Malcolm's Underground Lair (before tidying up)

The ever-helpful Malcolm Wright and his team live underground at Colin Appleyard GoldWing Centre at Keighley and therefore rarely see sunshine or even proper daylight.  But they nevertheless remain cheerful and welcoming and they have been tidying up and brightening the place up too in the expectation of winter visitors.  I barely recognised it when I called in last week to say hello.

The workshop is still busy, especially building trikes which is more or less a continuous process these days, but they’ve nevertheless put together some winter special offers.  I’d not appreciated they did before now, so I have decided to pass it on.

It’s a range of servicing and other services, including dry storage of your bike all winter if you want it, and collection from and delivery back to your door too if you wish.  And, since presumably even their workshop gets a bit quieter over the winter, they’re offering reduced labour rates on all servicing and repairs as well.

Ideally of course we all ride our GoldWings regularly over winter to keep the oil flowing and the electrics alive, but the idea of getting salt spray from our winter roads in UK anywhere near my bike is a serious discouragement and the thought of trying to ride a GoldWing on snow or ice seems completely crazy – so one way and another, despite the best of intention, I find myself riding only infrequently and sometimes not at all between December and March or early April, then it’s time to turn out for Appleyards Open Day (which is on April 17th in 2011) then off we go again, hopefully with another enjoyable biking season.

So professional mechanic services for under £40 per hour, MOTs for under £20 and winter-long dry storage complete with a charge-up and checkover for under £100 are not to be sniffed at.  There’s even an option to have the bike valeted for you before you either collect it or have it delivered to your door.

Ring Malcolm (or Barry) on 01535 606311 for further details.

Salesman Mike will be on hand to help

Federation Sponsors Knutsford Honda are holding another Chrome Crazy Weekend this coming weekend, Saturday September 25th and Sunday 26th.

There will be special discounts of up to 25% on GoldWing Accessories as well as the usual refreshments and opportunity for a chat.

Knutsford Honda have been working at establishing themselves as a Specialist GoldWing Dealer and their upstairs Accessories Showroom has racks and racks of shiny bits from all the major manufacturers for you to browse through.  They stock accessories for Classic GoldWings as well as for the Gl1500 and GL1800.

They usually have a selection of new and used GoldWings in stock too and they have a flexible and very helpful approach to part exchanging any GoldWing when you buy a new or used one from them.  They also grab every opportunity to offer special purchase GoldWings such as the batch of unregistered 2006 Model Year US Spec GL1800s which HondaUK imported recently.  Knutsford Honda had four of them on on offer.

GoldWings North West will be riding there on Sunday so that’s the day to meet and greet while you’re about it.  Take the A50 East from Junction 20 of the M6 towards Lymm and it’s two or three miles on your left.

From the left: Barry Walton, Peter Streen, Peter Armitage and Dave Coates

The principal organiser of the Cumbria Charity Bike Ride , which took place in June this year, went along to Colin Appleyard Motorcycles recently to hand over a cheque for £3,000 which was raised for Help the Heroes.

On hand to receive the cheque on behalf of Help for Heroes was Coronation Street Star Peter Armitage who along with Simon Gregson (who plays Steve Mc Donald)  took part in the Ride himself, riding from Bowness on Windermere to Cockermouth.

Other celebrities taking part included Roy Walker from Catchphrase, Superbike rider James Ellison, his brother Dean and stunt rider Dave Coates who was also on hand for the cheque presentation.

The Ride attracted almost 700 bikers and formed an impressive four-mile convoy.  The main organiser Peter Steen said “It was a fantastic day and we are already planning a bigger and better event next year. The ride took place in June just after the Cumbria shooting so we were in two minds whether to go ahead but Cumbria police were very supportive and said go for it as it would be a big boost for the continues………

Royal British Legion Riders Branch

The weather was kind again to Colin Appleyard’s GoldWing Centre at Keighley for their Open Day today, Sunday 28th March, although there was a cool breeze and the clouds did build and threaten.  But it didn’t rain.

Maybe this accounted for the strong turnout from the West of the Pennines, where it was sunny and fair.  But the numbers overall seemed lower than last year, although it was still a large gathering of GoldWings and Wingers by any standards.

Appleyards have re-configured their upper floor area to provide increased showroom space and this was a welcome improvement.  There seemed to be much more space and the accessories were better displayed.  Likewise downstairs they had tidied up as usual and the Nosebags (excellent again this year) were well organised but there was also more organisation about the Used Bits Area and there was a part-finished Trike under construction in what is now a dedicated Bay of the Workshop, such is the scale continues………

Appleyards Open day has become a major gathering on GoldWing Riders at the start of each season, when large numbers travel, some great distances, to meet, chat, eat and rummage through a large selection of new (and used) GoldWing accessories, parts and of course bikes and their relatively recent specialisation – trikes.  Appleyards now specialise in selling GoldWing trikes as well as solos and usually have several in stock.

They have always discounted the shiny bits extra generously for the day – and not necessarily having put the prices up prior to doing so either, as some Wingers have suggested.  And the Open Day is also the once-per-year opportunity to see their accumulated stock of second hand bits – a veritable Alladin’s Cave for Wingers.  As one of the busiest GoldWing traders in the Country, even if they are no longer a Franchised Honda Dealer, Appleyards accumulate a lot of potentially useful leftover bits, which they take this annual opportunity to clear out by letting Wingers buy them at knock down prices.

Open Day at Appleyards Keighley Showrooms is also neutral ground for the GoldWing club scene, continues………

This is just one corner of Knutsford Honda's GoldWing Accessory Store above their Showroom

Knutsford Honda are holding an Open Day for GoldWing Owners and Riders this  weekend (Saturday 13th and Sunday 14th March) and offering special discounts and deals, especially on chrome accessories, of which they keep an extensive stock, probably the best in UK.

With the weather forecast looking good, dry and sunny with no overnight frost, so no salt being spread on the roads, there is likely to be a good turn out of Wingers to see what goodies and shiny bits are on offer – as well as to meet, chat and, of course, is eat.

Knutsford Honda is one of only two Franchised Honda Dealerships in UK  which are taking a  special interest in GoldWings and stocking accessories – and the only one in the North of England.  They can already claim to be the premier GoldWing Dealership and Accessory Stockist in the North West and although relatively new on the scene they are clearly setting out to give Appleyards some competition.

A few months ago they took over PricedRight Ltd, a prominent UK mail order GoldWing Accessory Supplier, and now operate a mail order service for GoldWing accessories from their Knutsford site as well as stocking GoldWings for sale and providing servicing and repair facilities too.  Click here to visit their GoldWing Mail Order Website which shows the range of their stock.

Click on the Map for a larger image

Knutsford Honda will be open all day on Saturday and Sunday to welcome GoldWing riders and interested visitors and there are refreshments on offer as well as demonstration rides.

If you haven’t been to Knutsford Honda yet this will be a good weekend to pay your first visit – and you will be sure to meet lots of other GoldWings and their owners there, there’s sure to be a good turn out.

Knutsford Honda are on the A50 just a few miles east of Junction 20 of the M6, about half way to its junction with the A556.  It’s the site once occupied by GoldWings International, which was when Chrome Crazy Days first started.

The Manchester Bikes Show, which had to be cancelled during the snow and icy weather we suffered earlier this year, has been rescheduled for Easter Weekend, April 3rd and 4th 2010.

It takes place at the Manchester Arena (formerly GMEX) and advance tickets are only £10, children and OAPs £5.  It will cost £12 for adults if you pay at the door.

There are stunt shows and an opportunity to get a feel for doing wheelies on the safety of a tethered trianer/simulator.

There are also said to be lots of dealer and trade stands.

The Federation of UK GoldWing Clubs was to be exhibiting at this Show – it would have been the first outing for its posh new Exhibition Stand – but unfortunately the new dates clash with other commitments, so maybe next year.

Further information by clicking here.

The Promoters of the Manchester Bike Show were forced to cancel the Event, due to take place this coming weekend at Manchester Central (formerly GMEX) – but they are hoping to reschedule it in early April.  The weather and the forecast of more freezing conditions for the weekend seems likely to have been the reason.

This was to be the first Bike Show at which the Federation of UK GoldWing Clubs would exhibit using their posh new Exhibition Stand. which has been donated by a Sponsor. You will therefore have to wait for another Show to see this facility unveiled, hopefully soon.

Cusworths of Doncaster, a Honda Dealer which sold quite a few GoldWings and made a decent effort to stock GoldWing accessories has closed its doors, at least temporarily, and is understood to be in administration.

If so this is very sad day; Cusworths have been in the trade for over 100 years.  They were supporters of the 2008 Blackpool Light Parade, when they attended with a plentiful stock of GoldWing accessories and they kindly donated some attractive accessories as prizes.  They are also listed as Sponsors of Yorkshire Wings’s website, so they were certainly doing their bit for the GoldWing Community.

Their Website (pictured here) is currentlyis promoting a Sale starting on Monday (November 9th) so this could mean bargains for GoldWing owners if they still have stocks of GoldWing accessories, which seems likely.

If you wish to check what is happening before riding over there to express your sympathies (or maybe to grab a bargain) you could try telephoning 01302 814444 which is, or was, their number.

Their Showroom address, if you need it for your satnav, is Wood Street, Doncaster, DN1 3LH but note that the website is now advertising  a different address: 23-25 Princegate Doncaster, DN1 3EW

Only three minutes from the M6

I am pleased to be able to announce that Knutsford Honda, who are based on the A50 just East of Junction 20 of the M6, on the site once occupied by GoldWings International, are to be the Main Sponsors of the 2009 Blackpool Light Parade Weekend.  They will be present in style, both on the Promenade and at Pontin’s, indeed throughout the weekend.

Sean Davis, their General Manager, has agreed to judge the Best Lit Bike Competition and he’s keen for his Company continues………