MY BIKE AND I: Gerry Healy, aircraft loader, Aer Lingus

Rides: Suzuki 1000 K3

Rides: Suzuki 1000 K3

Why this bike? I like riding high-powered bikes and this was the best I could get at the time. It's a very powerful machine, but I never drive it to the max. I could never get to the bottom of its raw power and at 42 years of age I probably shouldn't be trying to, but I love riding it.

When did you become a biker? It all began when I was 11-years-old. My best friend's father bought a brand-new Honda 50, so I had to have a spin on the back, after that I was totally hooked. A few years later I saw a shiny new Goldwing parked on the side of the road in my hometown of Roscommon. Marty - the man who was riding it weighed only nine stone, but he was well able to handle it.

We instantly struck up a friendship and became great friends until he was, sadly, killed in a car accident in his early twenties. He's gone but he's not forgotten.

READ MORE

What do you use your bike for? I use it seven days a week for pure pleasure and commuting to work.

Do you drive a car? I sometimes drive the wife's car. I'm a fanatic about bikes and have absolutely no interest in cars.

Does your wife worry about you on the bike? She was a little bit worried when I got this particular bike because it's so powerful, but she got over it. I was on bikes when we met so she understands.

Had any incidents with motorists? I was taken out at a roundabout one day when a car clipped my front wheel and I was knocked off the bike. The driver - a woman - stopped, looked behind and once she saw I was moving, drove off.

Have you made any changes to your bike? I changed the exhaust to one that backfires when you drop the throttle and makes a nice sound. It also looks neater than the original one. I've upgraded the front brakes to racing type brakes and fitted a tinted screen.

Have you ever had an accident on the bike? I've had a few minor accidents but nothing serious.

Do you follow road racing, Moto GP or the Superbikes? I'm a big road racing fan. I have been since the early 1980s and love going to the race meetings.

I've been to the Isle of Man TT a few times. It's a terrific sport, you get so close to the action and you can also mix with the riders, unlike the Motor GP or Superbikes. It's pure basics. I would've become a road racer myself only I couldn't afford it when I was younger. It's probably just as well because I might not be doing this interview now if I had become a racer.

Who's your road racing hero? Joey Dunlop of course, when he was alive. I like Richard Britton and Adrian Archibald.

Any tips for survival on two wheels? Ride defensively all the time, because you have to make up for the mistakes other motorists make. Look as far ahead as possible to try and spot potential danger.

Stay within the speed limit.

If you won the lottery what would be your dream bike? The bike I have now is my dream bike. I love old classics so if I had lots of money I'd buy a 1974 Honda 750 and a CBX1000.