Gerry Waters General practitioner, TV doctor
What was your first machine?
A Honda Benley 125 - back in 1968.
What attracted you to it, and indeed motorbikes? It was big and chunky looking for a 125cc - back in the days of big, little motor bikes where a 500 cc was a monster.
How much did it cost?
I have no recollection of its cost but I know I sold it for more when I moved up to a 350 Triumph - an ex-police bike which I bought for £17.
What is your current machine and what did it cost?
My current bike is a K1200 LT BMW. I bought it in Germany and it cost approximately £5,000 less than it would have cost here.
How much do you spend on gear? Can't remember how much I spent on my gear but I buy practical, safe gear , not on the basis of a label or logo.
What do you use your bike for? Getting from A to B and the further apart they are the better - I love long journeys.
What's been your longest journey on the bike?
I toured Scotland on my last bike - a Harley Davidson which looking back on it was brave given their reliability! I also rode my current bike back from Germany through Luxembourg, Belgium and France. And travelled through the Chunnel, which was disappointing . . . all in 24 hours.
What's your next bike likely to be?
Very difficult to better the K1200 but I would like to try a 1300 Pan European and see how it compares.
Is speed the main cause of bike accidents?
As a casualty officer in a hospital I have seen the result of road traffic accidents. I accept that speed adds to the injuries but the principal cause of accidents is stupidity not speed.