John Fleming, truck driver
Rides: Honda CB 1300
How did you get involved with bikes? Well, I've been riding bikes since 1978. My friends all had bikes when I was growing up, so I got involved through them. My first bike was a Honda 50 which I had when I was about 16 or 17-years-old. I used to go to work on it. After that I bought a Honda 400 and in 1980 I traded that in and bought a brand-new Honda 750 and I had that for nearly 10 years until I crashed it and wrote it off. I gave up biking for a while for one reason and another, and then when I got more money I got another bike. I bought a Kawasaki 650, then a Kawasaki 900 and then a Kawasaki 1000. Then all of a sudden I changed to Honda again, and bought a Honda Blackbird 1100 which was way more powerful than my current bike, and could be very dangerous in the wrong hands.
Have you taken rider training? No, not when I started out, but I'm certainly thinking of taking some in the future.
What do you use your bike for? I drive my car in the mornings to work, and I use the bike at the weekends and go on lots of trips. I'm off to Donegal soon with friends and I'll be taking my girlfriend on the back. She's not really into bikes, it's not her thing, but she wants to know what all the fuss is about so she's coming along.
What trips have you taken the bike on? I've been to France twice and I found the roads great, much better than Irish roads. They're just such a joy to ride on and the weather is terrific.
Do you follow motorbike sports? I enjoy the road racing and travel around the country every year to all the races.
Had any accidents? I crashed my Honda 750 a few years ago, and wrote off the bike. I had to have 12 stitches in my knee but I walked away from the accident. I haven't had any other major accidents.
What does your insurance cost? It's €800, which isn't too bad.
Do you worry about your safety? I don't worry because I look after myself and use plenty of common sense when riding. I also watch my speed and observe the driving conditions. As you get older you become wiser, you tend not to be as fearless as when you were young. You always have to be a few steps ahead on a bike, and watch out for car drivers opening their doors without looking, or emptying their ashtrays out the window on top of you and changing lanes without looking or even signalling.
Any biking issues for the Government? I just have the usual issues such as allowing us use of the bus lanes, and I wish they'd remove the VAT on safety equipment; biking gear is not a fashion statement. I'd also love to see the government doing away with the tolls. I don't think the Government listens to us bikers anyway.