"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.
