Pondboy's BMW F650GS News

Christie's Memoriam Page
10 November 1979-28th May 2004

I only met Christie once for a few hours in one of our local pubs as Gasgas and he were on their way to the BMF show at Peterborough of 22/23rd May 2004. Christie died on the 28th May 2004.

He was one of those special kind of guys who make a quiet impression and was instantly likeable. Christie was South African and had a strong accent. He was fit, tanned and really quite beautiful. Unassuming, but with a great sense of humour. It was a privilege to have known him.

The following is the edited text of a forum post and email from Gasgas.

Thanks everyone for your kind words and sympathy.

Christie was a 24 year old South African, and my apprentice. I took him on to work for me four weeks ago and I spent every day except Sundays with him. He was the most hard working guy you could wish to work with. He voluntarily came round to my house in the evenings and Saturdays to work on a room we are rebuilding. He would frequently take things off me when I picked them up to carry them to the van, saying 'No, no, that is the Apprencite's job'.

He used to work in a bike shop in South Africa, repairing fairing panels, and the last task he did for me was to fix a cigarette burn bump / stain on a customer's bath, and made it like new. The customer had asked us to replace the bath with a new one, but Christie said, no we could fix it, and he did, within five minutes. Saved the customer £250. That was the sort of useful guy he was. I didn't mind, I was proud of him. From experience I know this customer will tell all his friends and we will get a lot more back than the £250 we didn't get on this occasion.

Christie and I went to the BMF show in Peterborough last weekend, and he bought a few new bits - helmet, jacket and trousers. I have a lovely photo of him sitting on a very pretty bike, and I will of course get a copy framed for my desk.

Christie bought a used Honda CBR600 last week, and on Friday afternoon he was involved in a collision with an oil tanker and died within minutes. It was a huge shock to me. I dont know any more details than that yet.

I had arranged to go with him round the TT course on Monday and stop at the Museum to watch the bikes make mincemeat of the tuned up Subaru's as they chase up the mountain road. That is what I will do. I will miss him terribly.

Christie, like me was a bible believing Christian, so I believe that he is now in Heaven with God, which is a far better place than here. Maybe he has a Fireblade cloud and he can do 20000 mph in safety so he can get around the place. It doesn't mean I don't miss him though. I don't understand why he only had 24 years here. My only conclusion is that God's time is not the same as ours, and in his 24 years he probably touched more people for the good than I have in my 54.

I dont even feel like going for a ride any more, but I probably will, at some time. I hope you dont mind me sharing this with you. I think it is another reminder that when we ride we should take it easy. The way I feel just now, if I do get on a bike again I only want to get on my Velocette LE and ride it at its maximum of 35mph.