5 minute read
Great expectations for BSA’s new UK distributor
Trade Exclusive
Great expectations
Every now and then, you get a very early inkling that something big is coming. And the first clues that BSA’s relaunch would make a bit of a stir came in December last year. Some rather basic social media posts about a new 650 single retro-roadster, with classic styling and bearing the BSA Gold Star name, went crazy in terms of response. There were five, maybe ten times as many comments and reactions as you’d get for a new retro machine from one of the mainstream manufacturers. And the levels of interest continued into the start of 2022 – although the actual bikes were still nowhere to be seen. BSA had no dealer network – it didn’t even have an importer or distributor. There were no machines being built or sold anywhere in the world. And potential customers were getting more and more frustrated by the lack of news.
Behind the scenes, though, one man was busy, working flat-out to sign a deal which would see him become distributor for the new bikes here in the UK. That man was Luke Gregory, and he told me all about how the deal was signed, and what his plans are for the first new BSA dealer network in the world.
Gregory is well known in the industry – he started out at Lloyd Cooper Motorcycles in Watford 21 years ago, bought Colchester Kawasaki in 2012, opened
Northampton Moto and took over Clay Cross Kawasaki, before setting up his new Global Moto business in Coventry – where the new BSA importer, Lukas Distribution, is located. He’s also an acclaimed DJ and has worked at the Capital and Heart radio stations – though as he says, “That’s my hobby, I love it, I do it on the side, but otherwise my mind is on motorbikes.”
How did Gregory get the BSA deal then? It was fairly simple it seems – he put his hand up and asked nicely. “I went to the NEC bike show and the BSA stand where I looked at the bikes and approached them. We’re always
forward thinking, looking for different opportunities, what we’ll do next and how we will do it. So, I had a brief chat with them, and they said ‘we need a distributor and then we need to sell’. And it’s taken since that day at the NEC till yesterday [27 June] to get a press announcement out”.
Amazingly, this is the first bike distribution deal that Gregory has signed. “We haven’t done any distribution before. Lukas Distribution is a completely new company headed up by me in a new 100,000sq.ft distribution centre in Coventry.
What is the plan and timeline for setting up the UK operation then? Gregory really is starting from scratch. “Right now, there are two things: I’m recruiting people to work here; sales reps, administration and accounts staff, a parts team, warranty personnel, and a service team, and we’re doing that now. Once that’s sorted, and it’s pretty much done, then we move onto dealers. Since yesterday when the press announcement was made, we’re up to 130 dealer applications already … and they are all kinds of dealers, small independents to the large retailers that everyone will know. So, the next step is talking to them, and telling them what we’re going to require as a brand. BSA has said it’s down to me how I run the UK. The bikes are due at the end of August/beginning of September, and the price will be £6500 to £7000.”
Gregory is planning to go steady while building the new network. “Right now, the priority is getting our team in place and then to go through all the dealer applications. We’re going to start with a small number, probably 1520 dealers by end of year. We need to make sure we can give them the stock, get the bike out there, get the bike tested, get the public loving the motorcycle.”
Will he be able to meet demand for the new Gold Star 650? “I hope so. Initial interest is huge: as well as the number of dealers who have applied through our website, hundreds of bikers have been contacting us as well. I’m personally taken aback by the amount of people who want to know more. It’s been crazy”!
Perhaps fittingly, the UK will be the very first market to open in the world for BSA. And there’s a
Massive trade interest as new BSA distributor promises autumn delivery. Alan Dowds reports
Gregory is planning to go steady while building the new BSA dealer network and is aiming for 15-20 dealers by the end of the year, and he’s already got the bike and the T-shirt!
neat link in the firm’s heritage between Luke Gregory and the new brand. “We’re the first in the world, the first to get the motorcycles. They’re quite keen on that happening. I’ve been able to meet with the CEO of Classic Legends which owns BSA, and they’re really behind us.
“An interesting point to mention is that one of the reasons we’ve been made distributor (and there were quite a few other parties interested) is our history. Lloyd Cooper in Watford was established in 1900, and it sold BSAs from 1910 until the 1970s. So, to make Lloyd Cooper the first dealer to sell BSA is a lovely thing. They are so keen on the heritage.
“I think BSA is going to be massive. I’m so proud and excited
Lukas Distribution’s 100,000sq.ft Coventry distribution centre awaits the first shipment of bikes
that we’ve managed to get its distribution and that our Global Moto showroom will become the first BSA dealer, followed by Lloyd Cooper and then our Colchester and Clay Cross sites.” Lukas Distribution 024 7531 2141 info@lukasdistribution.co.uk
FIVE COLOURS, THREE PRICES
SINCE THIS INTERVIEW, confirmed prices have been announced for the Gold Star, which is being offered in a choice of five colour options across three models. Prices start at £6500 for the Highland Green Edition, increasing to £6800 for the Insignia Red, Midnight Black and Dawn Silver Editions. A Silver Sheen Legacy Edition with chromed guards and mirrors, polished engine covers and gloss black finish to the instrument and headlight covers will retail at £7000. First deliveries are scheduled for mid to late August.
