SuperBike Factory Founders
One of the motorcycle big boys, exits stage left
Lucy England
SuperBike Factory, a name very familiar to many motorcyclists, grew from a tiny acorn, one single showroom in Macclesfield in 2010, to Europe's biggest used motorcycle dealer to date. Their model was to buy up a large number of second hand motorcycles, sort them out and fix them up, then sell them through their network of showrooms throughout the country and via online sales. From a standing start they were very successful, expanding to open branches in Donington Park, Bradford, Bristol, Milton Keynes and Crawley.
They were clearly getting the business model right and had a good reputation, moving around 15,000 bikes a year and steadily expanding.
It seems though, that they have quite suddenly hit the buffers. Another sad motorcycle industry casualty, entering administration this month, on July 17th, under the 1986 Insolvency Act. All the SuperBike factory stores have ceased trading with immediate effect.
The company has really folded with remarkable rapidity, having gone from a reported a turnover of approx £83 million in its latest accounts and a pre-tax profit of £8.5 million. How are the mighty fallen.
It would appear that one of the culprits is the uncertainty of motor finance plus the general economic situation in the country. With potential customers suffering economically and trying to save money wherever they can, buying a new motorcycle is perhaps something to be resisted at the moment in favour of paying domestic bills.
SuperBike Factory are not alone, but are just another motorcycle industry casualty with Mutt motorcycles, CCM and Completely Motorbikes currently consigned to history.
The whole motorcycle industry is bobbing along the bottom at the moment, with a sharp drop in registrations since borrowing costs got higher and the economic conditions for households just got harder and harder all round. Sales of both new and used motorcycles have been adversely affected since a boom, during and after the pandemic, and there is currently little sign of improvement.
Customers who need to know what's going on with SuperBike factory should contact the administrators at [email protected].
It's really sad to see such a good business in such deep trouble, here's hoping that the company will be able to sort out any debts, find new funding, or perhaps a buyer, and be able to salvage the business.
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