“They were ridiculous times. After I won my World Championship in 1976, I went to Japan.”

I thought: This is not racing, it’s a suicide mission.

I race in two or three classic races a year and I may carry on for 10 more years or I may stop tomorrow.

Endless motorbike talk can and does bore me.

I vowed I would do everything I could to stop the Isle of Man counting towards the World Championship. And it was stopped, so they love me in the Isle of Man.

The advantage of the rain is that, if you have a quick bike, there’s no advantage.

Nobody within motorcycling has or deserves any respect.

Don’t wait for your ship to come in, swim out and meet the bloody thing.

The victorious performance itself is merely the demonstration of their championship character.

If it weren’t for a new rule that came into being, we’d have played three years in a row in the championship game.

You’ve got to be a Lakers fan growing up in L.A. with all these championships.

I want to win four or five championship rings. That’s how I dream. I dream big.

A true champion will fight through anything.

A true champion can adapt to anything.

Boxing is a dying sport, really. Years ago, the world heavyweight champion could be said to have reached the highest pinnacle of sport. Even in this country, boxers were heroes. Think of Henry Cooper and Frank Bruno.

It’s a great feeling to be the WBC champ of the world, but there’s more to gain from this.