Joe Scales, clinical nurse manager
What was your first machine and how much did it cost? Honda 550k circa 1980. It cost £700. I loved the leaky old bike. I suppose you could call it character. I used it to commute to my job in St Itas, Portrane from Palmerstown. I also travelled a good bit of Ireland on it. It was good on long journeys but it hated the wet (and gravel forecourts in Clare if I remember correctly). It was happiest loaded to the gills with camping gear.
What got you interested in biking? I grew up watching my next door neighbour driving bikes and fixing them and hanging around and saw half of Palmerstown catch the bug like myself. I suppose it was an image that I liked and the convenience of being able to go any where at any time.
Is there any biking heritage in your family? I am the biking heritage in my family. My younger brother who shall remain nameless (okay David) also invested in a few bikes. He worked as a courier (yes, one of those) and as a base operator. My uncles also dabbled at some stage also.
Do you consider that couriers harm the overall reputation of bikers? Couriers have a job to do and a lot of people who receive their letters and parcels on time and in one piece are quite happy to give out when they roar by on their magnificent machines.
What is your current machine? My current pride and joy is a Honda Hornet, just a 250, but can it move. It's very light and manoeuvrable so ideal for my present commute from Kildare to Dundrum. I traded in my trusty Honda Bros and some loose change for the Hornet and the lads in Bray Honda have never been happier.
What attracted you to this particular bike? I had heard so much about Hornets I had to try for myself. As I have said it's light and very nippy so ideal for getting through the smooth free flowing Dublin traffic.
Did you ever take a hiatus from biking? I did have my sabbatical from bikes for a while. Economics of being a student and rearing a family. It was hard to get my wife, the kids, and the shopping on the back of a Z200 so it had to be replaced with a car. But now that I can afford it we have the best of both worlds. A bike for Joe and a car for Siobhan.
What do you use your bike for?
I use my bike to commute but there is also a little project in the garage being put together over the winter months, so a bit of scrambling will be on with an old Kawasaki. My son can't wait. I have never seen him so helpful. I wish he was as quick with the homework.
What is your next bike likely to be? Well let me dream . . . the 900 Hornet, an R1, a Harley, a classic, maybe something with a fairing.
Seriously, it's likely to be a Varadero or an African twin for the shock absorbing qualities due to the state of the roads.
What's been your longest journey on the bike? I have only travelled around Ireland. The longest trip was to Dublin-Clare-Galway-Sligo-Dublin (sore butt, not iron yet).
What would be your dream bike and road trip? To travel across the States on my cousin's limited edition Honda 750 (Anniversary Model). He lives in Long Island and I know he would lend it to me.
Have you ever had an accident on the bike? Well just a few but they were more falls than crashes. My first bike was the K so it took a bit of getting used to. An altercation with a kerb in Inchicore, a wall in Kinsealy (sorry), cow evidence in Portrane on the last corner before Reilly's Hill. And that business with the gravel forecourt in Clare. Minor cuts and bruises (to pride mostly) on the road to Bikedom.
Who are the worst road users? Half asleep car drivers have to be the worst - especially in the mornings. They don't want to be there in the first place and are under stress from the long queues so they tend to lose the plot and do silly things.