Rumours that the business was up for sale were confirmed on 19 November with the news that the P&H Motorcycles showroom, Crawley, West Sussex, has been sold to used motorcycle specialist Superbike Factory. The purchase brings Superbike Factory’s rapidly expanding showroom tally up to six and follows recent showroom acquisitions in Milton Keynes and Bristol.
Its new Crawley site will offer more than 400 used bikes, an extensive range of accessories, and servicing and MOTs. Customers will also be able to access the Macclesfield-based Superbike Factory group’s entire stock of more than 3500 machines, with options for part-exchange and flexible financing available.
Commenting on the development, Superbike Factory chief executive Edward Armitage said: “The new showroom in Crawley will enable us to better serve riders across Sussex and nearby areas. Its prime location, with excellent transport links, will help us reach new customers between London and Brighton and meet the demand we’ve been experiencing for bikes in the South.”
Paul Denvers, a director of Superbike Factory’s Enact private equity fund backer Endless, added: “Since our investment in late 2023, we have been proud to support the business and its management team as they execute their growth strategy. This additional investment underscores our commitment to accelerating these plans through strategic mergers and acquisitions. We’re confident that the business is well-positioned for continued expansion and the opening of more new stores.”
Squeezed to death
Following the sale, and talking to BDN, Paul Searle, the owner of P&H Motorcycles, voiced the concerns of many established dealers (P&H commenced trading in 1980) whose businesses are now being squeezed to death by the major importers’ ever-more-costly demands on dealers for increased investment at a time of massively increased overheads and static big bike sales.
“2023 was a challenging year, and this year has been torrid,” said Searle, who has genuine concerns for the future of an industry he has been a well-respected part of for more than 45 years.
“If manufacturers and suppliers continue on the same path, I foresee more dealers closing – not just over the winter months but in the mid-term. Manufacturers, in particular, need to re-evaluate dealer network profitability, which has steadily been eroded. Running a large-scale dealership, especially in the South East, has always required a strong work ethic to remain profitable, but with the volume targets tied to bonuses and the investments needed to fulfil franchise agreements, it is simply no longer viable.”