Dave Edwards from South Wales was among them, visiting the grave with friends and his son, Adam.

"I couldn't come here without paying my respects to Joey," he said, standing next to the long straight road to Ballymoney where the Dunlops first opened a throttle. "Now it's a double choker."

The Edwards were in the race paddocks at Portrush yesterday morning when they heard that Robert Dunlop had been killed on the track the night before. Now in the quiet churchyard, away from the growl of the course, Dave shook his head at the fate that met both brothers.

"We're very shocked," he said. "I found it quite devastating to be honest, because in the past years at the TT I got to know Robert and Joey to speak to. It's terrible that Robert has gone the same way."

News of Robert's death spread last night to all parts of the annual biker migration, including those waiting for ferries in Britain.

"We heard in our hotel," said a biker from Newcastle-on-Tyne, sipping a Coke outside Joey's Bar. "It's a terrible thing."

Joey's, the bar owned by the older Dunlop brother at Ballymoney Railway station, opened as usual to welcome the North West pilgrims. The interior of the bar is lined with photographs. A motorbike hangs from the rafters.

It's like a Dunlop museum, but the atmosphere was funereal. As the morning wore in, the rumble of motorcycle engines increased as hundreds of bikers paid short visits to Joey's memorial at the end of Main Street.

A large bouquet of white flowers was laid in front of Joey's statue, addressed to Robert: "Thanks for all the thrills."

Reverend Denis Bannerman, a biker and Presbyterian minister who lives nearby, was drawn to the garden because he knew Robert, who helped him with a charity ride to raise money to buy a car for a minister in Romania.

"That was one of the things Robert did," he said. "He never made publicity for himself. He just lent his face and name.

"It's a tragedy," said Reverend Bannerman. He said that if Robert had stayed in retirement when he left racing four years ago "I suppose he'd still be here with us today.

"But the urge was still there. How do you replace that? Robert had the boys, but watching them race was going to pull him back."

Councillor Ian Stevenson, watching men in black leathers standing quietly by the memorial, said the anticipation of the North West had turned to tears for many people in Ballymoney.

"People are still saying 'is' when they're talking about Robert," he said. "It hasn't sunk in - you're expecting to look for him and see him walking down the street."

Mr Stevenson said he was glad the council gave Robert Dunlop the freedom of the borough last year, paying public tribute to him before his death.

"I was talking to Robert at that ceremony last year," he said. " He said, 'I'll probably do another couple of years, then let William and Michael take over.' I was reminded that Joey said the same thing just before he died.

"The people of the town are all shocked. When I heard it I was like many others - more than one or two tears came to the eye.

"Joey's death had been a shock. The love that people had for Joey transferred to Robert. He was loved in his own right, but also because of what happened to Joey."

Joey's statue sits to the right of the stone memorial listing his many race victories before his untimely death in 2000.

"There's enough space for Robert as well," said a man in a Michelin jacket.