Bob Collins – Owner

Bob has been the Managing Director and owner of FWR since 2011.  Over the years he has accumulated a wealth of motorcycle experience covering racing, road riding as well as touring around Europe and the Far East. 

Bob's first experience of working in a bike shop was the famous Hamiltons Motorcycles in Streatham.  Bob started in the clothing department selling clothing and helping the parts department where he quickly learnt about motorcycle tyres, and then moved onto bike sales where he stayed for a number of years before meeting David Black the creator of FWR. 

Bob started riding track days in 1999 and would often bump into David Black at Brands Hatch where a friendship was born.  Dave soon offered Bob employment at FWR where Bob would learn the ropes and eventually become the manager.  When Dave sadly passed in 2010, Bob took over the company.

Racing was soon to follow and in 2003 Bob started racing with the famous Kent Motorcycle Club BEMSEE.   Bob’s goal was to win a few races but his natural talent soon became clear as he started cleaning up in both Rookie 600 and Clubman 600, in fact he still holds the 600 Rookie Lap Record at Brands Hatch.  Bob was invited to ride the Virgin Mobile Yamaha Mobile R6 Cup part way through the year as a guest rider for Super Bike Magazine alongside some great young talents like Tommy Hill and Cal Crutchlow to name but a few.  Bob went on to win both the Rookies and Clubman and took over 70 trophies in his first year of racing.  It didn’t stop there over the years Bob continued his winning streak winning the 2006 National Super stock Cup. 

It's fair to say Bob's had his fair share of racing experiences over the years.  In 2007 he entered the Scarborough Road races along with the NW200 and Isle Man TT.  2007 would be Bob’s toughest year with big crashes at all 3 road races and he decided to sit out 2008.  But a chance classic race at the end of 2008 would see Bob race Classic Endurance Bikes for the next decade and more and have some great victories and race all over Europe and even at Phillip Island in 2014. 

In 2018, after racing classic bikes for a decade Bob decide to race his GSXR1000 at a few No Limits Endurance races where he managed a podium at the 6 hours on his first go as well as later winning the 8 hours at Donington Park.  Matt, our Workshop Manager was kind (some say foolish) enough to loan Bob his 650 where, having never ridden it before, he won both races one year at Lord of Lydden.  Matt and Bob later paired up in 2020 to race the No Limits Endurance on Matt’s mini-twins resulting in a win in the twin’s class and finishing 3rd overall in the 600 class against bikes with twice the power. 

Bob’s last big win was in 2020 when he won the opening round of the MRO at Brands Hatch before COVID set in fully.  Since then has had podiums at Castle Combe and Jerez in 2021.

It's fair to say Bob's a passionate racer through and through, we would say he's a passionate biker through and through. Bob can often be seen riding other people’s pride and joy showing the owners their bikes ability with great ease.  He's just as happy riding at 180mph at Spa-Francorchamps as he is cruising through Goa at 20mph on his 500 Bullet.

Not only has Bob achieved all this in his racing years he's also ridden through most of Thailand India and Nepal.  Most recently in 2019, Bob rode the famous Road to Ladakh - the highest motorable road in the world. 

Bob loves spending his winter time racing Mini bikes, enduros and entering trails on his Gas Gas 300.