Temple Garner, head chef and co-owner of Town Bar & Grill in Kildare Street, Dublin
Bike? A Honda Super Blackbird 1100
Why? It's a Honda and it's very reliable. It has a long wheelbase so it's not actually too fast and I can't weave in and out of traffic very easily. So I can't get into too much trouble.
Have you always been a biker? Yes, I'm 36 now and I've had bikes since I was 18. My first was my sister-in-law's 2-stroke MZ 125. Then I got a navy Lambretta. After that I had a CB 750, a 1974 classic bike. Then I got a monster Yamaha 1200 V-max, a huge, fast bike. I'll upgrade the Blackbird next year and get the new Blackbird.
What does your insurance cost? It's €1,500 fully comprehensive.
What do you use the bike for? Mainly to commute to work and I go to Wexford a lot. I've never had a car - just never liked them. My two brothers love bikes too - one got a sidecar fitted to his bike for his family rather than buy a car.
Any accidents? Never. I've fallen off only once, when riding at low speed over ice.
Did you take rider training? Yes, I took very intensive training when I was 20 and lived in London. It was one week of pure training with a test at the end. They should introduce a similar system in Ireland and have compulsory training. It was a difficult test, much harder than the Irish one but well worth it. I'd like to do the RoSPA advanced training some day.
Any tips for safe riding? When you're riding a bike you enter a different zone, the paranoia zone because you're paranoid about every other vehicle. You're on the defensive. Complacency kills, so you have to be fully aware all the time. Remember, a car's indicator flashing doesn't necessarily mean it's going to turn, just that the bulb is working. Also, when you're at junctions don't heed a driver who waves you ahead - trust your own viewpoint rather than another driver's. When you're stopped at traffic lights keep your eye on your mirrors and stay in gear rather than in neutral, because you might need to move fast to avoid being rammed by a car from behind.
Any biking issues for the Government? It should try to keep young guys off big bikes. There should be a progression rather than allowing young fellows hop on big powerful machines straight away. I also think there should be incentives to lower insurance costs. There should be compulsory basic training, especially for born-again bikers because bikes have changed so much in the past few years. And people should really be nailed for speeding.