There’s been no shortage of bad news from the front lines of the retail sector recently, so it’s good to report on a positive story. Conquest Motorcycles, based in Three-Legged Cross, Wimborne, Dorset, has expanded by taking over the premises of its neighbours, the former Three Cross Motorcycles showroom.
The move represents a return to the past for Conquest owner Howard Parrin, as he began his bike retail career at Three Cross in the late 1980s, and he fondly recalled the halcyon days at the firm. “Well, where do I start? Let’s go back to the heady days of 1986: I still had a full head of hair and at the age of 23 I’d been given a job as a salesman by the then Three Cross boss and owner, Keith Davies. Three Cross was huge. It was the importer for Moto Guzzi, Laverda and the southern importer for Ducati; they had every Japanese brand except Suzuki and were one of the largest Harley-Davidson dealers in the UK. It was all very exciting, and I got to ride everything from the last of the Laverda triples to the first of the new generation Ducatis. Every Harley imaginable, and who can forget the Yamaha LC500 – a ghastly underpowered, ill-handling machine that blew up with monotonous regularity…”
Parrin wanted to strike out on his own, though, and in 1991, he opened a new store just across the road from Three Cross. “I signed the lease and began selling my first love of motorcycling – anything classic, such as Norton, Triumph, BSA and old Italian bikes.
Conquest Motorcycles was born, and we quickly established ourselves as one of the country’s leading classic motorcycle dealers. As with any business, there were ups and downs, but we survived by diversifying, firstly importing full power 125s from Italy. We’d have a lorry turn up on a Monday morning with 30 used bikes on board, and there would be a queue of customers literally climbing up to get the first pick. We also had a brief dalliance with the off-road scene (we have more byways here than you can shake a stick at), and we eventually moved into more mainstream bikes about 10 years ago.”
The pandemic had a big impact on all dealers, and Three Cross suffered greatly, closing in spring 2020. However, the location was re-opened under a new name soon after, with reduced capacity. Meanwhile, Conquest was prospering, and according to Parrin, even stepped in to help out at the old Three Cross store. “They had no sales staff and one mechanic, and then their mechanic had an accident and could no longer work. They asked us if we would handle all their workshop work, to which we agreed. However, it soon became evident that we would have to employ another mechanic and expand our workshop, which also meant reducing the size of our showroom.
“We managed for a few months, but it was evident we needed bigger premises. I approached the owner, who told me they were considering selling the original double showrooms, and I jumped at the opportunity. So, 34 years later, I’m back where I started. The showroom is once again buzzing; we have an onsite burger van and one of the most eclectic selections of bikes you’ll see.”
A great story, and Conquest is pushing ahead. It’s keeping the original premises as the workshop and MOT bay, moving the retail showroom into the new premises, with the transition now almost complete.
Conquest Motorcycles
www.conquestmotorcycles.com