Rob Hellawell - What Bike?

Rob has been producing our newsletter since April 2006 and although he had a very difficult act to follow is doing a grand job.

The newsletter is out promptly each month packed with all the club information plus some new feature articles. So, well done Rob and onto “what bike do you ride and why?”

Rob, surprisingly, is 48. He has been married to Julie for 24 years and has two teenage daughters. One doing GCSE’s and the other already at University. Rob is a chemical process operator, working at Syngenta, a huge company employing about 2,500 people in the UK and Ireland producing an extensive range of seed and crop protection products. They are involved in projects as diverse as bio diesel production and bumble bee conservation.

Rob’s hobbies are biking and caravanning.

Q. How did you get started on biking?

A. Due to my Uncle being involved in a very serious motorcycle accident, my parents became anti-bikes when I was young so I was 24 before I got started on two wheels. In fact it was just after getting married. I got “hooked” on bikes when I was taken for a spin by my brother-in-law. He had a Honda CB 400 it had just been tuned, the thrill was indescribable and dreamed of having a bike from then on. We couldn’t afford to run two cars so I bought a Suzuki moped simply to get to work and back.

Q. What was your first real bike?

A. I upgraded to a Yamaha 125DT on which I passed my test. Incidentally I past part one on the day of the Bradford Fire Disaster. Three months later I passed part two.

Q. What have you ridden since?

A. The 125 was replaced by a Kawasaki K250C, I was forcibly removed from this by a car “right turning” into me. Then followed 13 years without a bike. Family, caravan and life in the fast lane took priority!!

The famine ended when I got a Kawasaki GPZ600R. I bought in Sept02 spent the winter getting it pristine only to have it stolen the following May. Now I run a Honda CBR 600 and I am totally delighted with it.

Q. Why did you choose the CBR?

A. Why the CBR? I went to the local dealer (DC Motorcycles) who let me try three 600cc bikes he had to sell. The first one a Suzuki GSX I didn’t feel comfortable on, I seemed to be fighting it to keep it into the corners, although it was a quick bike I knew it wasn’t for me. The second was a Kawasaki ZZR, it was just like riding the old “GPZ” but it seemed to be a bit “dull” I was very disappointed. Then the CBR, it was brilliant, handled very well, quick and agile, it went where I put it and stayed (unlike the GSX) but the price was over £3500 as it was in mint condition, so I hit the internet and found the one I have now at Castles in Castleford for quite a lot less. And as they say the rest is history.

Q. What would be your dream bike be today?

A. It would have to be the new Kawasaki ZZR1400 what a machine! I went to the motorcycle show in Birmingham and sat on one, it fitted perfectly.

Q. How did you get involved with IAM?

A. I passed my advanced test for the car in the morning and then went and bought the CBR in the afternoon. It was my wife’s idea to go for the bike test and I’m glad I did (many thanks to Dave Brook for getting me out of the edge of the road) I feel a lot happier now than I did tootling around on the GPZ.

Q. What sort of biking do you do and what do you enjoy about biking?

A. With doing shift work, I can get out quite often during the week but I can be difficult at weekends as I’m either working or “on call” 4 out of 5 of them so I try to get on the club runs as often as I can.

Q. Have you had any bad mishaps?

A. As I said before. Being R’Ted by a Sierra on the K250. the bike was written off as was my Belstaff Jacket, trousers and I had a huge bruise on my lower back from where I landed.

Q. What would you say has been your best biking moment so far?

A. I think this is still to come. I went to the Isle of Man (TT practice week) back in May 2007 for the centenary, it was a brilliant week and it was something I wanted to do for a while. One of our friends moved to Belgium last summer and a visit to see them is in the planning stage, we just need a weekend when be are all free to meet up, then maybe a detour down into France for a few days.