Shane Lambert, Clerical Officer, South Dublin County Council.
You ride a CBR 600RR - why? Most of my bikes have been Hondas. I loved the CBRs I had before and never had any trouble with them. So when I spotted this bike with it's Moto GP Style I had to have it but I didn't like the original red colour so I had a paint job done on it.
How did you become a biker? I've always loved two wheels and spent most of my time as a kid on mountain bikes and on the backs of friend's motorbikes. But the real clincher for me was that the price of insurance on a car was so expensive that buying a bike was a better option.
Tell us about the paintwork you had done on the bike? I bought this bike from Simon Cotter who owns Cotter Motorcycles. At the time I didn't know about the exhaust systems that were available, so he recommended a Yoshimura RS5 system and fitted it to the bike on delivery. When I started the bike the noise was amazing and I fell in love with that exhaust. So, when I decided to get a paint job to customise my bike and make it a once-off, I decided to turn it into a Yoshimura special! I contacted Ken Burke in the Motorcycle Paint shop to see if it was possible and what ideas he had. He mentioned the idea of a two-tone colour which was very expensive, abouT €1,000 for a litre of paint, but he did a good deal for me and I decided to go for it. I gave him a couple of ideas about what I was looking for and then let him loose on it. When I picked it up I was delighted.
What do you use your bike for? Mainly pure enjoyment. I used to ride all year round but lately I've become a fair weather biker and won't go out on it unless the weather suits.
Insurance? Last year it was €1,800 which was a shock because it was £800 in 2001 and €€1,200 in 2002. It was a huge increase for no reason.
Do you worry about safety on the bike? Not really because I think, if you worry too much, you're more likely to make a mistake as you'll be nervous. It's important to be aware of the dangers involved with motorcycling though and the fact that car drivers don't always see you.
Had any accidents? I had one on the road right outside my house while on the way to a track day in Mondello. I've had three or four crashes but that's part and parcel of biking.
Do you follow road racing or Moto GP or the Superbikes? I follow all of them but my favourite is the Moto GP. I was in the Czech Republic last year for the GP and I always go to the racing in Mondello. It's great that the British Superbikes are over here now because it's becoming an annual day out.
What's your dream bike? I'm not sure what my dream bike would be. I really like the MV Augusta Tamburini at the moment and there's a couple of new prototypes on the way from Honda and Ducati based on the Moto GP Bikes so I'd love one or two of those. ... - PATRICIA WESTON