The UK’s youngest classic bike dealer, Louis Taylor (24) of LMT Motorcycles, Little Addington, Northamptonshire, heads into 2024 trading from bigger two-storey premises and with a stock of 150-plus bikes ranging from the 1920s to modern, motocross, trials, road race and custom.
“The new premises is a proper showroom with new flooring and state-of-the-art lighting, which makes the bikes look very good,” says Taylor. “We moved in August, refurbished the interior in two weeks and started trading in September 2023.
“Thanks to the new showroom, we now have a lot more footfall and sales have increased massively. We have been averaging 48 sales a month. In the first week of December, we sold 20 bikes.
Two storeys of two-wheel classics, plus a handful on four wheels. A forklift is used to get bikes up to the mezzanine“The showroom has a mezzanine. We use a forklift to get the bikes up there. It’s all much bigger than our previous premises next door, some of which we have retained as a workshop area.
“The new showroom is already full. Next week, I’m looking at buying a collection of 30 bikes. I don’t know where I’ll put them if I buy them, but I’ll worry about that if a deal is done.
“The general drop in values has stimulated sales because people think they are getting a bargain.
“While classic Triumph values have dropped, BSAs are going through the roof, and Ariel sales have picked up. Little Triumphs are selling well, but the bigger models, such as the three-cylinder Meriden Tridents, are now too heavy for most of the older British bike enthusiasts.
“My stock is approximately 30-40% British at the moment. But I have something for everyone, including a 2018 Norton 961 trike, number 33 out of a limited edition of 50 Commando solos. Built to an extremely high standard, it has only 211 miles on the clock, and has all the parts to turn it back into a solo.”
Taylor buys stock privately, online and from auctions. But he doesn’t attend auctions. He’s too busy running his retail premises seven days a week, backed up by a mechanic and van driver.
Stock includes classics from Britain, America, Germany, Italy, Japan and Spain. Road racers include three Yamaha 350 twinsLooking ahead, he says: “Because the showroom is now full, I started the new year being very picky about which bikes to buy in. I am already moving upmarket and may put some of my lower-value stock up for auction to make room for more expensive machines. Among higher value bikes already in stock are two 1920s Harley-Davidson V-twins, one with a sidecar, on sale at £28,995.
“We are expecting a visit from Henry Cole and his crew for one of his TV programmes. That’s pencilled in for this month.”
Taylor started trading in classics aged 20 and has been making a big impression. Now running in the classic bike fast lane, he refers to his colourful inventory as a sweetshop for classic fans who wish to indulge their individual tastes.
LMT Motorcycles
07776 857044; 01536 216420
[email protected]