Spotlight
Spotlight on Dave Winters - Bike Enthusiast
31 August 2011
Today's Spotlight is on bike enthusiast and active social media
contributer, Dave Winters. Dave has been in touch with Express
Insurance via our Twitter page and regularly contributes to
discussion. Clearly passionate about all things bikes, we thought
it'd be great if we got to know more about one of our keen
community members.
Take it away, Dave!
Any thoughts on the new format for the bike riding test
introduced last year?? Is the test becoming too hard/complex? Or is
this a good move?
There was nothing wrong with the old test. I took it just before
the new 2 part test finally started. All I've heard is how
this new test has affected training schools because its so much
more hassle for people to do their test and costs more.
Did you pass your test first time?
No, I failed my first test as I got too close to a bus that had
stopped in the middle of the road. And I left my indicator on too
long after a turn which I argued but the instructor was having none
of it! Passed it second time though with no minor faults.
What is your all time favourite bike
route?
Theres too many really, depends on my mood. If the red mist has
descended I enjoy riding from Yarm to Leyburn via Scorton and
Catterick Garrison. The A68 is great up to Carter Bar too, then you
can follow it up to Galashields and have a play on the A7 to
Carlisle. Living up North is great for biking as there are so many
brilliant roads.
What is your favourite biking or biker
tune?
That's a good one! I tend to associate songs with where I've been
riding as I listen to music when im out on my bike. I really enjoy
listening to The Prodigy, Led Zepellin and The Foo Fighters when
I'm out on the bike.
How and when did you realise your love for all things
bikes?
I'd always been a fan of motorbikes since I was a kid, my Dad
learnt to ride with his work so had been around bikes growing up. I
didn't truly fall in love until I learnt to ride myself. I don't
think you can truly appreciate bikes and biking until you ride
yourself, but that's just my opinion.
If you got stranded on a desert island - an island with
long roads with great surfaces - what 3 items would you pack in
your sidebag?
A stopwatch because lets face it, stranded on my own, long roads
and great surface….lets see how fast I can ride this! I think a
lifetime's supply of food would be useful too and DIY road building
kit so I can create more routes to ride around on. Would be awesome
to build my own 'Corkscrew' right up to the moment where I ride
down it and get it wrong and wish I had packed a first aid kit.
Who are your heroes - biking or
otherwise?
John McGuinness is definitely a legend, no-one can argue with his
awesome ability at the Isle Of Man. John Surtees is also some I
admire immensely, how has this man not been given a Knighthood? He
won the world championships on bikes and in a car! Sir Stirling
Moss never won a world championship and he has one.
If you had to spend eternity riding on one particular
road, anywhere in the world, where would it be and
why?
The Pan America Highway. You couldn't get bored riding that. Its
that long that you could spend months exploring down it. An
ambition I have is to ride it one day. I just hope it doesn't have
dual carriageways because they just bore me to death.
If you had to move away from the UK, where would you
choose to live?
Austria, probably in Kitsbuhel. The roads there are stupidly epic.
Loads of Alpine passes and in winter you could always have a play
on a snowmobile. Oh and the lager down there is beautiful!
What one tip would you pass on to other
riders?
One thing that's helped me is doing further training to ride a
bike after passing my test. I always say to people do your IAM or
RoSPA, all it will do is help. People who say ''I've been riding 20
years so it wont help me'' really wind me up and need to give there
heads a shake, it does help and the techniques you are taught
really are useful.
What is your all time favourite racing
moment?
Too many to mention! Rossi passing Lorenzo at Catalunya '09, Rossi
passing Stoner on the corkscrew at Laguna Seca in 2008, Marquez
winning from the back of the grid last season. But a stand out
moment for me was last year at the MotoGP round in Valencia, I was
there for Rossi riding the Ducati for the first time. If you
watched it on motogp.com you would have saw me arguing with a
security guard out the back of Rossi's garage and also messing
around with some people above his garage. When Guy Martin finally
wins a TT that'll be added to this list too.
Speaking of MotoGP at Valencia - you can enter our
Britain Loves Bikes competition for a chance to win a weekend at
the final round of the 2011 MotoGP championship in Valencia - CLICK HERE
to find out more
If you could have any 3 bike personalities to dinner
(past or present), who would you invite and why?
This is a hard question, trying to narrow it down to 3. I'd
definitely have Eugene Laverty their because he is mega funny. I'd
have Cal Crutchlow their too because he doesn't mix his words and
would be good banter. The third would probably have to be Colin
Edwards, this guy likes to have a beer and will mock anything.
What is your favourite bike-related
website?
Probably eBay or Bike Trader. Im always looking at bikes,
consistently thinking I have the money to buy another one or start
a project. Sadly my ambition outweighs my bank balance.
Any final words for Express' followers?
Ok here goes...The Gospel According to Dave: 'On the 7th day God
said to rest and relax' wise thing for him to say, everyone was
relaxing so no-one on the road when he went out on his bike!
Thanks Dave!