Philip Noone, owner of NMC
Rides: KTM 950S (Road) and Gas Gas EC250 (off road)
Tell us why you chose these machines? The KTM 950S is the only road bike for me in the KTM road range, purely because of its pedigree. This machine is a direct road version of the 950 Adventure on which the late great Fabrizio Meoni won the Paris Dakar Rally in 2003. The Gas Gas EC250 is for me the best and most competitive Enduro bike on the market at present.
Have you always been into bikes? Well, I rode on the back of my older brother's AS125 before I could walk, so I guess the rest is history.
Have you ever had rider training? No, fortunately I was brought up at a time when you mounted a bike and if you could keep it going that was it, that was your pre-test.
What's your four-wheeled transport? A Mercedes Vito.
Does your wife mind you biking? In fact my wife prefers me Enduro racing to any road driving in Ireland, because it has become so dangerous over here because car drivers are not being trained to be aware of motorcyclists.
Do you worry about the dangers of biking and racing? I worry more about the stopping power of any motorcycle I drive on the road over here, because the majority of motorcycle accidents are as a result of four-wheel drivers pulling across or in front of motorcyclists.
What do you use your KTM and Gas Gas for? The KTM 950 is a workhorse during the week for business use on the congested roads in Dublin. The Gas Gas EC250 is for my second passion, Enduro racing, and is used to compete in the Irish/British and ISDE competitions.
Have you ever had any spills or accidents on or off-road? On the road I have had two accidents. One was when a car pulled out in front of me and the second was driver error. On the off-road there have been a few offs over the years, but nothing serious.
Do you enjoy watching motor sports? Whether it's Enduro, Supermoto, Motocross or the GP, I am hooked when I am not racing myself.
I even had to get my own TV so as not to affect my wife's viewing of her soaps. Actually I have to give a thumbs-up to RTÉ, because the best move they have ever made was covering the World Moto GP this year. I think most of us had switched off from Formula 1 because the racing was just not in it anymore, and the Moto GP really shows the thrills of raw racing.
Have you taken any biking trips abroad? I covered most of Europe on an FT500 single when I finished college. The rest of Europe still awaits.
What are your suggestions on how to improve conditions for bikers in this country? I believe the Irish road licence exam for car drivers needs to be altered to include one complete testing section on how to react when driving with motorcyclists on the road. This has been the case in Germany, France, Italy and Spain for many years, and when you ride a motorcycle in these countries you can sense how aware each four-wheeled driver is to a motorcyclist.
And your tips for survival? Make sure you have good brakes and tyres and a top of the range helmet, and always think one step ahead of the car driver because you will always have to be the first to react.
What bikes would you love to ride? How long do we have! For the road I would say an MV Agusta, but when I get one of those it is going over my mantelpiece and staying there.
For off-road I will and do dream about the new fuel injected Gas Gas 250 4-stroke, but that is still in development.
- PATRICIA WESTON