Veteran rider died on motorbike he loved

Chris Vickers was a proud father, a loving husband and the best mate a good Kiwi bloke could ask for.
The motorcycle he was riding when he was killed in a collision with a light truck on Oropi Rd on Tuesday morning was like a second skin - one he had worn for the past 40 years.
The 55-year-old was best known in Tauranga for his work as a boat builder, a career his son, 26-year-old Daniel, followed him into.
The pair had just finished building a boat together, which the family will now keep in Mr Vickers' memory.
Daniel and Mr Vickers' two daughters, Sheree, 24, and Chelsea, 22, said their father was a proud dad who never missed a school camp or the chance to coach or referee their sports teams.
"He was so proud of us all the time and he loved everybody so much," Sheree said.
"He did find a way to touch somebody's heart without even trying.
"Just hanging out with him was really fun," Chelsea said.
"All our mates call him 'Uncle Chris'," said Daniel.
Mr Vickers' wife of 30 years, Joy, said her husband's death was a huge loss.
"This family, the community of friends and everybody he's been involved with has lost the best mate anyone could ever have.
"He's just full-on with the kids, right from birth he was involved," she said.
On holiday from his job as a postie, Mr Vickers was on his way to get petrol at the service station on Oropi Rd when the crash happened.
Described by his family as "a social butterfly", Mr Vickers had planned to then return home and pick up his gear, before heading off on a ride to meet friends who were camping.
It's the memories of camping and time in the outdoors with his mate that Mr Vickers' friend Craig Hogan will hold dear.
Renowned for his motorcycle skills, Mr Vickers' family take comfort in the fact he died doing what he loved.
"We've all been on the back of his motorbike as well and we've never felt unsafe with him," Chelsea said.
In their time of grief they are also taking time to consider the family of Robin "Tom" Fong - the light truck driver also killed in the crash.
"We also understand that there's another family going through the same as us.
"Our thoughts are definitely with them," Daniel said.
"If it's as rough for them as it is for us, I don't wish this on anyone," said Sheree.
When his children were young, Mr Vickers and his wife both wrote letters to them, letters they hoped remained unopened for years to come.
They held messages explaining their hopes and dreams for their children, should they die without the chance to say goodbye.
In the hours since their father's death, Mr Vickers' children have taken great comfort in their father's final words of love and pride.
"Hopefully we've all grown up and we carry a little bit of him in us somehow," Chelsea said.
A service for Mr Vickers will be held at the Greerton Marist Rugby Club on Saturday at 11am. The family welcomes anyone wishing to attend.