Jaspal Marjara, revenue administrator at HP Financial Services talks about the first motorbike he bought (and still owns), a Honda Deauville NT650s
What was your first machine? A Honda Deauville NT650.
What attracted you to it, and indeed motorbikes? My girlfriend and I were looking for a form of transport. Cars were out because of the ridiculous high insurance costs. Then one of us suggested a motorbike. We didn't know that much about them but Debi's dad recently acquired a Deauville and he raved about it. So, we did our homework and went to a few bike shops around Dublin to see what we could afford. It came down to the Dragstar or Deauville, two bikes with the same power but at opposite ends of the spectrum with respect to style. The Deauville won out because of its combination of performance, reliability and load-carrying.
How much did it cost? €10,300 - it was new.
. . . and insurance? €2,500.
What do you use your bike for? Essentially for commuting to and from work - but, because of the comfort and power, we also use it a lot at weekends.
How much do you spend on gear? I've been riding only for a short time so all I've acquired are the basics - a helmet, jacket, trousers and boots, all of which came to about €1,300. It's not that much considering the cost of the gear that's available out there. A top-box is the next thing on the shopping list.
What's been your longest journey on the bike? Around the south-west and west of Ireland.
Any run-ins with the law? None.
Any crashes? None.
What is your next bike likely to be? This probably will not happen for quiet some time but I'd like to go a step up on the Deauville and buy the ST1100-ABS-CBS Pan European. It's a better looking bike than the BMW R 1150 which is in the same class. Or, if I won the lotto, a Goldwing with all the trimmings - that's a joke by the way. If I was getting bored down the line with the standard tourers I'd definitely invest in a Blackbird CBR1100XX , a high performance machine that to me defines total power and performance!