Coinneach Shanks, researcher & psychotherapist
Your bike ? It's a BMW F650CS. I saw it at the bike show in the RDS and was drawn to the functionality of it. I also like big singles and its Rotax engine is very special. Twin sparks and fuel injection really make a difference. It's a really versatile bike, so happy around town and it's very agile - if you see a space the bike will go there with no trouble. And it whisks me up to Dundalk in no time. Big singles vibrate and this one is no exception - I find that kind of reassuring.
Were you always a biker? Since I was 16. I like the independence, freedom and being out in the open air rather than being trapped inside a box. You can't feel at one with a car in the same way. Like most bikers I also like the thrill and the danger.
Did you take rider training? Yes, I did the RAC/ACU training course in Britain before I took my test. The test in those days was ludicrous but the inspector did notice that I had been on the course. I plan to take an advanced course because bikes have improved a lot while roads and car driving have both deteriorated.
Any family resistance? None at all. My wife rides a Ducati Monster S4R. In my old enduro days I taught my son to ride. I also had a Moto Guzzi road bike and he pillioned up to Scotland with me when he was 11 years old.
Do you worry about your survival? Every second of every minute - that's how I stay alive. You have to pay attention constantly and allow no distractions.
What do you use your bike for? Everything except going to the bottle bank and taking the cat to the vet. If I'm feeling down in any way a bit of a tour around on the bike will cure many ills.
Ever had an accident? A few but not for a while. I had a few dislocated shoulders but nothing serious until a guy driving without insurance came out from a side road in Kentish Town without looking and I hit him! No broken bones but I was six weeks off work recovering. My most embarrassing accident was dropping the bike on some ice in a car park at 0 mph - I dislocated a shoulder again.
What motorcycle sports do you follow? I like the Moto GP but I prefer speedway. It's a shame there's no longer speedway here in Ireland. I just love the noise and the dirt and the occasion. I really miss it. I'd like to take some training too, just to blast and slide round the circuit, but I'm not sure that would go down well with family or the medics.
Any survival tips? Don't rely entirely on your mirrors. Always look over your shoulder. This may save your life. Always assume a car is your enemy until proven otherwise. I'd also add - avoid taxis, white vans and any car driven by a man wearing a funny hat.
If you won the lottery what would be your dream bike? A Vincent Black Shadow Series D, the one I admired when I was small. It's a 998cc beauty. The joke about this one is that the engine was forced into the frame using a whip and a chair. The engine surrounds the frame so that you can hardly see it. It won many speed records during its time, doing 150 mph in 1955, and the designer went on to design Formula 1 V8 engines. But if I won the lottery it would be hard not to collect many fine beasts.