Shay Wherity
Rides: Fireblade and Honda Steed 600cc.
Why these machines? I'm a pure road racing fanatic, I attend all the races, North and South, and I use the Fireblade to travel to and from all the race meetings. I use the cruiser for tipping around the roads.
My wife Ann and I take to the roads on the Steed on Sundays and drive out to Howth for fish and chips. The Fireblade is pure power and a great buzz to ride. The Steed is a hobby bike and my wife likes it. I tried to sell it a while ago and she wouldn't let me.
What was your first bike? I bought my first bike on my sixteenth birthday. It was a Yamaha 100 single and it cost £315 at the time. I got the whole lot on the never- never, including all the gear and the helmet. It cost me £3 a week on the drip and I was earning £4 a week as an apprentice. I fell off it after the first week! I've had bikes ever since except for a gap when my kids were growing up but I always had something lying around. Once I got back into biking seriously I bought a Suzuki Bandit.
How much does it cost to insure your bikes? It's €800 for the Fireblade and then they add another €30 for the Steed. It's not too bad.
Had any accidents? I've had plenty of crashes when I was younger when I slid off, but nothing serious.
Have you had any training? No, but I'm seriously thinking about it at the moment. I definitely think it's very important.
Do you take an interest in motorcycle sports? I love to watch anything with two wheels on tarmac but I don't think there's as much fun watching the circuit racing as there is from watching the pure road racing. I absolutely love it. I'm heavily involved in the Martin Finnegan Supporter's Club. We've been going for nearly four years now and we raise a lot of money for Martin.
Road racing is a very expensive sport so he needs all the money he can get. We organise race nights and raffles and aim to raise between €25,000 to €30,000 a year. That goes a long way to cover the cost of his tyres, fuel, entry fees etc. I think he's the best thing that's happened to road racing since Eddie Laycock, he's very talented and he's a nice guy too.
Any tips for survival? You need to have a lot of common sense to ride a bike. It's like a missile and there are people out there who simply can't control themselves on bikes because they're too powerful and take too many risks. It's also important to keep in mind that there's an idiot around every corner of the road.
You should have fun on your bike but make sure you ride within the conditions of the road and be familiar with the roads you're on but not too cocky.
Have you taken any biking trips? I haven't gone abroad on the bike but I'd certainly take the bike out for a long spin to Cork or Cavan or anywhere down the country.
What's your next upgrade? I'd like the new Fazer 1000 but I'll wait until I see it in the flesh. Ann would definitely come with me to the road races on that because it would be more comfortable. It's a retro style bike and I think I'm getting too old for the Fireblade anyway.