Tony Sullivan, chief executive of Mercury Aviation
Rides: BMW 1200 adventure
When did you become a biker? When I was 16 years of age I was riding bikes on and off, and I had scramblers in my twenties.
What do you use your bike for? I mainly use my BMW for touring for five weeks during the summer. I've been taking the bike on tours around Europe for the past seven years on my own. I'd do around 10,000 miles each time, and vary the route.
How do you prepare for your bike trips? I bring one set of heavy wet clothes for France and I wear a peel-off jacket with ventilation for the hot weather. In 2003 it was over 40 degrees and very hot, too hot to wear leathers so I usually wear lightweight Gortex with ventilation and removable pieces. My Gortex jacket has Kevlar in it for protection. To plan my route I use Microsoft Auto Route because sometimes it takes about 25 maps to cover all the minor routes I intend to take. I don't have satellite navigation on the bike because the software is not available. I use Michelin maps.
Have you had any interesting adventures? Not really. I've met other guys touring on their BMWs and I've only ever had good weather and only ever met nice friendly people!
What were the most stunning places you've been to? When you're travelling the scenery can be beautiful, but parts of Spain can be stunning. Some of the cities I've travelled through are world heritage sites and they are all inland. Some of these communities haven't ever seen tourists. The hill villages are stunning and I think Spain is a very attractive part of the world.
How did your bike withstand the journey? I change my bike every year for touring. None of my bikes have ever broken down. One year I had a slight problem when I was in the Pyrenees, and I found a BMW dealer in the South of France who got me back on the road pretty quickly. There are dealers all over Europe, so I don't worry about running into any difficulties.
Do you get fit for your travels? Yes, it's important to be fit. I'm 64 years of age. When you're touring, you're biking for eight to 10 hours a day. I like to play tennis and ski and I also do motocross. I'm at the bottom of my class in the C class but I only go on the practice days and don't take part in any actual races because my family don't allow me to enter formal races.
What does your wife think of your biking? She's actually grown to like it. She's toured with me on the back of the bike around Wales, England and around Ireland when we toured Kerry.
Have you had any accidents? No, I've never had any.
What does your insurance cost? It's €750, which is not very expensive because I've never had a claim or an accident.
Is safety a big issue for you? Yes, I'm concerned about the risks and the lunatics on the roads. I think the Stillorgan dual carriageway can be very risky.
Where do you plan to take the bike next? Next year I'd like to travel to Romania and Bulgaria.