DIRECTORYBUMPER EST 1895 MOTORCYCLE ISSUE! TRADER APRIL 2015 APRIL The Essential Guide to the Motorcycle Trade and Industry ■ www.motorcycletrader.net BEHIND THE SCENES Press launch fun and games MARKET SECTOR Where next for the development of motorcycle tyres? TO MOT OR NOT? Opportunities for expansion COMPANY PROFILE Custom Cruisers ■ NEWS ■ NEW PRODUCTS ■ BUSINESS JOURNAL ■ OPINIONS ■ TRADE MART THE 2015 DIRECTORY & PRODUCT CROSS- REFERENCE LISTING Looking for a product or service provider? Find them here! Motorcycle Trader: April 2015 FOLLOW US facebook.com/ Motorcycle.Trader.UK FOLLOW US twitter.com/ MCTraderUK REDCAT MARKETING LTD CONTENTS Newhaven, East Sussex BN9 0EF 45 EXHIBITIONS CALENDAR Tel: 01273 616040 www.motorcycletrader.net 99 REGISTRATION STATISTICS February 2015 – continuation of the PUBLISHING EDITOR: upward trend Jenni Foulkes [email protected] COLUMNS 23 NEXT GENERATION SUBEDITOR: 30 STICKY’S SCOOTER SCENE David Bradford Press launches - the truth p.32 37 ASSOCIATION VOICE DESIGN: Callum Tomsett FEATURES 47 KERR ON CHINA 24 MARKET SECTOR: TYRES ADVERTISING: Future prospects for the motorcycle 98 END USER Rod Sopp tyre industry [email protected] 32 PRESS LAUNCH UNCOVERED BUSINESS Trials and tribulations of an on-launch CONTRIBUTORS: motorcycle journalist 12 BUSINESS NEWS Adam Bernstein Latest news and information for 38 MARLIN ENVIRONMENTAL businesses of all sizes David Bradford Cleaning components using high-tech Alan Dowds ultrasound methods 42 BUSINESS JOURNAL Simon Evans Election special! Andy Foulkes 40 BORETEC MOT UPDATE One year on in the life of RS-equipped 45 TRADE MART Sean Kerr Boretech Engineering Find your supplier here Stevie Muir Martin ‘Sticky’ Round 48 CUSTOM CRUISERS 53 THE 2015 TRADER DIRECTORY Mark Williams Risen from the ashes A-Z of company contact details, cross- reference to products and brands 51 KSR MOTO listings PRINTED BY: Moore Large’s latest small-bike brand Newman Thomson Ltd, Burgess Hill 52 MOTORCYCLE INDUSTRY ADVERTISERS While every effort is made to ensure ASSOCIATION that the information contained herein INDEX AJS Motorcycles............................4 is correct, the publisher is unable to Bikesure.........................................31 accept any claims or responsibility for REGULARS Feridax...........................Front cover any incorrect information that may 5 NEWS MAG Europe...................................4 appear for whatever reason. All rights Latest round-up from the trade and Mitas..............................................11 reserved. No part of this publication industry Off Road Only...............................19 may be reproduced or transmitted in Oxford Products....................14/15 any form or by any means, electronic 14 NEW PRODUCTS Rock Oil.........................................31 or mechanical, including photocopy, Must-have spring items for showroom RS Equipment...............................17 recording or any information storage and workshop Schwalbe ......................................13 and retrieval system, without Texa...............................................21 permission in writing from the 35 TRADER DAILY NEWS VE....................................................2 publisher. © Redcat Marketing Limited. Sign up for salient information delivered WMD................................................7 straight into your inbox More news online at www.motorcycletrader.net – Updated every day. April 2015 03 04 April 2015 News: All the latest from the trade and industry NEWS New appointments Drug drive at Oxford Products laws tightened Recent personnel additions and promotions in Witney New drug drive legislation came into force on 2nd March in England Oxford Products has filled two new senior finest examples of that success.” and Wales, setting new limits at posts. Debbie Wiltshire becomes the firm’s Oxford also recently expanded very low levels for eight drugs director of operations, and Justin Thomas its dealer services arm, adding a commonly associated with illegal becomes director of purchasing. Thomas third merchandising and training use such as cannabis and cocaine. steps into the role with 15 years’ experience coordinator (MTC) to its field-base Eight prescription drugs are also in purchasing, while Wiltshire was a general team. Teagan ‘Skippy’ Randall joins included: clonazepam, diazepam, manager for the Carnell Motor Group. the company’s existing team and will flunitrazepam, lorazepam, oxazepam, Oxford Products MD Andrew Hammond assist with restructuring dealers’ stores temazepam, methadone and commented: to maximise sales of Oxford clothing, morphine. The government has “The company’s policy of recruiting helmets, parts and accessories. assured drivers that by following the and building from within has yielded For further information on careers at advice of healthcare professionals tremendous success over the years, Oxford Products, contact the company at they will avoid the risk of arrest. and Debbie and Justin are the very [email protected] Buffett invests in bikes American business magnate Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway has bought German motorcycle apparel and accessories retailer Detlev Louis Motorrad-Vertriebs GmbH for a little more than €400m (£297m). Detlev Louis employs more than Debbie Wiltshire Teagan ‘Skippy’ and Justin Thomas Randall 1,500 people and has more than 70 outlets in Germany and Austria. Buffett’s investment in the European motorcycle industry shows that he, at least, views it as a profitable area. www.louis-moto.co.uk. MCIAC endorses first trainers Surge in New MCIA-backed endorsement for instructors calls for help Congratulations to the first four Southampton; Margaret Mitchell, BEN, the automotive industry charity, Motorcycle Industry Accreditation GMTS (Tayside) Ltd, Dundee; Mark has reported a 17 per cent increase in Centre (MCIAC) accredited advance Jaffe, Phoenix Training, Croydon; and the number of people contacting the motorcycle training business Paul Beattie, Inner Circle Training, organisation for help in the last year, manager/owners: Heather Kershaw, Stockport. with a 34 per cent increase in calls to Motag Motorcycle Training Ltd, Turn to page 37 to find out more. its helpline. BEN’s CEO Nigel Rothband said: “The surge in calls to BEN over the last year demonstrates both that people are aware of the support that we can offer but also that there is a lot of help still needed. The results of the strategic review of our services, taking into account feedback from the industry, will allow us to better meet the needs of the most vulnerable Heather Kershaw Margaret Mitchell Mark Jaffe Paul Beattie individuals.” Got a story? E-mail: [email protected] Got a story? E-mail: More news online at www.motorcycletrader.net – Updated every day. April 2015 05 News: All the latest from the trade and industry Dirt Bike Show Davison celebrates bookings open 55 years in bikes Stand space is now on sale for Age no barrier as Honda stalwart takes the 2015 International Dirt delivery of brand new VFR Bike Show at Stoneleigh Park, Gerald Davison, a former Director of UK Honda in 1985, and latterly served as an Warwickshire. A deposit of 25 Operations for Honda, has just celebrated independent director of venture capital per cent guarantees the booking, 55 years of motorcycling by taking delivery operation 3i Group and a non-executive of a new Honda VFR800X from Branson’s director of Fowlers Motorcycles. and organiser Mortons Media is Motorcycles in Yeovil. Seventy-two-years-young Davison again offering a tiered payment Davison joined Honda during its said: “Having been infected with the plan with “considerable” early- formative years and went on to develop motorcycling bug in my early teenage payment discounts. For more the UK market for Honda cars and years, growing up in London during the motorcycles, forging a friendship with 1950s, I have never lost my passion for details, contact Andy Catton on the company’s founder Soichiro Honda. the unique freedom and enjoyment that 01507 529 594 or email acatton@ In the late Seventies, Davison promoted motorcycling brings, and the new 2015 mortons.co.uk. racing as the first director of the Honda VFR800X embodies all that I Honda International Racing Company find exciting about current motorcycle (subsequently HRC). After almost 20 design together with its iconic V4 Suzuki MotoGP years with the company, Davison left engine.” team named Suzuki Motor Corporation has unveiled its MotoGP team name: Team Suzuki Ecstar. The team’s riders are Spaniards Aleix Espargaro and Maverick Vinales, and the team manager is Davide Brivio. The 2015 MotoGP season commences at the Qatar GP, with race day on 29 March, 2015. www.suzuki-racing.com. BCA sale rakes in £600k Last month’s BCA Peterborough Motorcycle Supersale sold nearly 200 bikes worth £618,000, breaking the event’s previous record by £100,000. More than 120 customers – trade and private – attended the sale, with a further online 176 trade bidders. A selection of 2014 Yamaha 700R quads realised up to £5,000 each, and a Ducati 848 Evo Corse SE 12/12 sold for £8,650. BCA Peterborough holds a monthly motorcycle sale on the last Friday of the month. www.bca.com Got a story? E-mail: [email protected] Davison takes delivery of his new VFR from Paul Branson Got a story? E-mail: [email protected] Got a story? E-mail: More news online at www.motorcycletrader.net – Updated every day. 06 April 2015 NEXT DAY delivery as standard UK’S BIGGEST STOCKIST World Class Suspension Preload Adjustment Rebound Adjustment