It’s a good question! After becoming official stockists of Honley Motorcycles, we decided to find out more…
Honley Motorcycles are a relatively new brand to hit the scene, with the first model being released only two years ago. Honleys were the brainchild of Earnshaw’s Two Wheel Centre, a motorcycle dealership in West Yorkshire, which just happens to share part of its name with us! The range was developed to be just as good as the big Asian brands, without breaking the bank. They’ve brought out five models so far, including a classic custom-style commuter bike (the HD3) and the Venturer, a serious touring bike at a great price. They were developed and tested in the UK, but designed and adapted for the UK in China, making Honley Motorcycles a brand with the British rider at heart. We asked one of the brains behind the bikes, Jason Lodge from Earnshaw’s, to answer a few questions about the bikes he created.
Could you tell me what inspired you to create Honley Motorcycles?
“There were a lot of Chinese bikes around at the time, and although the price was good the quality was terrible. We saw an opening for quality bikes that were good value for money. We wanted something to be reliable. We wanted a bike that you could just fill up with petrol and go, without having to service it every few months, you know? So we saw a gap in the market, and thought we’d go for it!”
The Honleys seem like great bikes for beginners. Which would you recommend for first time riders?
“Honestly, I’d recommend all of them for beginners because they’re very easy to ride. They’re very forgiving, they’re brill. We’ve lowered the seat on the HD3, for example, which makes it much easier to ride. It doesn’t affect the looks at all but it’s just better for the rider.”
We heard that you made it 173 miles on one of your bikes, from Huddersfield to John O’Groats, on just one tank of petrol! How did you manage that?
“Well, we were just going so slowly! We could have done longer if we’d have stayed at 30 miles an hour all the way. At Penrith, which was about 100 miles, we stopped to take a look and see what was left. The fuel was almost spilling out of the tank, it was that full! So we thought we’d go a bit faster, about 40 miles an hour. I know it might sound boring, but it was a fun trip and I’d recommend it to anyone. We’re putting the bikes through a new challenge soon – we’re taking them on a track day with James Whitham for his ‘Speed on a Shoestring’ TV programme.”
We’re impressed! What would you say was the best thing about Honley motorcycles, if you had to pick one thing?
“I can’t just pick one thing- it’s a combination of being fun to ride, reliability and cheap running costs. For what you pay, they’re brill. As time goes by, you see that customers are so happy with them. People have had low expectations when it comes to Chinese products and are genuinely pleasantly surprised at just how good they are. People come back and say, ‘I wasn’t expecting much, but they’re brilliant!'”
Thank you, Jason. Is there anything else you’d like to tell us?
“I’d just like to add that it’s really great being in partnership with a great dealership that share our passion for motorcycling.”
As you can see, there’s a lot of love and passion that goes into Honley Motorcycles and they really are a great brand to consider for your first bike. In fact, any biker who is looking for something that balances value and reliability should take a look at these bikes. From Jason’s 173 mile journey on one tank, we’d say they’re pretty darn fuel efficient, too! If you want to see one of these brilliant bikes for yourself, come into our showroom and take a look. You can also find the range of Honleys that we stock on our website.
If you’d like to ask us a question about Honley Motorcycles, or if you’ve tried one already and want to rave (or rant) about it, leave a comment below or email us.
With thanks to Jason Lodge of Earnshaw’s Two Wheel Centre.
