About Dave Barkshire

Dave Barkshire has become a huge name in the Norfolk motorcycling world, working some 38 years in the used motorbike trade, branching into motorcycle training and off-roading along the way. It’s true to say that Dave has created his own success story.

As a young teenager, Dave was visiting his dad in Norwich, when he discovered that his beloved game was broken. It wasn't an option to simply go and buy another, so the pair decided to try and mend it, which involved tracking down a new ball bearing. So off they went to a local motorbike dealership, VJ Austin, to find the part. The young Mr Barkshire was so enamoured with the workshop that he asked for a job on the spot, and amazingly started there that Saturday morning!

With his passion for motorbikes ignited, Dave immersed himself in the industry, with his enthusiasm growing alongside his experience over the next 42 years.

His newfound job offered him a focus and prevented him from becoming involved in trouble on the streets. He soon learnt to strip down and build motorbikes from their components, as well as carry out repairs. He even built his first ride, a Honda C90, just a few years later.

The eldest of four, Dave was determined to make enough money to make a better life for himself and his family. He remembers thinking that he didn't want to be 'poor', but to succeed in life, developing his skills and becoming financially secure through hard work and determination.

Dave spent nine years working in various yards around Norwich, but became increasingly disillusioned when his former employers started to loose their customer focus, aiming instead for the hard sell. So, in 1983 he quit his job and opened his first workshop in Lenwade, Norwich with financial help from local businessmen. Initial equipment purchases included a compressor and hydraulic bench that he still uses today.

Dave enthuses, "I was passionate about motorcycling, it wasn't just a job to me. The work I did was a reflection of me as a person and I felt people weren't being treated the way they should be, so I decided to go on my own to give that kind of service. I think we give our customers the personal touch and it must be working as we are still here a quarter of a century later!”