Within the 108 solo riders selected for Monday 4th June’s lap are riders who, between them, can boast an amazing 74 TT wins and innumerable rostrums. And the sidecar boys, and girls for that matter, have a total of 7 wins from just 29 outfits accepted.

With a record entry to handle in the Centenary year, and the obvious disappointment for those who failed to get a ride this year, the organisers have had a thankless task with selection, but have done a great job of selecting quality over quantity.

It isn’t just the star riders that will make this years TT special; the line up of genuine ex TT machinery will be without equal in the Lap of Honour’s history. A measure of the respect that Honda Motor Company Japan have for the TT is the line up of bikes shipped from the factory museum for the event.

Jim Redman, who travels from South Africa to take part, Swiss Luigi Taveri, Stuart Graham along Irish heroes Tommy Robb and Ralph Bryans, who between them have 12 TT wins, are all being reunited with Honda factory machinery on which they enjoyed TT success.

From Holland former Yamaha factory mechanic Ferry Brouwer is providing no less than 11 of his priceless Yamaha collection to riders like Michelle (Mike) Duff, from Canada, Rod Gould, Chas Mortimer and Aussie Kel Carruthers.

The nostalgia feast continues on Friday 8th of June, with the Motor Cycle News TT Centenary Parade of Champions. In a field of TT champions which is, without doubt, the best ever assembled, there are 144 first place trophies shared by a field of just 39 former TT stars. The entry, Carl Fogarty, through to Mick Grant and John Surtees, reads like a who’s who of TT racing.

Adding a little international flavour and joining them on the lap will be former World Champion Kevin Schwantz and WSB stars Nori Haga and Neil Hodgson.