It’s with much sadness that I have to inform the club members who remember Bob that he’s passed away, after a short illness but (fotunately?) this was preceeded by the onset of Alzhiemers.
Bob will be cremated in his DOCGB club T shirt the old style one with the 900SS Bevel on it and his club membership card will also be in the coffin.
Bob was a fantastic friend, the Best Man at my wedding wearing his club T shirt ( we both turned up on 851/888’s) a real caracter who was always popular at the club Rallies etc, he won best bike or farthest travelled many times with his 950cc NCR Rep Bevel, he also owned one of the 1st 916’s, 916SP and a rather nice 851/888 fitted with 888SP(4)S pistons/barrels and tweaked 748 heads…
Hot stuff in the 851/888 World.
Nothing was too much trouble for Bob if he saw you as a friend in need often at his own expense, he would always go the extra mile to help out a fellow enthusiast, he led a “Colourfull” life but was very modest about what he’d done in his past.
I knew him for around 17 years and never ever heard someone say a bad word about him, or Bob say a bad word about anyone else.
A very clever self taught engineer who made his own dry clutch conversion for his Bevel special using parts mostly from a 916and exhaust sustem, friends would say…
“If you were stranded on a desert island you’d want to be stranded with Bob as he could (in the A Team style) build you a motorboat out of baked bean cans and bamboo poles”.
Bob attended the WDW 1998 and 2000, he was even then in his 60’s at least but was a “Starman” to all who met him, possibly one of the coolest people I’ve ever had the good fortune to call a friend…
RIP Bob the World is a poorer place for your passing mate, tonight I’ll raise a jar to you and along with Sue and Swampy will be at the funeral.
Steve R