Jason Murray, Murray Advertising
Your bikes? CBR 400 race bike, CBR 929 Fireblade
Why these machines? The Fireblade has always been a dream bike for me and the 929 is probably best suited to my needs: it's quick, comfortable and reliable. The CBR400, on the other hand, is for fun. You can push it a lot harder than the bigger bikes on the track and the handling is in a different league.
Why did you become a biker? I grew up on BMXs, mountain bikes and racers, so it was a natural progression. I've always had an interest in bikes. For me there's nothing like going for a spin just for the sake of it, you just put your gear on and go.
What do you use your bikes for? The Fireblade only comes out the odd weekend, most of my time on two wheels is spent racing or at track days. For the last two years I've been doing track days and racing the 400 on the short circuits, so I drive hard on the track and not on the road, it's just not worth it.
Did you take any rider training? No, like most people I learned the basics from a friend and hit the road. Having said that, I did do a training course to get an articulated lorry licence and I had been driving 50,000 miles a year for eight years before I got a bike, so I had a good bit of road experience behind me.
What does your insurance cost? This year it's under €1,000 third-party, thanks to AON/AXA, last year it was over €3,000 for fully comprehensive but after being knocked off my bike and having to claim off my own policy, I'll never get fully comprehensive insurance again.
Do you drive a car? I drive a car, a van, a truck or cycle for work depending on what I'm doing during the day.
Have you ever had any accidents? On the road I've had two. On both occasions I was knocked off by car drivers who didn't see me, or didn't look, depending on whose side of the story you believe. On the track I've had three accidents, but that's all part of racing. Thankfully I've walked away from them all because I was wearing the right gear.
Do you follow road racing? Not really, it's too scary. The circuits are more my cup of tea.
Taken any trips abroad on two wheels? I was in Wales once on the bike and I've raced in Donington this year.
Had any bad experiences with other motorists? Apart from being knocked off twice. I see the roads from all different perspectives when I'm in the car, the van, the truck or cycling and I'm aware of the different issues they all face when it comes to road positioning, conditions, blind spots etc. so it's very seldom I have any bad experiences on the road.
Have you any biking issues for the Government? Yes, bring biker representatives into the loop when devising traffic plans; we've been ignored for too long.
Any safety tips? Don't skimp on safety, wear the right gear, get training, learn to get the most from your bike and do track days so you can push your limits in a safe environment.