Hughson was taken to Tseung Kwan O Hospital, where he was certified dead at 12.24am. Friends and family members were too upset to talk about his death last night.

Police are appealing for witnesses who may have seen the accident to contact them at 2305 7500.

Hughson, a former prop forward for Kowloon Rugby Club, owned a motorcycle shop in Sai Kung and established hongkongbikes.com in 1999. The business was home to some of Hong Kong's biggest classic two-wheeled machines.

British-born Hughson, who was regarded as a larger than life character, was often described as the only man in town who could make a Harley Davidson look tiny. In an interview with the Post three years ago he said: 'My business partner, Paul Gross, and I have both lived here for over 20 years and have seen it grow from a sleepy hollow into what it is today.

'To tell the truth we've already outgrown the space we have and we'll be looking to expand in Sai Kung at some point.'

Hughson sold everything from hyper-sports bikes such as the Yamaha R1 to sedate scooters and just about everything in between, including the Harley-Davidson Sportster.