Donal and Mary O'Brien talk to Motors about their love of motorcycles
Your first machine? A Dürkopp Diana 200cc scooter that cost me £14 in 1964. Secondhand from a German student. Made in 1958, it was beefy (12 hp) for its time and was used for two-up trips to late-night ballad sessions in the Abbey Tavern in Howth and weekend fleadhs.
What attracted you to motorbikes? It was the cheapest way to be independently mobile. Economics became more important when I got married and mortgaged in 1970 and soon our car was needed for suburban living and for ferrying two (later four) children and their life-support systems. But biking was very enjoyable.
Did you always bike? Well, improving home economics, notions of the responsible parenthood and severe winter wettings led me to give up biking in 1978. Then, 20 years later, with the children nearly grown up, the idea of combining wife Mary's newly discovered love of travel with motorbike touring was nurtured by Robert Persig's Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance and Ted Simon's Jupiter Travels. We set our hearts on bike touring-for-two when I retired. I took lessons, re-sat my motorbike licence test in 1998, borrowed a Honda 750 4 for short spins - thanks, Dave O'Leary - and the day after I took early retirement I took possession of my first new motorbike.
What's your current machine and what did it cost? Our current machine is a Triumph Trophy 900cc bought last February from Niall Stephens in Bikeworld. It cost €13,600. Comprehensive insurance in the first year cost €1,100 - I now use third party costing €560. Most of our gear was secondhand . . . Powerline jackets and trousers and BMW system 4 helmets, boots and gloves, etc. In total, for the two of us, gear cost about €1,000.
Memorable journey? My shortest journey, five yards, was the day I collected the bike. At the edge of the forecourt, I put my left foot down but at 5'7" there was about 2 inches between my sole and the road. Slowly, almost gracefully, the bike toppled over leaving me pinned underneath surrounded by Bikeworld's customers and staff. A complete disaster - it took nearly eight weeks and a lot of encouragement from Philip Hardy, an instructor with IRTA, my wife and children before I got the confidence to try again. By May 2001 we were able to make our first proper tour - 1,500 kms around the coast taking in west Cork, the Ring of Kerry, the Burren and Achill Island in a week. Completely hooked we've made other tours including 4,000 km to Santiago de Compostela in Spain and this year 6,000 km to Sofia in Bulgaria.
What's your next bike likely to be? We're pleased with the Triumph. It's neither the fastest nor the most glamorous machine but it's comfortable for long distances, has great weather protection and is a good compromise for us. Other touring bikes, for example the BMW 1150 and Honda Pan European, would be too big and heavy for me to handle. The new Honda VFR 800 looks appealing and might suit. But first I should get some smarter gear for the pair of us!