Coventry-based retailer Global Moto has announced an end to its 41-year partnership with Kawasaki. Global Moto is moving to more of a distribution model, and has recently added the Royal Alloy scooter brand to an existing agreement with BSA.
The Global partnership with Kawasaki began in 1984, when Lloyd Cooper Motorcycles in Watford took on the Japanese brand. Lloyd Cooper is the oldest UK bike store trading from its original premises, which it opened in 1900, 125 years ago this year. The firm evolved into the Global Moto group, which grew to include Colchester Kawasaki and Clay Cross Motorcycles.
Global MD Luke Gregory said: “It’s been fantastic working with Kawasaki over so many years. Originally, with my father running the business, I joined Lloyd Cooper Watford in the early 2000s and under my direction, we added Colchester in 2011 and Clay Cross in 2020. We have achieved a huge amount during our time together, including being voted dealer of the year multiple times by Motorcycle News and Visordown.
We would like to thank Kawasaki, and we will miss working with Craig Watson and everyone at KMUK, including long-serving general manager Howard Dale, who has recently stepped into semi-retirement. However, now we must concentrate on an exciting new chapter for Global Moto and our distribution business going forward.”
Craig Watson, Kawasaki UK sales manager, said: “Luke and the whole team at Global Moto have worked tirelessly to build their business into the successful entity it has become, and we would like to extend our thanks to everyone involved for the hard work and dedication they committed to Kawasaki.”