Gerald Donnelly, software program manager
What was your first machine and how much did it cost? My first motorcycle was a 1998 Honda CBR 1100 XX Super Blackbird, a great all rounder, it had a very comfortable riding position and as a sports tourer it had tremendous throttle response and power but at the same time very comfortable for city riding. The Combined Braking System took a little getting used to but I swear by it now.
What attracted you to motorbikes? Not really sure why. Football and golf seemed to pass our house. My entire family have always been interested in cars and bikes.
Is there any biking heritage in your family? Not particularly. My grandad was a chauffeur and my dad had a moped back in the early 1960s, not sure if that counts.
What is your current machine and what did it cost? The Blackbird. £9,500 if I remember correctly.
What attracted you to this particular bike? I've always had an interest in jet aircraft. The Blackbird was modelled on the SR-71. I had seen it on a Jeremy Clarkson Extreme Machines show some time ago and was drawn to the idea that it was the fastest production bike in the world.
What is your next bike likely to be? I have a loyalty to Honda with both cars and bikes but looking at a Kawasaki ZX-12R in the last few weeks and having seen the ZX-10R recently, it's a tough decision.
What's been your longest journey on the bike? In May 2000, six of us took a performance bike route, where we rode from Co Meath to Barcelona and then on to Callela (20 miles north of Barcelona) and then back through the Pyrenees.
What would be your dream bike and road trip? My dream bike would have to be the new Blackbird and as a trip it would have to be to ride to Sorrento in Italy and on to the Island of Capri.
Have you ever had an accident on the bike? Not on the road fortunately. I did fall off an XT 600 whilst trying to jump a hedge close to where I live and ended up covered in muck and lacerations from the trees I'd fallen through. It was more embarrassing than anything else.
How did you get involved in the Estonia appeal? It started with one of our members at a meeting wondering would it be a fitting tribute to Joey Dunlop to follow in his footsteps by delivering relief aid to orphanages in Estonia. Having planted the seed in our minds, Joey Dunlop is the reason why a lot of bikers have had an interest in motorcycling to begin with, but also in our support of Road Racing in Ireland. Joey was the king of the road and always will be. So we looked to Joey's widow, Linda Dunlop, for her assistance and blessing to take on this task. She has been very supportive in our efforts. The project is now four vans with eight drivers, up to seven motorcycles and a TV documentary crew commissioned by the BBC to shoot a fly-on-the-wall documentary of our trip to Estonia in June.
Why do bikers more than other motoring groups get involved in such charity events? There is a passion in motorcycles no matter what you ride. It's when we all have a commonality of riding on two wheels, we've all experienced that rush of twisting the throttle that makes us like-minded people. When you get a large collection of those like-minded people together with one voice trying to make a change, it's a very powerful animal and contrary to common belief that bikers are trouble. It's a tremendous visual medium by which bikers can leverage assistance in charity to help those that are less fortunate than ourselves.
What you do think is the bond that links bikers closer than, say, motorists? Passion, simply that. I've always been a lover of cars, the more exotic the better, but with bikes the same performance, rate of acceleration and style that you would associate with a Ferrari or Lamborghini can be experienced on a pair of nimbler wheels for a fraction of the cost. Once you have experienced biking on anything from 125 cc to 1,300 cc, the principle is the same and it's indescribable.
What is the next big event for the appeal? On Friday, May 23rd in the Bushtown House Hotel, Coleraine, Linda Dunlop is hosting a fundraiser and auction of motorcycling memorabilia. This is the night we hope to raise the bulk of the funds to take us to Estonia. Any donations of nappies (one of the hardest things we are finding to collect) shampoos, liquid soaps, puzzles, footwear, in fact anything that a child from one to 10 years of age would use or play with. All of the materials can be dropped to our stand in the Swords Pavilion Shopping Centre, or at the Malahide Road Coolock, Swords, Bray or Sandyford branches of Crossan Opel garages. Contact helpline 01-2933333. Any monetary donations can be made to Account Name: Lost Riders MCC Footsteps; Account Number: 79332103; Sort code: 93-20-94; Allied Irish Banks, West Street, Drogheda, Co Louth