Wilhelm Költgen is disabled. He's been missing his right hand since birth. Nevertheless, he is a passionate motorcycle driver and skilfully moves his HP 1250 GS through the Dolomites. He values the "HP".
And not only that. He helps others who are equally disabled to get on their motorcycles again or for the first time. His company "Költgen GmbH" in Krefeld on Oberbenrader Straße 407 is not just any screwdriver workshop. The conversion of handicapped-accessible vehicles is practiced here. More than 8000 satisfied customers speak for themselves. And the story behind this company is fascinating.
A man lives his job
Just say Willi to me ...
“Just tell me Willi. That makes it uncomplicated and easier. ”Wilhelm Költgen, married, 60 years old, dynamic, active and always friendly, greets me just as I am about to present myself perfectly in his office. Laughing, I sat down at Willi's table and heard a story that I haven't heard often before:
Of passion
The company "Költgen GmbH" has been around for more than 20 years. Back then, Willi turned his hobby into a profession. Out of passion and a little forced by a stroke of fate in life. Suddenly the single father of a small child, he had to get out of the regulated and inflexible paths of dependent professional life.
“I am particularly good at two things. One is screwing on motorcycles, which I've been doing since I was 14 years old. The other is communication with people. What could be more obvious than to become self-employed. "
Willi dared to take this step and has not regretted it to this day. He offers solutions for any mobility impairment for vehicles of all kinds. Even unusual conversions are possible. “Doesn't work, doesn't exist” is not a hackneyed saying for him. As a motorcyclist, it is clear that the conversion of such vehicles is particularly important to him. Anyone entering his sales room sees, finely lined up, one motorcycle next to the other. All rebuilt according to customer requirements and all different in detail.
His son, now 30 years old, has also recently started working in the family business. And he gets his motorcycle license. The father couldn't prevent it - and seriously didn't want to either.
A hobby for a job, doesn't it have something like "learning by doing" ...
A hobby for a job, isn't that something like “learning by doing”? Wilhelm Költgen did not want to let such a stable smell arise in the first place and at that time took the exam to become a two-wheel mechanic in front of the Chamber of Crafts - and thus put his company on serious technical feet.
There are moral limits ...
Of course, when thinking about motorcycling for the disabled and the conversion of vehicles that are then also used in road traffic, one wonders whether there are not - in addition to technical - moral limits to the delivery of vehicles to people, which of course face the daily dangers of the Expose road traffic.
“There are. On the one hand, I only convert vehicles for physically handicapped customers; on the other hand, the handicap must generally allow safe motorcycling. If I realize that this is not possible, I also decline an order. I remember a customer whose paraplegia was so severe that he couldn't have kept his balance at all. Despite an urgent request, I had to send the man back home. I dont do something like that. That is irresponsible. "
Safe driving with disabilities(Photo Wilhelm Költgen)
Working with a network of technicians, doctors, examiners and driving schools ...
Wilhelm Költgen is not left to his own devices when assessing his customers. He works with a network of TÜV technicians, driving schools, traffic medics and driving school examiners. Only with this close and networked cooperation can the idea of handicapped-accessible motorcycling be offered and taken responsibility:
“The traffic physician determines whether an interested party would be physically able to drive a converted motorcycle. He also specifies the parameters for the conversion, so he tells us in his report what needs to be done so that his patient can safely move a motorcycle.
The TÜV technicians expand the purely medical view of things to include the necessary technical ideas on the vehicle. Essentially, it is about the question of what would have to be done so that the vehicle can then also be removed.
If the medical and technical side of the conversion is outlined accordingly, the driving school and the examiners take care of issuing or re-issuing a driving license. You can't go to any driving school or any examiner. Working with handicapped people requires sensitivity and empathy, more than with "normal" learner drivers. Also, not all examiners want to deal with disabled people on motorcycles, who of course have to meet all the conditions for handling the vehicle that are also placed on non-disabled people. "
The wires of the network come together in Willi's company. He attaches great importance to this so that coordination can be carried out promptly and in a targeted manner. The cheerful company owner, rarely at a loss for a funny saying, is a perfectionist at work. His mission and his self-image of disability demand it from him.
“Disabled people - like everyone else - want to participate in life. Live like this, move like a non-disabled person. You want to be mobile, ride a motorcycle or drive a car. I would like to make this possible for them safely. "
Participate in life
Image Wilhelm Költgen
Two large groups of customers, those with license and novice drivers ...
Wilhelm Költgen basically differentiates between customers who were already motorcyclists before their disability and whose driving license has expired due to the physical change and those who want to ride a motorcycle for the first time.
For the former, he can assume a realistic idea of the motorcycle medium. But here too he sets limits: “When a customer sat on a converted motorcycle in my company after a motorcycle accident, I saw the panic and the flashbacks in his eyes. I couldn't fulfill his wish, although it would have been technically feasible. "
For new customers, the preparations are more complex. It's not just about the medical and technical issues. "For the later driving test, a complex coordination between TÜV, examiners and the driving school is necessary so that the practical test can also be successfully completed:
"Depending on the region, the application for a license to drive must be submitted to the road traffic or district office. The examiners must give their consent to the type of conversion. You find out that the interested party can basically handle such a vehicle. Only then does the work of the driving schools begin with theoretical and practical training. There are no bonus rounds or considerations. The newcomer is trained and tested like everyone else, only with his converted vehicle. Of course, based on my experience, I already know in advance that the customer will be able to move the vehicle safely with my conversion with sufficient practice. Because the conversion must be available for registration at the office. "
Customers who already had a driving license ...
Customers who were already motorcyclists before their disability also have to go through a similar procedure as new customers. You have to submit an application to the road traffic authorities to check whether you are fit to drive or drive. The customer selects a TÜV of his choice. Then the traffic doctor prepares his report. However, a theoretical test is no longer required. The driving license is only updated through a driving test. The TÜV inspector also decides on the necessary requirements. "
THIS IS THE SECTION TITLE.Feetless Biking System
Willi is in his element when he reports on his cooperation with authorities, auditors, customers and the workshop coordination. His enthusiasm for the task is reflected in his technique. He proudly presents his patented “Feetless Biking System” (FBS). In a fraction of a second, the motorcyclist can extend the supports on the rear wheel if he wants to stop or is driving very slowly. Incidentally, the aids are attached in such a way that they do not interfere with driving. They are unabashedly suitable for sloping. Relocations of gas, brakes and switches and footrests are almost a minor matter. By the way, the FBS can also help non-disabled people who are too small for the motorcycle of their choice.
Willi is a consultant for disabled people in the BVDM ...
With Wilhelm Költgen's vita, it is almost imperative that he has not only been a member of the BVDM (Federal Association of Motorcyclists) for decades, but also holds the position of advisor for disabled people there. One cannot imagine a more competent cast.
In his work, Willi almost neglects motorcycling. “Unfortunately, I don't get to that much enough. My work just doesn't leave me much room for riding fun and motorcycle-related activities. But a few weeks ago I went to the Dolomites with a group of disabled motorcyclists and caused a sensation in the motorcyclist hotel. They couldn't believe what they saw that morning. We just climbed up and made a wonderful round through the mountains. Like any other motorcyclist. "
Exit in the Dolomites
Image Wilhelm Költgen
We minimize our risk behavior ...
Finally, I have a question for Willi. Is there actually a different safety awareness for disabled motorcyclists than for non-disabled people? Do you drive more level-headed, more cautious, more conscious?
“We're already minimizing our risk behavior. While one or the other drives at 120%, maybe 95% is enough for us. One hand less is enough, one leg less. People see themselves as a community of solidarity and are accordingly considerate to each other, to themselves and to the environment. I expect that too. The social component is the decisive difference to other motorcycle groups. Otherwise we want to be accepted and accepted as normal people. And you don't see the difference when driving. "
In Wilhelm's career there has never been a dissatisfied customer or an accident with a motorcycle that he has converted. That says a lot not only about the quality of the conversion, but especially about the people who drive these motorcycles.
Contact:
Költgen GmbH
Wilhelm Költgen
Oberbenrader Strasse 407
47804 Krefeld
Tel .: 02151-701236
info@koeltgen.de