Declan McGuire, IT manager
Your bike? A Kawasaki GT750.
Why this particular bike? My commute is 60 miles a day in all weathers. I needed something big and comfortable enough to cruise motorways, but slim enough to squeeze through gridlocked traffic. This bike had a reputation for doing high mileages with minimum maintenance, and this one happened to be in a local dealer at the time. It's been utterly reliable, but like me, it's beginning to show signs of age.
Why two rather than four wheels? Like many people, I initially rode a bike because I couldn't get insured on a car as a 20-year-old. Now it wouldn't make sense to commute any other way. If I have to take the car for work it adds another two hours to my day and I have to pay to park it. The bike is quicker, less expensive, free to park, and a lot less stressful.
Did you do any training course before you took to two wheels? Originally, no, but back then there was nothing available locally. Today there is. I've had a fair bit of training at this stage and I'll probably do more.
Do you hold a full or provisional licence for your bike? Full licence!
Do you drive a car? Yes, I've got a family so I couldn't be without a car. Bikes are my first choice of transport, but they have their limitations, especially for shopping with a toddler in tow.
Any family resistance to your riding a bike? When I first met my wife I didn't have a car, so she's fine with it having spent long enough on the bike with me to know how I ride. My parents were concerned for me when I started out. My dad had bikes before he got married, so that probably influenced them more than anything else.
Ever had an accident on the bike? Not on my current bike. I had a few minor scares starting out. I've not had a serious accident since 1990 when I was riding pillion on a friend's bike and he lost control and crashed. He was best man at my wedding, so it worked out okay in the end!
Motorcycle fatalities are rising - do you worry about survival? No, but I'm aware of my vulnerability - maybe it's an experience thing. 2003 has been a bad year for bike fatalities - one fatality is one too many. One of the big problems we have is that the authorities collect no real data on how or why these accidents are happening. A couple of years ago, Ireland declined the opportunity to take part in the Europe-wide MAIDS study, which set out to find how and why bikers were getting injured and killed. Despite this, the Irish Motorcycle Action Group (MAG) and the wider biking community have made some good progress on safety. We now have the Irish Rider Training Association, so there are affordable qualified instructors in almost every county in Ireland. So overall, things are improving.
Any trips abroad on two wheels? Oddly, no. Every time the opportunity arose, something else got in the way. There's time yet though . . .
What about the bond that links bikers closer than motorists? I suppose it's lots of things really. If you saw a bike broken down on the roadside, you'd almost always stop to see if there was anything you can do. If you see a car in similar circumstances, you'd barely notice it. On a bike, you're more involved in the environment in which you travel than you are in a car, so a biker is more perceptive. I think that's part of it, the experience of riding, the freedom of it, thinking differently.
Your worst experience with motorists? I drive a car regularly, so I see things from both sides. You get the odd one doing something silly. A driver once overtook me in dense fog and then hit a wheelie bin. To be honest, most motorists are fine. The biggest problem is inattention. That's partly fed by the car industry itself, because it promotes the isolation that a car provides from the environment in which it's used. If you took all the doors off your car, you'd make sure to look very carefully before you pulled out of a junction. Ultimately, we're all responsible for our own actions on the roads as pedestrians, cyclists, drivers, or motorcyclists. It's up to all of us to raise our standards.
Any bike issues for the Minister for Transport? Firstly, let bikes in bus lanes - it improves safety and it works all over Europe. Secondly, all Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) is VAT exempt, but motorcycle helmets are not - why? What other piece of compulsory safety equipment is subject to VAT? Thirdly, we need Direct Access as set out in the EU Directive on licensing.
The minister is bringing in compulsory basic training for motorcyclists only, though there is clear evidence that most bike-car accidents are the fault of the motorist. In fairness, he has hinted that compulsory training will be extended to all road users.
If you won the lottery what would be your dream bike? A Ducati 916 - it's iconic and for my money it's simply the most beautiful bike ever built. Then again, if I won the lottery, I'd have a stable full of exotic bikes!