I lost a riding buddy this week in the early hours of Tuesday morning. Tom Cooper, 46 years old, Lifetime HOG and Geordie Chapter member.
Tom was out in the small hours of the morning and somehow crashed into a roadside barrier and then a traffic light. The traffic light was torn from the ground and it was probably this that took his life. We still don't know how or why the accident occurred as Tom was a very experienced and competent rider with many years of advanced motorcycling qualifications behind him. There were no witnesses.
Tom was a devoted Harley Rider and participated in many European HD events, Rallies and tours over the years that I knew him. I shared many a beer with him and we had a lot of common ground with our experiences of rides taken and places stayed. Tom had a heart of gold and would do anything to help you whenever you asked him. He was not a shy man and was not afraid to voice his opinions, be they controversial or not, but he wore his heart on his sleeve and the world will be a sadder place without his extrovert character to bless it.
RIP Tommy, you will be missed.
Nige