Blade Motorcycles Swindon closing down

[Pebbles167]

Just announced, with immediate effect.

I've bought bikes from there before, had a decent selection of brands and a few good deals. It's definitely been quieter in the last year or so, and much different to the busy days in the past when they had the trade centre also.

Sad, I liked looking around there. Guess I'll have to shop at Fowlers Bristol now.

Link

[Biker9090]

It always seemed totally dead the various times I've gone past over the last few years.

[jjones]

Not good. Had an email out of the blue from the Stratford Blade dealership just the other day asking how I am getting on with a "new" bike I purchased from them 2.5 years ago. Seems they are trying to drum up business.

Times are hard and think we will see a lot more of this on top of all the closures we saw at the tail end of last year.

Sad times.

[Pebbles167]

No doubt the new bikes will be sent to other areas, but any chance they'd open to get rid of some of their used stock? I remember buying a Guzzi from there with about £2k off when they ceased being a dealer.

I've seen shops do this before, albeit smaller ones.

[HughiusMaximus]

Shame.

I was in their Ducati Abingdon store a few weeks back for a service and they were a nice bunch.

[sooty61]

Just had an email from Blade Oxford saying the HD dealership is closing with immediate effect

[Crudeoink]

The Abingdon branch were OK but I only ever had difficulty with the Swindon branch. Servicing and buying new bikes they were beyond useless. Dreadful communication, bikes delivered with options missing and losing my service book on later services. None the less a shame they have closed. In now a stones throw from the Abingdon branch and close to Oxford KTM, both of which are looking wobbly financials wise

[ChocolateFrog]

I don't know how any of them make money anymore.

[Britzilian89]

F@ck!!!

I bought a bike from them about 3 months ago (so at least my 3 month warranty was covered before they shut down) and we agreed that instead of getting the MOT done at that time I bought, I would do it in March this year!!!

So it looks like I lose out on my MOT, but to be fair to them when I took the bike in during warranty they sorted it for me and it was a good £250 of work.

Sadly for them I would only handover my money for the bike buying if I was allowed to take the bike same day and when I took it in for warranty work I would only let it be done while I waited (ie not leave the bike behind and come back another day)

Sad times for me to have to do that but looks like it was the right decision…

As a number of you have already stated, when I was there it was indeed not very busy at all considering how huge the place is and the sheer cost of so many staff, upkeep etc. it’s a shame as I liked having so many different bikes in one place to look at.


Thanks for the heads up in this Forum, useful toilet time today! I will contact the other branches and see if they will sort me out re outstanding MOT as part of purchase

However, I understand the people who are really losing out are the employees with no jobs and the buyers who put chunky deposits and now have no bike

All very sad

[IAN1967]

That's a shame, got my Thruxton from them about 6 years ago and they were good to deal with.