100s of motorbikes thunder down Townsville street for 2yo’s birthday during COVID-19 lockdown

A motorbike obsessed toddler’s parents wanted to surprise him with a driveway party but what happened next was beyond their wildest expectations as 200+ bikes thundered through their street. SEE THE PICTURES + WATCH THE VIDEO

A motorbike obsessed toddler’s parents wanted to surprise him with a driveway party but what happened next was beyond their wildest expectations.

More than 200 motorcyclists descended on Trent and Lidia Koppe’s Cosgrove street forming a steady stream of roaring engines to deliver an unforgettable second birthday to Roman.

Mrs Koppe said Roman was given more presents than he could count despite the family only knowing a handful of riders.

A motorbike crazy toddler can't have a party due to COVID-19 restrictions, so his dad put a call out on Facebook for a drive-by isolation party. PICTURE: MATT TAYLOR.

Among them was a grieving dad who wanted another little boy to have a special toy his son could no longer enjoy.

Mrs Koppe said she was so moved by his heartfelt gesture, “it made the hair on her arms stand up”.

“He gave our boy a 2007 Hot Wheels collector’s item that belonged to his son who passed away in the Black River accident last year,” she said.

Bluewater resident Kurt Philpots, 20 was killed in a head on crash at Black River on December 2, devastating the tight knit community.

“It’s something that’s so special to him that he’s passing on to a little boy that he doesn’t know and there’s probably no words how grateful we are,” Mrs Koppe said.

“I think that’s something that might have been a little bit of a healing process for him too and we just hope he’s happy and healthy.”

Roman Koppe was given plenty of gifts for his birthday by kind motorcyclists. PICTURE: MATT TAYLOR.

Roman’s dad Trent said COVID-19 restrictions meant they were looking at having a very disappointed birthday boy who only wanted one thing – a motorbike themed party, until the idea to surprise him came about.

“Birthdays for kids his age are usually about having other kids being there and letting their hair down but this situation created the perfect storm really … (with) people wanting to get out and restrictions being lifted on Friday,” Mr Koppe said.

“When that big group came around the corner he was just dumbfounded, he didn’t know what to do.”

More than 200 motorbikes thundered down Trent and Lidia Koppe’s Cosgrove street, to celebrate Roman’s second birthday. PICTURE: MATT TAYLOR.

Mr Koppe, who works at Rising Sun Honda, said he’s been in the industry for more than 20 years so it was no surprise his son has taken a liking to motorbikes.

“It’s in the blood I think, we’re definitely not going to push him too hard but it looks like he’s made up his own mind,” he said.

The entire motorbike drive by was livestreamed on the Rising Sun Honda Facebook page.

Originally published as 100s of motorbikes thunder down Townsville street for 2yo’s birthday during COVID-19 lockdown