A motorcycle repair centre opened by Altrincham-based bike insurance specialist Carole Nash is showing no signs of ‘tyring’ after celebrating its tenth birthday!

The Carole Nash Repair Centre, on the Lyons Industrial Estate, opened in August 2002 following a £250,000 investment.  Since then it has rescued and repaired thousands of bikes nationwide which were damaged in accidents or through attempted thefts.

It was set up to improve service standards to Carole Nash customers and to help minimise the cost of repairs to the insurers that underwrite its policies. It did so by offering services such as free collection, delivery and valeting of bikes and being able to exert direct control over costs charged to insurers. In its first year it cut the cost of an average motorcycle repair by 13 per cent.

Now employing  13 staff – mainly specialist motorcycle mechanics – and fitted out with state-of-the-art repair equipment, the centre serves not just Carole Nash policyholders but major insurers whose customers have suffered an accident.

To mark the ten year milestone Carole Nash’s operations and sales director Dave Cullen presented  centre manager and his team with a specially baked birthday cake. The manager, who has been at the centre since day one, commented: “I can hardly believe its ten years since we first lifted the shutters on the centre, it’s flown by. We’ve seen a lot of bikes through the doors since then and made a lot of bikers happy by returning their machines to their former glory. Many owners treasure their bikes, much more so than car drivers do, so the hard work we put in really is appreciated.”

The team takes greatest pride on saving bikes which would have otherwise been sent to the scrapyard. “I remember once we had a Harley-Davidson in that had a bent frame, bent forks, buckled wheel and a cracked engine case. It wasn’t written off because of its value but we were only able to repair it because the owner was so keen for us to. We probably spent five days working on it but it was worth every second for our own and the owner’s satisfaction!”

Dave Cullen praised the centre for the contribution it makes to the overall success of Carole Nash which is the UK’s biggest motorcycle insurance specialist. “The Repair Centre has become a vitally important element of our business because it has not only helped drive up standards and lower costs here in Altrincham, but, by acting as a benchmark, at other garages in our national approved repairer network.