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Three UK motorcycle dealerships have been honoured at annual global awards - (04/08/2008)

Three UK motorcycle dealerships have been honoured at an annual global awards ceremony in Las Vegas, America in recognition of their overall outstanding performances over the past 12 months.

Preston Harley-Davidson was named as the Outstanding New Dealer in the 31-strong UK network, while Manchester Harley-Davidson and Shaw Harley-Davidson were recognised for overall excellence with the Bar and Shield Awards for the north and south respectively.

Every Harley-Davidson and Buell UK and Ireland dealer is scored on a points system throughout the year, which rates every aspect of the dealership’s service including customer service, number of technicians, participation in training courses and sales of motorcycles, parts, accessories and clothing.

The awards help to ensure that all dealers remain committed to continually providing the highest standards of service. This consistency is highlighted by the 2008 award recipients with Manchester Harley-Davidson securing victory for the second consecutive year and Shaw Harley-Davidson picking up the award for the fifth time in six years.

The Manchester dealership’s owner – Summer Retail Group – is the Motor Company’s largest north of England dealer with a strong network that also encompasses Doncaster and Newcastle. The group recently secured Leeds Harley-Davidson to expand its reach even further and staff in all dealerships will be encouraged to follow the example set by Manchester.

East Sussex-based Shaw Harley-Davidson is also setting a shining example for the UK network. 2006 was the only year to date that the dealership has not claimed the Bar and Shield accolade since opening its doors to the public in January 2003 – the legendary Motor Company’s 100th anniversary year. The dealership is now synonymous with excellence in customer service and sales.

Preston Harley-Davidson – run by the Bowker group – will certainly be aiming to mirror this success after making a strong start with the Outstanding New Dealer Award. The group’s automotive experience with prestige car brands has clearly provided strong grounding for the move into motorcycle sales with Harley-Davidson and Buell.

“We have strengthened our commitment to the existing UK and Ireland dealer network over the past 18 months” says Paul Stroud, Managing Director of Harley-Davidson and Buell UK and Ireland, “and we are continuing to close any gaps to make our network more accessible than ever. It’s great to see this commitment being rewarded with increased dedication from our dealers and an ever-growing improvement in service levels for our customers.

“Manchester and Shaw Harley-Davidson have continued to perform incredibly well over the past 12 months and I was proud to present their awards on a global stage to pay tribute to the hard work to all staff at those dealerships.”

Now’s the Time

The Second European Driving Licence Directive (2DLD) will come into force in September and will introduce new elements to motorcycle testing and training.

The new manoeuvres, including the slalom, figure of eight, hazard avoidance and cornering skills, will all be tested during the new off road test which will be held at new super test centres.

Whilst the new elements to the bike test will help riders understand more about the capabilities of their machines, there is concern about the additional expense to take the test, the increased cost of training and the fact that the number of test centres across the country will significantly reduce from the current 260 to approximately 60.
With the prospect of facing longer waiting lists for tests and possibly more expensive training, many would-be motorcyclists are likely to take their test over the next two summers before the new legislation comes into effect.

CBT and Direct Access can be undertaken at Harley-Davidson and Buell’s Rider’s Edge facility in Wales. For further information contact 0870 411 3541

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