David Gough, Organ Donor Advocate, Australia, 2012

David Gough was known as "John the Baptist" among fellow bikers because he rode to spread an important message.

It was a nickname the 61-year-old, a tireless campaigner for organ donation, shrugged off because he believed he was just doing what he could.

Every year Mr Gough rode around parts of Australia sharing the story of his 26-year-old daughter Melody, whose donated organs saved the lives of three people after she died in a car crash on Christmas Eve 2009.

Tragedy struck the family a second time yesterday morning when Mr Gough fell from his motorbike and died on the corner of Greenwich Road and the Pacific Highway, St Leonards, in Sydney's north.

Mr Gough was not on an awareness ride at the time, having finished his latest ride in February.

He recently wrote about the ride and the importance of telling people they needed to register as organ donors and their loved ones needed to be informed of the decision.

"While travelling in Victoria with some hardened bikers, they christened me John the Baptist as they likened me to someone travelling in the wilderness gathering true believers to the cause," Mr Gough wrote on his blog.

"At one time there were 30 or 40 bikes thundering along behind me.

"I don't pretend to be so righteous; I just do what I can because many on the transplant list will die without the gift of life a transplant provides."

Melody died in a single vehicle car crash as she drove on the winding roads between Canberra and Cowra to come home for Christmas.

Her organs were given to three critically ill people.

At the time Mr Gough said this generous "love of life" said so much about his daughter, who was a promising arts worker at the National Art Gallery.

A spokeswoman for the federal government's Organ and Tissue Authority paid tribute to Mr Gough's work.

"He was incredible, well known and inspiring to many across the nation so it's a real loss," the spokeswoman said.

A statement from the authority said: "David generously shared his family's experience with the nation, encouraging other families to talk about their donation wishes."

The spokeswoman said it was not known whether his organs would be donated.

Cowra mayor Bill West said Mr Gough was a respected sculptor in Cowra and many members of the town of 13,000 would be in shock.

"He was well known and highly regarded and worked with and for the community."