Brian McLoughlin, IT director, Coyle Hamilton
What do you ride? A 1998 Suzuki Bandit 600
Why this bike? I bought my first bike, a Yamaha 100 twin, in 1973 as soon as I got my first job. That was it - I was hooked. Inspired by Barry Sheene, some friends and I ended up production racing. We took it seriously, but it was also great fun. We did it on the cheap. I'd ride my road-going Yamaha 350 to Mondello, get through scrutiny, race it, then ride it home - no vans or trailers and only very basic modifications, that is TT100 tyres.
Marriage, mortgage and and kids put a stop to my gallop until three years ago when I could afford to get back into bikes. I plumped for the Bandit. It does everything I want and it's never let me down.
What is it about two rather than four wheels? The acceleration, smell, sound, speed, adrenaline buzz, the way you use your body to ride a bike as against steering a car, the freedom, the wind tugging at you, the smell of the outdoors and the non-conformity in most people's eyes.
Did you do a training course before you took to two wheels? No. I wasn't aware of any in the early 1970s. I was shown how to drive by a friend. After I got the Bandit, it took a couple of weeks to get comfortable on a bike again.
Do you drive a car? Yes. It's a necessity with a family.
Any family resistance to your riding a bike? Not really. My wife and the kids worry but they trust me not to do anything rash or stupid. They've all been passengers, even my mother on her 72nd birthday. She loved it - she's a bit of a "petrol head" and came along with us to the British Superbikes in Mondello last year.
Do you worry about your survival? Yes, and like most bikers I blame other road users. You must drive defensibly all the time and expect car drivers to have a blind spot about motorcycles - they don't look in their mirrors when overtaking or when turning right. I think reborn bikers should take their time to get to know their bike before using it to its full potential.
What do you use your bike for? Mostly it's "toys for boys" usage at weekends, solo or two-up spins, trips to as many of road races as possible, and the odd weekend away with friends.
Any trips abroad? I fulfilled a long-held ambition and went to the British MotoGP last year with my wife Jackie, and hope to do so this year. It was a pleasure to drive the bike in the UK. Car drivers are much more aware of motorcycles and will move over to let you overtake or filter, even in stopped traffic. On the motorways, I was twice flashed by cars in the outside lane, who had seen me looking in my mirrors, to let me know that it was all right to pull out and overtake. This has never happened in Ireland.
Any biker issues for the Minister for Transport? Let motorcycles use the bus lanes - it's much safer than filtering between lines of traffic. Most gardaí turn a blind eye to it anyway. Run safety awareness ads on the TV - like the fairly graphic British one about the damage cars can do to motorcycles. And more affordable training courses.
Any survival tips? Concentrate, concentrate, concentrate. Be aware what's around you all the time. Drive with your lights on all the time. Make yourself as visible as possible. Always wear protective armoured clothing and a helmet.
You've won the lottery. Your dream bike? For solo fun, the Honda CBR600RR and, for two-up, a Honda VFR 800.