Peter McMurtry, retired
What's your bike? A 500cc MSS Velocette
What attracted you to motorcycling? I've been riding bikes since I was 16 or 17 years old. My first bike was a 50 cc Ducati Cucciolo, the "little puppy". It was invented by Italian, Aldo Farinelli, in the 1940s - he developed a small engine that could be mounted on a bicycle. It was the first bike Ducati made. I also rode a Lambretta scooter for years to commute to work. I've been involved in motorcycling most of my life. I was involved in organising the Skerries 100 road races for years.
How did you become involved in bike restoration? Older bikes take me back to my youth. I restore classic, veteran and vintage bikes. It's very satisfying. Motorcycles are classified as veteran up to the year 1915, vintage from 1915 to 1930 and classics are post 1930. I'm a member of the Irish Vintage and Veteran Motorcycle Club (IVVMCC). I can get some parts on the internet. Number plates fascinate me - I can trace the plates by doing research in the motor taxation office which helps me find out more about the bike and the owners, just as a matter of interest and to help in the restoration.
Is your insurance expensive? No - Carole Nash cover all my bikes. This includes breakdown cover, of course. I'm insured to ride only one at a time!
Do you drive a car? Yes. My bikes are just my hobby.
Motorcycle fatalities are on the increase. Do you worry about your survival as a biker? It can be very hairy and precarious at times riding older bikes. They're awkward to ride and other drivers don't give you any space. You have to know the bike you're riding. They can't go very fast. They have no gearboxes or chains - they have belts instead of chains which can sometimes slip going up hills. Also, the suspension is different - it's a spring, not the hydraulic suspension in today's bikes. This can be uncomfortable, especially going over potholes! They are also a divil to seal, so you can drip oil.
What do you use your bike for? I take the bikes on rallies with the IVVMCC. We go on trips around Dublin, Kildare and Cork. This year on the Cork rally 186 bikes took part - we covered 140 miles a day over four days doing an average 24 mph. I brought two bikes: my AJS and the Velocette, just in case one broke down.
Any accidents? Yes, in 1959 I crashed into a hedge. We didn't really wear helmets in those days, just hard caps. I bought a hard cap in the old days for a £1. Helmets only came in in the 1970s.
You heard about the recent fire in the motorcycle museum near Birmingham? Yes, I visited the museum on many occasions. It was a devastating thing to happen. A lot of bikes were damaged in the fire.
What you do think is the bond that links bikers closer than motorists? I went out on a run one day on my Velocette and I lost power, one of the nuts came undone. Another biker rode up beside me and offered to help. He gave me a lift home and I hid the bike in behind a hedge until I could collect it.
If you won the lottery what would be your dream bike? I'd love a 1939 Mark 8 KTT Velocette. It's a racing bike so it would be just for show.