Dealing in dreams
With more than 90 exotic machines in stock, The Bike Specialists, Sheffield, is a dream destination for that ultimate must-have purchase
OWNING A PIECE of high-end exotica is a dream we all aspire to. It’s what Sheffield-based The Bike Specialists know more than most. And it’s why they keep between 90 and 110 hand-picked premium race reps, classics and specials in stock at any given time. Their luxurious showroom – part of a striking former WWI army barracks, five minutes from the city’s train station – is a treasure trove of motorcycling marvels. Serious temptation indeed for anyone who covets homologation specials and rarely-seen restorations. ‘This is no museum, though,’ says General Manager and keen biker Dave Higgins. ‘Our stock is constantly refreshed as bikes are sold and we find our next batch of exotica. All our bikes are handpicked – we pride ourselves in dealing exclusively in bikes with investment potential, rarity and wow factor. It’s what our customers demand. ‘I love watching people visit our showroom for the first time,’ says Dave with a grin. ‘Their eyes light up and they usually walk along the lines of bikes, silently taking it all in.’ Sheffield-based they may be, but The Bike Specialists are a truly international business, with customers all over Europe and enquiries from as far away as the States and New Zealand. And while exotica is very much at the heart of what they do, their huge stock is open to most budgets. Clean £13,000 Yamaha RD350 LCS and Aprilia Haga reps stand opposite a jaw-dropping line of Ducatis. ‘Right now we’ve got two 1299 Superleggeras, two Ducati 916 Foggy reps, four Desmosedicis, three 1199 Superleggeras... The stock’s constantly being refreshed, such is the demand. So we recommend you visit and see for yourself.’