Imagine the butterflies in my stomach when Conquest International Motorcycles called and said they were going to let me loose with a monster motor trike and a professional photographer for the day!

"Oh, my God, you betya!" I screamed. Then my mind went into overdrive... "What style of helmet should I wear, which of my many pairs of sun glasses would look coolest, how would I put in the sleep I needed to between now and then and oh, I must get down to Tesco's and buy a shed load of cucumber and tea bags (for the eyes darling).

"Big deal", I hear you say, "but it's hardly anything out of the ordinary!"

Wrong! The Conquest 1200R is the world's first high-performance series production motor trike that is driven from a wheelchair. A wheelchair? If you think that sounds naff, think again... it's awesome to behold, a real 'Batman meets Judge Dread' hybrid that will do 115mph.

I severed my spinal cord in a motorcycle crash 26 years ago and had already driven a Conquest to Berlin in the spring of 2009 - so MC said I was a first choice for the September photo shoot for their new brochure.

As soon as the trike arrived, I grabbed the keys and my credit card and went shopping for new kit - a black matt open faced helmet and a 1950's retro jacket. I topped these off with a cool pair of shades and my Grandfather's white silk scarf.

Just like a big kid, I put on my new outfit outside the shop and took a quick blast up Newcastle's Westgate Road, the 'must be seen place' for all the serious bikers. As the Conquest growled up the street, all heads turned; it was kind of biker version of the Mexican wave. The Conquest/Retro combination worked; I felt King of the Road and ready for the photoshoot.


10am - The first location was ‘one mile from my back garden in historic’ Corbridge village (the Roman town of Corstopitunum).

11am - To the old Roman Military road that runs parallel with the A69 - infamous amongst north-east bikers for its rolling and undulating, the great surface for 'swinging it about'.

12.30pm - Newcastle Quayside. Here, the trike got loads of attention - people stopped me at traffic lights to chat, mobile phone cameras were in my face constantly and I just had to talk to everyone and their dog.

3pm - Tracking shots. Thee I was about one foot off the camera car bumper with Ray hanging out the back (securely tied in, I hasten to add), camera in hand.

5pm - Free styling under the Byker Bridge viaduct with helmet on and off (street legal).

All in all a great day. I think you will agree.

Thank you to Conquest International, Ray Archer and Jake Miller at G2F Media for setting the whole thing up.



Back