Racers and spectators at Irish Road Race meetings will have rapid response medical support in the form of a 175hp KTM RC8 R as part of its “Travelling Doctor’” system in 2012.

Doctor John Hinds, 32, as a member of the Motorcycle Union of Ireland (MCUI) medical team, has chosen a RC8 R  - currently available for £12,995 with finance offers that include 0% interest with a £99 deposit - as his way of getting life saving care and triage to a rider quickly and safely.

The “Traveling Doctor" system has evolved over the years as a way of providing fast and lifesaving medical care to riders at Irish Road racing meetings. The environment which with the medical staff work in is unique and the circuits can vary from 3 to 9 miles in length; so are too long to staff with ground crews like at British Superbikes, but too short to use a helicopter effectively like at the Isle of Man TT. The nature of these courses also make it difficult to have a fast "first response" with a car or regular ambulance.

The motorcycle-mounted doctors – Dr. John Hinds and Dr. Fred MacSorley - chase the warm-up and opening lap of each race or practice session at each event as this is historically when most serious incidents tend to occur. During racing they are parked up strategically with radio contact, helmets on and ready to be scrambled immediately and can assess, triage and begin treatment, and are backed up by response vehicles staffed by experienced doctors and paramedics.

The bikes the traveling doctors use are their own and the road racing circuits are exceptionally hard on a motorcycle. The wear and tear of jumps, bumps and high speed runs each and every weekend mean maintenance is an ongoing battle of attrition - tyres, oil and filters every weekend; screens full of stone chips, suspension being put through it's full crashing strokes every lap on the jumps that make the Irish road circuits unique in what they are. On average, Dr. John will cover around 4000 race miles a year.

The consultant anesthetist and intensivist based at Antrim Area hospital said: “There was a number of reasons I chose to run an RC8 R this year. Firstly, I have had Japanese inline fours for 10 years and wanted something different. Secondly, and more importantly, I needed a bike that was reliable and had good dealer back-up as I know how many serviceable items I get though in a year.

“The job I use the bike for means that a machine that won't start on the button could mean the difference between life and death. Who better then to buy a bike off than Northern Ireland KTM dealer and road racing legend Phillip McCallen! If ever there was a man who knows if a bike will work on a road circuit, it's him; and the RC8 R came highly recommended from the man himself. The fact that Northern Ireland ex-MotoGP star Jeremy McWilliams owns one himself meant the decision was made!”

John will be on call at the 90th Cookstown 100 this weekend, April 27-28, 2012.

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