Kevin Sheehan, fire-fighter
Your bike? A Yamaha FJR 1300. It's a fantastic bike with plenty of comfort and power and it looks the biz! It's perfect for my 60-mile round trip to work every day.
Why did you become a biker? The freedom and excitement - a bike makes the mundane journey to work an absolute joy - and the advantage of cutting through the grid locked streets.
Ever taken rider training? No, but the training and experience I get from driving the fire engine and ambulance is invaluable for my motorcycling. It teaches you to read the road, anticipate erratic manoeuvres and to be so much more observant of other traffic. It also teaches you to see and not just to look. Lots of drivers I meet at road accidents tell me they looked before pulling out of the junction, but unfortunately they didn't see.
Do you worry about survival as a biker? You can't preoccupy yourself with thoughts like that. Yes, motorcycling can be a hazardous pastime. Ride it like you stole it and you'll end up in A & E, use your brain and you'll do all right.
What do you use your bike for? It's used every day, hail, rain or shine, for my daily commute to work. Also for trips into town, tours around the country and further afield. I drove it to work Christmas morning in a Santa suit. I got some curious looks along the way too!
Any accidents? Touch wood, I've never crashed, plenty of close calls though. Usually it's our "friend" the taxi doing a sudden U-turn, or Mr Salesman on his mobile, but I've got it wrong cornering before on an unfamiliar country road where the corner tightens up more then you expect.
Do you follow motorsport? When I get the chance I watch MotoGP or the BSB, but with three young kids at home it's usually Scooby Doo on my telly!
Ever taken the bike abroad? Yes, last year two mates and myself went to the Isle of Man for the TT. It was fantastic and terrifying at the same time. To see 170 mph in a 30mph zone has to be seen to be believed. Those guys have lightning-quick reflexes, and skills most of us will never have. They're true biking heroes.
Do you think bikers share a special bond? For drivers the destination is the goal but with bikers the journey is the reason we pull on our helmets. A few of us went to Cork last year and people told us it was an awfully long drive, but that's exactly why we went. Cork is a great city, but the journey to Cork was the reason we went. When you pass a biker out in the country you always get a wave or a nod because they know you're on the road to enjoy the spin, not just to get to where you're going.
Any biking issues for the government? Scrapping the NRA tolls would be a great start - there's no ashtray on my bike to pop my toll money in. An awareness campaign to highlight bikers to other road user wouldn't go astray either.
Your dream bike? Probably the new FJR with ABS.