I started biking on a Suzuki RG80 at the age of 18 and later traded it for a GP100 which I used as a daily commute and to socialise with friends. In 2001 I was involved in an accident when a car involved in a robbery pulled the handbrake in front of me causing me to impact the vehicle head on. I went over the vehicle onto the path of oncoming traffic. The truth is, if I had or was taught the knowledge and awareness that I now have, this accident could have been prevented.

After this accident my next bike came in 4 boxes from American Imports in Kimmage Dublin, a KZ250. I spent the following months recovering from the accident and building my next bike which has now been fully restored by my uncle. I was excited to build my first bike and later took on a larger project, a Nighthawk 700. I soon realized I was well out of my skill set when it came to the full rewiring and I needed assistance with the wiring loom. I had no shed or tools to work on the bike and every door I knocked on wanted to charge a small fortune to work on my bike or simply wouldn’t entertain me.

Tom Hanrahan from QC Customs took me in and worked looking over my shoulder to teach me the importance of basic motorcycle maintenance. This inspired the concept we all came to love as the free to use community garage, Bikers Shed was formed and with the help of our ever expanding team and friends, Bikers Shed is now a fully kitted out educational facility in Mountrath.