E2motorcycles and A Really Positive Day

Blog Date - 18 September 2011

If you read the blog regularly you'll notice I've had a few negative experiences.  I do try to keep things positive but sometimes life is life and things don't go the way you'd hope.  Last Thursday was altogether a much more positive experience.  The day started warm and dry which always helps, but if you rely on the weather for a good day in the UK then you're going nowhere.  In the morning I got some good work done on this website and some programming completed successfully for a customer of mine.  With an afternoon free I decided to look into the market for a new 125, mine's getting long in the tooth and it's good to know what's out there and at what price.

Looking on biketrader recently I've noticed a trader in the Bury area who appeared to have a collection of second hand 125's priced at the sensible end of the market.  There was a Yamaha SR 125 for sale at £695 that looked suitable so I made a call.  The lady that answered the phone was friendly and cheery but did not seem to know much about the bikes...I guessed this would be the wife.  She did suggest I could talk to the mechanic but I dismissed this and said I'd come down anyhow to see what's what.  I got an address and basic directions from her and a while later I went to the shop.

The shop is actually a house at present.  Vince, the owner, had 10, maybe 20 125's in stock of all ages, conditions, makes and models.   He took a real interest in my 125 too.  The SR 125 had been sold that morning but I took the time to talk to Vince.  I learnt that not only does he sell 125's from the larger dealers but he also carries out repairs for the dealers too.  The sparked my interest, having recently done battle with the exhaust studs on the 125 and getting the 600 serviced.  To cut a long story short it seems Vince could be a very handy person to know.

In business I'm often told people do business with people they "know, like and trust".  I don't know Vincent well yet and trust is something built up with time, but I did like him.  He was very positive to talk to, took the time to show an interest in my 125 and the problems I've had with it, did not give me the hard sell on a 125 and actually persuaded me the I'd do well to stick with what I've got for now.  He has plans to grow the business in a steady manner and made me a drink all without me spending a single penny.  Good luck to him I say, I'm hoping to do some kind of editorial or feature for this site on e2motorcycles in the near future.

I came away from Vince's place feeling quite upbeat.  My next port of call was Warwick's Motorcycles in Heywood.  I've moaned previously about "Shiny" bike shops in other posts, but one thing shiny bike shops usually have is somewhere to park.  Warwick's doesn't.  Inside however I felt much more at home.  This is a real bike shop full of bikes, accessories and out back I could see a bike being worked on.  No shiny polished floors and no salesmen in uniform.  When a chap came to the counter I enquired about the CBF 250 he had in stock.  The bike was lovely, only 4,000 miles, almost mint condition and perfectly clean.  There were only 2 things that stopped me buying this bike, the lack of aftermarket spares as it is not a popular model, and at £2,900 I thought I may as well get a brand new 125 and still have some change.  Still, I felt at home in this shop.

My final port of call was Bury Motorcycles.  I was just dropping in as it was on my way home and again, there's nowhere to park.  I am a fussy old son-of-a-gun am I not.  Still, inside there was a beautiful Kawasaki ER6N in burnt orange.  Now, I'm not a guy that buys his bikes "because it looks nice".  I'm looking for reliability, comfort, economy and all those practical and pragmatic things, bikes are for riding not to be looked at.  but still, the Kwak was a thing of wonder as the black engine contrasted against the lustrous orange.  Normally the ER6 is not a looker, but something about this one just worked for me.  The lady in the shop was friendly and did not come at me with the hard sell so I took the time to view the rest of the stock.  There was nothing in of interest so I left yet Bury Motorcycles had been good place to visit.

There was nothing amazing about Thursday.  I didn't find the bike of my dreams or make a million pounds, but it just felt positive.  I wonder if some of Vince's upbeat attitude had rubbed off onto me.  I don’t care, it was a good day.  

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