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June 2026 27 needed a winter motorcycle project to help me through months of grueling chemotherapy, so he acquired an old BMW for the effort. He and Greg Burns made sure I could keep working on the café racer despite the debilita ng effects of treatment. A er a few hours in the barn, we would head into Bob's house for lunch—sandwiches that Greg or I had brought, plus soup, cookies, morale support, and a ready audience from Jane Hicks for the barbs I liked to aim at Bob. We displayed the bike, along with a sign explaining its story, at the 2012 European Motorcycle Day at the Larz Anderson Museum of Transporta on in Boston. It received the Chairman's Award because the project—and the therapy it provided—best captured the spirit of the event. I now have no evidence of disease, and I am convinced that the project and the goodwill surrounding it played some part in that outcome. I will always be grateful for Bob's kindness and care. In 2020, the Covid pandemic slowed our riding. My wife was diagnosed with terminal cancer, Jane Hicks began facing serious health problems, our riding group started to dri apart, and Bob turned 90. Although our rides eventually stopped, Bob and I stayed in touch through phone calls, emails, lunches, motorcycle shop open houses, and meet- ings with motorcycle and automobile clubs. He kept working on bikes, wri ng a family history, beginning My Life Behind Bars, a book about his motorcycling life, contribu ng to his town's historical record, and generally living as an impressively ac ve nonage- narian. In January 2025, we celebrated Bob's 95 th birthday at the Cycles Classic Café and Museum at Cycles 128 in Beverly, Massachuse s. Soon a erward, Steve Keegan of Cycles 128 began recording video interviews with Bob. I helped by providing outlines, suppor ng material, prodding ques ons, and sepa- rate audio recordings of the sessions. In February 2026, Bob met with members of the New England Sports Commi ee to help sort materi- als for eventual archiving. I drove him home a er- ward. It was the last me I saw him, though I kept in touch by sending motorcycle news clips, photos, and links to videos I thought he would enjoy. Following a brief illness, Bob Hicks passed away on April 23, 2026. I miss my friend. Bob celebra ng his life behind bars Bob celebra ng his life behind bars Bob's 95th Birthday Bob's 95th Birthday