Patrick Ives, former Royal Mail transport manager
How many bikes do you have? Three - a 1977 Ducati Darmah 900cc, a 1976 BMW R90s 900cc and a 1971 Ducati Sebring 350cc.
Why these machines? The Ducati Darmah because a long time ago Ducati had a test day at Oulton Park and a friend persuaded me to ride with him. I rode the Ducati GT750 around the park and really enjoyed riding on a real racetrack. I remember seeing Dave Minton, a journalist for Motorcyclist Illustrated, thundering around on a yellow Ducati 750 Sport and he looked so cool and the bike sounded so sweet. The seeds were sown and four years later I bought the Darmah, I loved it then and I still do now. I bought the BMW R90s when I stumbled across it in 1983 hidden, unloved and surrounded by glitzy, shiny brand new Suzukis in a shop and I just had to have it. I bought the Ducati Sebring when I realised I needed a smaller bike - I happened upon an advert and, remembering my experience of Ducati singles from 30 years ago, I decided to have a look. The bike looked in good condition, but it was positively the ugliest Ducati I'd ever seen. I nearly walked away but took a test ride just to be courteous. I came back grinning with a glint in my eyes and decided to take it.
Why did you become a biker? Peer pressure at school really - in those days you could ride a bike at 16. My mum and dad bought me an old 250 BSA for £17 and I spent the school holidays doing it up with my dad. I rode it to the 18 miles to school and around the car park with my mates.
What does your insurance cost? A frightening amount - at least twice as much here as it was when I was living in England. I have Classic insurance with Carole Nash that covers both the BMW and the baby Ducati.
Do you worry about your survival? Mostly yes. You have to ride defensively these days to survive. Traffic is much heavier and cars and lorries are faster than when I started out. Drivers are not as bike aware as they should be. They follow too closely most of the time and I feel that driving standards in general in Ireland are quite poor. Also, smaller roads are dangerous due to farm animals and agricultural machinery.
Any accidents? Four that I can remember. The first was when I ran into the back of a car because I was watching a pretty girl as I rode past. The second was on my 650 Triumph which I only had for a week - I failed to get around a bend and ended up in a ditch with a very bent front end. A week or two later I had my luckiest escape - my own bike was broken so I was on the pillion of my mate's bike and we failed to negotiate a bend. I remember the sensation of flying very clearly, and then I was on my back on the side of the road. On my final accident the primary chain snapped on my 650 Triumph - this effectively locked the transmission and threw me off; the bike went straight under an oncoming Reliant 3 wheeler; the driver's head went through the roof but he was only shaken; I just slid down the road watching as all this happened before my eyes. The weird thing was that, although I was 30 miles from home, I knew the driver and he knew me. It was a stupid accident as I had noticed "bits" in the primary chain case earlier and had ignored them.
Do you follow motorcycle sports? I try to keep up with the Moto GP - Sete Giberneau is my favourite rider. I started going to the Southern 100 road races 10 years ago and I've probably been six times now.
Biking issues for the Government? As part of driver training, everyone should ride a bike or scooter to learn road craft before they are allowed near a car.
Two-wheel survival tips? Good maintenance, good observation, be visible and know your own limits.