Philip Youles Motorcycles

At LASTWe’ve been that busy over the last couple of weeks that I clean forgot about updating the blog – tut tut. The big event was our launch night for The Thunderbird held at the Blackburn showroom. It was just mega! The weather was kind and the place was packed. I recon there must have been neon five hundred people there and what an atmosphere. The look on people’s faces when Firechild started doing her dance, leather clad and angle grinder – yes for anyone who wasn’t there AN ANGLE GRNDER – stuck firmly in her crotch. Sparks everywhere – health and safety stick that in your pipe and smoke it. Just gets harder and harder to think of how to surpass the last launch or event although I am sure by the time the next one comes along we will have thought of something. If anyone has any decent pictures then please forward them, in the excitement and nervous energy required in putting on an event like that I clean omitted to take any. Just email them to philip@youlesmotorcycles.comFollowing on from our launch night I attended the Triumph Dealer ride away in Derbyshire. This is how we collect our demos. It’s a good idea as it brings the whole network together and enables you to be the first to ride the bike. What a bike! I am a fan of anything with two wheels on it – in fact I quite like my unicycle as well – but that might be a bit too much even for me if it had an engine on it! But the Thunderbird rides so well at low speed, the gearbox is like silk, Triumph have certainly spent their time well developing this bike. It just feels right. We have already sold three and the demos are out almost constantly. We have a Thunderbird in both Manchester and Blackburn which brings me onto another point. Staff – we just haven’t got enough, so I thought I might as well put it on the Blogg. We will soon be advertising for a full time sales person to join Rob, Royce and Andrew at Blackburn. We are also looking for someone to help at weekends with clothing and accessories – this is just on Saturday and Sunday to help with busy periods. In Manchester we are looking to recruit an after sales person to help with the whole workshop administration, processing of parts orders and warranty procedures. Staff are absolutely key to our business and we have a very low rate of staff turn, however we won’t get to the next level if we don’t recruit the right people now and train them for the future. Possibly when we get everyone sorted Ill have a little more time for Blogging. If you know anyone who might like to work for us – let them know.

Went for my annual fix of TT mayhem last week took the Supercharged Rocket. Three of us stopped in the Chesterhouse Hotel right on the front in Douglas perfectly located for a bit of liquid refreshment of an evening and a nice sea view in the morning. Left Heysham early Sunday had Mondays racing followed by a quick blast to Ramsey Tuesday and an even quicker run down the sprint in the afternoon. The Rocket put in a respectable time of 7.34 seconds with a terminal speed of 113 mph over the 1/8 mile. Then Wednesday we rose to a beautiful day thinking the race cant possibly be posponed we all dug down in a spot that cant be accessed when the roads are closed . Sure enough as soon as the roads were closed the sky turned grey and it started hail stoneing so big does and little does we missed the ferry. Dont think Louise really believed me however the Steam Ppacket were more than accomodating and returned us safetly on the 11.59 boat. The next big thing is the launch of the Thunderbird at Blackburn something like Thunderbirds are go springs to mind. Please come it will be a cracking night I have secured a fantastic act to help launch the bike and have to say I cant wait.

Well we are actually ready to put Triumphs upstairs in Manchester the workshop is all up and running Jon is installed Adam our new apprentice is gleeming as much information as possible from him and they both seem to be making a good team. Derek is still at the existing shop so the combined experience is huge. I always like to get the after sales side sorted first. There is huge pressure from any manufacturer to put metal on the floor. They have this factory spewing stuff out and they need to find a home for it. To be fair to Triumph I know they understand this and have been extremely helpful infact without there help we wouldnt have been able to proceed at the rate we have. So tomorrows the big day we have hired a fork lift and will put the display bikes in situ. When customers order there machines we will try to supply from our duplicate stock or order in specially, on most stock machines we can supply within ten days this gives them time to sort there insurance out and a suitable handover time. Just spent a morning with the ride safe back safe girls. Wendy who does the training at Passtime behind the Blackburn shop has become very involved with all this and I have to say I was impressed. Dont like these adverts look once look twice then listen to all these bones breaking. But they seem to have a more pro active approach paticularly towards post test training. They have agreed to attend our Thunderbird launch this will take place at the Blackburn shop on the 25th June doors open at 19.00 hrs unveilling at 20.00hrs. This should be some night to remember I have teed up a fantastic act as seen on tv she is a stunner you need to be there it will be well fab ever better much ufol.

 All are welcome

Just thought we needed to start a blogg onhow things are going. Manchester Triumph is on the cusp of having new Triumphs in stock. Peter and the team are all very excited. We started selling scooters in Manchester in 2000 and have developed a good scooter business. The progression to becoming a fully blown Triumph dealer now feels like the right thing to do, paticularly as Blackburn has been such a success. Haven’t been out on the Rocket for a day or two but am hoping to have a run over to the Nabbs Head classic bike show sometime on Sunday. Always worth a look – its quite disturbing that most of the bikes on display I have dismantled for spares in my earlier days. Hey ho, you have to be positive at least it kept somebody on the road at the time.