Bikers pay tribute on Sheffield man Brian's last ride

Bikers follow the hearse at the funeral of Brian Senior along Penistone Road in Hillsborough

It was hard to miss the last ride of Walkley man Brian Senior, as his coffin was taken by sidecar from Hillsborough to his final resting place at Hutcliffe Wood by a procession of friends on Harleys.

Brian, who died in May of multiple system atrophy aged 66, and his late wife Susan were both passionate bikers, and were well known in Sheffield and further afield.

Brian Senior, from Walkley, died aged 66 from multiple system atrophy.

“It was amazing to see the support,” said daughter Debbie Irving. “I’m so proud of all those bikers.”

Brian was born and raised in Sheffield, and was a steelworker before he was forced to retired because of his condition. He was a big family man and had two children, Debbie and Michael.

Debbie said: “He was a lovely man. He was a very kind person.

“My kids used to call him ‘grumpy grandad’ but he was anything but.”

Brian and Susan’s passion for bikes would take them all over the country. They were a big part of the biker scene and were well known.

Sadly, Brian’s diagnosis with multiple system atrophy, known as MSA, affected his riding. The rare degenerative neurologic condition has similarities with Parkinson’s disease, and gradually affects motor functions.

“He lost his confidence on bikes because his balance started going,” said Debbie. “He still had a trike through his last days though.”

Susan died six years ago, leaving a big hole in Brian’s life.

Debbie said: “My dad never really got over her passing away. They were a close couple. They were both bikers together -–it was a shared passion.”

Leading the bikers was Dave Westray. Known as ‘cowboy’, he was one of Brian’s closest friends and together they set up the Independent Bikers group.

“It was a bit upsetting because he was one of my best mates,” said Dave. “But the lads came out for him and gave him a good send-off.”

Brian was a ‘good old-fashioned biker’ and ‘old school’, according to his friend of 20 years. And although he struggled to ride during his final years, he was still a big part of the community.

“The Independent Bikers group is a community. It’s family-oriented,” said Dave.

“We meet every Wednesday. Brian was always a big figure in the group. We are a very close-knit family.”