David rejoins biker clan after accident 20 years ago

Jul 16 2008 by Dan Warburton, The Journal

A WHEELCHAIR user has rekindled his passion for the open road with a specially designed motorcycle – more than 20 years after severing his spinal cord in a biking accident.

Days before his 21st birthday, David Burdus, of Corbridge, Northumberland, broke his back in a crash at a roundabout in Spennymoor, County Durham.

He spent 10 months lying in a hospital ward and endured a further two years of tests, surgery and physiotherapy.

But yesterday, two decades after he fractured five vertebrae, Mr Burdus, now 46, re-ignited his passion for motorbikes.

Thanks to a modified machine designed for wheelchair users, the access consultant is back on the road.

Made from the front end of a BMW 1200R and an aluminium rear frame, the trike has an electronically operated ramp that allows him to wheel himself on board.

A clamp then secures his wheelchair.

But for Mr Burdus, who lives with his 52-year-old fiancee Janet Pallister, a communications officer, the invention is a life-changing vehicle.

He said: “For a long time I wasn’t able to do a lot. The accident was a big change in my life. I suffered horrific injuries, and it was an emotional experience.

“I used to see the other bikers out there and I kind of envied them, but now I have got a bike and I can rejoin the clan.

“There are millions of disabled people across the world who dream about having their independence and this bike gives them that chance.

“It’s Judge Dredd meets Batman – it’s just an amazing bike. People stop me in the street, they talk to you at the traffic lights, they take photos and slow down on the motorway.”

It is the first high-performance series production motorbike to hit the streets of England. Designed by Manchester manufacturer Martin Conquest, the £20,000 bike can reach speeds well in excess of 120mph and for an extra fee includes heated twist-grips and a sound system.

Mr Burdus last night said he enjoyed challenging perceptions – and wowing his five-year-old grandson, Callum.

He said: “You can see people thinking, ‘Is that guy in a chair’? This bike is mainstream and it breaks stereotypes about disabled people. It challenges people’s awareness.

“Callum goes to Corbridge First School and he is so excited. He keeps saying how cool it is; he thinks I’m the best grandad in the world.”

To see David Burdus test drive the motorbike for the first time on a New Zealand TV news broadcast click here