Stephanie Murray, insurance adviser with Carole Nash Insurance
Your bike? Honda Bros 400
Why this particular bike? Because of its low seat height. It's also cheap to maintain and very reliable. It's an excellent beginner bike and within the 33 bhp restriction.
Why were you drawn to two wheels? Initially it was to cope with the traffic congestion in the city as I commute 12 miles to the city centre to work. Two wheels means shaving one hour off a four-wheeled journey! Now, I enjoy the experience of actually riding a bike and find it unparalleled to any other vehicle.
Did you take any rider training? Not before I took to two wheels, but I have recently received some incredible training from the guys at Bike2Bike who helped me achieve my Gold Star in the Star Rider course.
Have you encountered any sexism as a female biker? No, but I'd say that's probably because wearing a helmet and bulky clothing it's hard to tell whether you're a man or a woman. I would also like to give men more credit than to say they'd be sexist because my mode of transport is the same as theirs.
What does it cost to insure your bike? I paid €1,268 for third party cover.
What do you use your bike for? I use it mainly to commute and sometimes at weekends.
Do you drive a car? Yes. I've got a Honda Civic.
Was there any family resistance or objections to your riding a bike? I didn't encounter any resistance as such but my family did express their concerns at the beginning.
Do you worry about your survival as a biker? Sometimes. I worry when I see things like cars breaking red lights as you're about to cross through a junction. I can't count the amount of times someone has pulled out in front of me.
Have you ever had an accident? Yes, when a car travelling in the opposite direction pulled across my path to turn into a minor road on my left.
Do you follow motorcycle racing? Yes, the Moto GP is my favourite.
Have you taken any biking trips abroad? I've been abroad on two wheels quite a few times, always as a pillion though. I'm hoping to spend three months travelling around Europe soon on my next bike, a Honda CBR 600 RR.
Are there any issues you think the Minister for Transport should address for bikers? I think he should introduce a compulsory bike test immediately. Also, bus lanes should be opened up for motorcyclists to use. He should ensure better road conditions and maintenance. He should provide driving testers who can actually ride bikes themselves too. He should also dismantle the wire crash barriers that were erected on our motorways in spite of the fears put to him from motorcyclists for their safety!
If you won the lottery what would be your dream bike? Thankfully I don't need to rely on the lottery for my dream bike. It's a CBR 600 RR and I'll be getting a brand new one this month.
I tried to hold off until July 2006 when my licence restriction is up but I can't wait any longer so I'll just have to restrict it to 33bhp until then. But I suppose if money were no object I'd spend it on a Yamaha R1 SP!