The BMW Bike World Loses a Great Man By Bob Higdon, #35994

March 12, 2007

Robert Hellman (Photo: Bob Higdon)

A man of formidable intellectual accomplishments and versatility, Hellman began his academic career as a philosophy major at Marquette University in Wisconsin and went on to Columbia University in New York and Humboldt University in then-East Berlin for graduate work. Eventually he obtained the equivalent of three masters degrees and two Ph.Ds, concentrating his efforts in political science and on the life and times of Friedrich Nietzsche. He spoke fluent German and French, was a certified scuba and windsurfing instructor, held a black belt in karate, and played volleyball at a semi-pro level.

His professional life, a matter of some mystery to even his closest friends, was spent in large part as an analyst for various U. S. government entities, including the Central Intelligence Agency. He authored two books and contributed countless articles to newspapers and magazines on subjects ranging from a history of the Army's topographic laboratory to Wisconsin's Ice Age Trail. Most recently he edited a biography of his godmother, Alice Longworth, the daughter of Teddy Roosevelt.

But it was with BMW motorcycles that the two great loves of his life --- German culture and motorcycling --- coalesced. An unabashed supporter of the brand, he logged over 300,000 miles on BMW bikes. In 1986 he took over the reins as editor of the BMW Riders Association's magazine, rescuing the struggling club from oblivion and giving what he claimed was a voice to the independent rider. In truth, the voice was invariably that of his own, the self-proclaimed Chefredakteur (German for editor-in-chief), but his devoted readership scarcely seemed to mind. Hellman's moles consistently provided him with scoops that the world's motorcycle press corps could only envy. If you truly wanted to know what the motorcycle division of BMW was up to, you had to read Robert Hellman's magazine.

In recognition of his support of the company he became the first recipient of the Friend of the Marque Award in 1997 and the first individual to receive BMW of North America's Icon Award a decade later.

He is survived by his mother, Margaret; a brother, John; a daughter, Alice Sturm; his companion of 19 years, Mary Lee Kingsley; and a legion of fans.