The wife of road racer Ryan Farquhar has backed her husband's desire to get back on the bike.

The 42-year-old has said he is determined to get back on the bike after suffering near life-ending injuries at a terrifying crash at the North West 200 in 2016.

She called into the BBC Talkback show during a discussion on road racing.

It came after bikes fan Trevor Smyth, writing in the Belfast Telegraph said that although road racing was in his DNA he found it more and more difficult to follow the sport given the numerous tragedies that have dogged the sport.  

The motorcycling racer Ryan Farquahar says he would get back on the bikes despite still recovering from his injuries.

In 2012 he retired from the sport after his uncle died saying he wanted to spend more time with his family.

However, he said that while he still required surgery he hoped to be back to road racing in the next couple of years.

"The easiest thing for me is to get back on the bike," The 42-year-old told the BBC's Talkback.

He said he had been racing longer than he knew his wife and they had discussed what would happen if he was killed racing and how his family would cope financially.

"We are selfish, there is no doubt about that. It's what we do," he added.

"Nobody is going to live forever. If there is something you love doing, you should do it. If I can get myself into a position where I am healthy and can win races, I'll be doing it.

"If someone is going to make road racing 100% safe, I would not be doing it - you make a mistake you will be punished."

The racer added: "It's a way of life... the highs I have had. There is something about road racing when it is in your blood.

He said for those that didn't want to watch the sport, they should turn over the channel and "watch something they do want to watch".

"It's probably an addiction, but it's an addiction I love," he added.

Karen Farquahar - came on the radio to dispute those saying those taking part in the sport "didn't care about their families".

"Ryan is a very loving family man, and I appreciate the sport is dangerous and I can see a lot of people's point of views," she said.

"Personally, Ryan has been a good husband. There are so many worse things he could be doing.

"He is a loving father, he worked hard at what he did. He was always at home with me and the girls, I always knew where he was.

"He could have been an alcoholic, he could have been a drug addict.

"To say he doesn't care about his family is very wrong. The sport is dangerous and there has been difficult times.

"But now that he is not racing, can someone assure me he will lead a healthy life until he is like 80?

"He is not racing now and I still worry about him.. nobody knows."

She added: "There have been days, I have come home disheartened from road racing but the majority of days I am disheartened by something I read in the newspaper.

"There are days I am disheartened and I hate that aspect of the sport. But unfortunately it is part of it and it is a way of life for the racers, it's in their blood and they want to do it.

And for those guys that aren't here now if they were back and didn't have their accident they would be raring to go.

"If Ryan doest go back to racing I am still going to have him? No one knows."