John Britten when he created the famous Britten V1000 bike in the 1990s, and Willacy had some good news for Martin to begin this second Wanganui tour.
"We've got a special thing for him on December 23 at Manfeild."
Martin has mentioned many times just how much he covets the Britten, once saying if money was no object it is the only possession he would ever want.
He will now, after mentioning it last year, finally get his chance to ride it.
"For me, that's the greatest motorbike ever - to get to go on that is mega. To even stand beside it is mega."
But Martin made it clear, he is not back in Wanganui to be a tourist.
There is unfinished business from 2013 where, as the featured rider for the final Cemetery Circuit round of the series, Martin took his Suzuki NZ-supplied GSXR1000 to finish behind the Formula 1 leaders, coming about sixth.
He did enter the CL Solo event and set a new lap record.
"Yeah, nothing special, but then I'd never ridden the bike until the morning practice.
"It was a mega bike, but it had been sat a while. This time, I will get to practise at Manfeild."
Martin will ride another Suzuki NZ GSXR1000 - the second bike of Kiwi Sloan Frost - in the F1 series, as well as a Manx Norton in the CL Solos.
"I'm not here to make up the numbers. The local boys, none of them are slackers."
On Tuesday night, Martin will give a talk at the Wanganui Racecourse, in a follow-up to his very well-received interview evening last year. He is more than up for a good encore."It depends on what subject we're talking about. But I've always got lots to talk about."
Tickets are available from Joe Letts in Churton Street.