Ray Lacey, Ambulance EMT Advanced Paramedic
Your bikes? Honda Pan-European and Honda 400 Super-Four
Why these bikes? The pan-European is my main bike. It is comfortable, and a good all-rounder with enough power to get you into trouble if you are so inclined. It also has good luggage capacity with two side boxes and a big top box. And the full fairing keeps most of the inclement Irish weather off. I got the smaller Honda as a run-around, but unfortunately I don't get the use out of it so I will probably sell it later in the year, as I find it very small compared to the Pan.
What attracted you to biking? I bought my first bike when I was 17. It was a Suzuki X5 200, and at the time was a lot more affordable than a car. Also some of my friends at the time were into bikes, so that had some bearing on things too.
Did you take rider training? Unfortunately no, and I'm not sure whether it would have been as readily available as it is today.
What does your insurance cost? My insurance costs about €600 for third-party, fire and theft, and I am with Carole Nash Insurance. It would cost about the same for third-party-only with Hibernian, and you wouldn't even get the extras like, free breakdown cover, addition of other bikes on to the policy at no extra cost, travel abroad at no extra cost.
Do you drive a car too? Yes, an Opel Omega 2.5 V6, which is my primary mode of transport, although I do use the bike any chance I get.
Any family objections to your biking? When I started biking my mum was nervous, as any mum would be, but I think she's OK with it. My dad used to ride bikes in his early days but was not a big fan of them in the bad weather. My wife loves bikes and indeed bought the Pan-European for me a few years ago.
Do you worry about your safety? If I thought about all the accidents and fatalities with bikes and given the job I do, I probably should never go near a bike. That being said I find that other motorists are the biggest problem for bikers, pulling out in front without looking, cars coming towards you and overtaking into your side of the road and traffic travelling close behind you, especially in bad weather. That said, there are plenty of bad bikers too.
What do you use your bikes for? I generally use them for pleasure, but last year I was in Dublin a lot, so the bike was very handy for parking. I have also taken part in charity runs and have raised money for the paediatric wing in Wexford General Hospital and for the Make A Wish Foundation.
Had any accidents? Thankfully I have only had one accident. About 12 years ago my wife and I were on our way into work. It was a wet morning and we were filtering down the outside of stationary traffic at about 10 miles an hour when one of the cars swung out without indicating to do a U-turn and swiped us sideways. We fell off the bike, the car had hit my left foot and my wife was bruised and shocked. There was very little damage to the bike, so it was a minor accident by all accounts.
Do you follow motorbike sports? I used to go to Skerries and Fore road racing years ago but got out of the habit of going due to family commitments.
Do you have any biking issues you'd like the government to address? The only thing that comes to mind is that all new bikers should have to complete a minimum standard driver training with a proper bike instructor. It may well save their life some day.
Any tips for survival? Take your time and only drive within your own skill level and not to the capabilities of the bike. Bikes can go as fast as you want, but you still have to be able to stop if you need to.