In an open letter to the bike trade, Royal Enfield dealership GV Bikes based in Taunton, Somerset, is urging greater support and training for a new generation of bike technicians.
The firm’s owner, George Hodges, wants to take on an apprentice this year, but in the process has found a limited choice of motorcycle technician courses, and the one he has chosen will only go ahead once it has enough students to fill its course.
GV Bikes, a family-run motorcycle dealership now in its 39th year of trading, currently employs 15-year-old Ben Brown, who joined the business following a successful work experience placement last summer. Brown works in the shop every Saturday and is due to begin his motorcycle technician apprenticeship this September. However, the specialist college course Ben needs to attend alongside his apprenticeship will only run if enough students enrol.
The course delivered by EMTEC College in Nottingham is run in a ‘block-study’ format, meaning students can attend college in short, intensive training week blocks rather than on weekly day release. This allows apprentices from anywhere in the UK to access specialist motorcycle training without the need for constant long-distance travel, making the course a realistic option for apprentices nationwide. It’s a respected course, backed by major brands such as Royal Enfield, Triumph, KTM, Harley-Davidson and Ducati who, GV Bikes says, recognise the need for motorcycle-specific training rather than generic mechanical qualifications.
Hodges says the situation highlights a growing crisis within the motorcycle trade. “The number of young people entering the motorcycle industry is declining year-on-year, and I believe a big part of that is the lack of accessible specialist training. I started my own career as an apprentice car mechanic, which is what made me fall in love with mechanics and ultimately led me into the motorcycle industry. Without that opportunity, GV simply wouldn’t exist today.”
Hodges also believes his business is now something of an exception within the industry. “We’re almost in the minority here at GV. Myself, my brother Tommy, and technician Lloyd are all under 35. Lloyd actually joined us as an apprentice in 2018 and went on to become Royal Enfield UK’s Technician of the Year in 2025, competing against people more than twice his age, which shows just how powerful apprenticeships can be. Outside of GV, we know of very few motorcycle shops with staff under 50 years old, and that’s worrying. If we don’t create proper accessible routes into the industry, we risk losing the next generation of skilled technicians altogether.”
GV Bikes is now calling on motorcycle dealerships across the UK to consider taking on apprentices this September, helping to fill the remaining college places and to safeguard the future of the motorcycle industry.
George Hodges, GV Bikes
01823 276012
[email protected]