Superbike factory just came into administration. Here’s what it means for riders

It’s a strange feeling to witness a transformation firsthand, but I think I’ve done just that. A few moments ago, I was in the middle of gathering all my resources, documents and quotes to tell you a thing about the UK’s giant used motorcycle chain, Superbike Factory.

Originally, I was going to inform you that Superbike Factory had filed a “Notice of Intention to Appoint Administrators” in the UK courts by Friday, July 17, 2026. First reported by UK business publication business deskwhich noted that the action “should receive court protection from creditors.” A quick search of caseboard confirmation of this business deskReporting of.

For a brief period, the Superbike Factory existed as a sort of Schrödinger’s used motorcycle retailer; Not in administration yet, but clearly on its way. I was on its website when it changed from a normal business site, where it seemed like completely normal things were happening, if you had no idea about anything going on behind the scenes.

And then, it changed in a moment to reveal this statement, which is all you’ll see if you look at it now. I can tell you this because I literally refreshed the page from the normal website to the state you’ll see in the screencap below.

Of course, such a move was not unexpected; When a company files a notice of intent to do something, it seems like a safe bet that it will do what it told you it was going to do, right? There is also a small matter of at least one location of the business being suddenly and inexplicably closed to the public this morning, as posted by a visitor on Instagram.

what we know so far

According to the superbike factory’s most recently filed (and, it’s worth noting, independently audited) annual report, which was for the year ending December 31, 2024 (but which was filed at UK Companies House in late 2025, which is presumably why some reporting has mistakenly cited it as a 2025 document, even though it isn’t), the company noted that it A total of 15,036 motorcycles were sold in 2024. This resulted in revenues of less than £83 million in 2024, compared to sales of 13,588 in 2023 a year earlier, which is a modest increase compared to revenues of less than £82 million in 2023.

At the same time, in 2024, the SBF also noted that it is actually incurred a loss For the year after taxation, it was reported as £18,280,000. In 2023, its reported loss was much smaller, £6,860,000. Why the difference? The report said this was “principally responsible for investment losses in subsidiaries of £14,514,000.”

Specifically, earlier on the same page, the 2024 annual report for Superbike Factory states that “Private equity firm ACT Fund, Endless LLP, has provided a working capital facility to support the company’s growth. Additionally, support has been provided through a loan facility earlier in the year to assist in the acquisition of P&H Motorcycles’ former site in Crawley.”

Although this paragraph does not detail the details of the loan amount received from “private equity firm Enact Fund, Endless LLP”, the location was an existing motorcycle dealership which Superbike Factory acquired and made one of its branches.

For the whole of 2024, the superbike factory recorded a gross profit of £15,424 million (compared to £13,835 million in 2023). But at the same time, it also recorded an operating loss of £16,123 million in 2024, which is slightly more than four times the operating loss reported for 2023 at £3,922 million.

Let me remind you again: this is all from the 2024 annual report, the most recent report filed at Companies House. If you go by previous reporting schedules and deadlines, we can expect the 2025 annual report to be available sometime in the fourth quarter of 2026; That is, assuming the schedule isn’t too disrupted by the company entering administration. It will be really interesting to see if the reported operating losses widen further in 2025.

So wait, is this another ‘private equity ruined my favorite thing’ story?

We don’t have enough information to make this decision yet; At this point we can factually only state the following:

1. Superbike Factory was founded in 2010, and has gradually grown to include multiple locations across the UK.
2. Superbike Factory launched its online store in 2018, selling motorcycle gear and accessories alongside its brick-and-mortar locations.
3. In 2021, it opened a new location in Donington Park; In 2022, it acquired Wrightbike and the location became known as Superbike Factory West Yorkshire; In 2023, it opened two brand new showrooms in Bristol and Milton Keynes; And in 2024, it acquired P&H Motorcycles’ site in Crawley, before reopening it as a new Superbike factory location in February 2025.
4. Through its total of six locations (five of which it opened or acquired since 2021), Superbike Factory offers buying, selling, and service for a wide range of used motorcycles. It also operated the WeBuyAnyBike.com website. At the time of writing, this website is active, and no administration notices are currently posted (although this may change).
5. Superbike Factory also offered financing for used motorcycles to buyers purchasing from its store. It did this through a network of UK-based lenders, with whom it maintained working relationships.
6. In its 2024 annual report, Superbike Factory wrote that “a key risk” for it included the “continued availability of finance providers” to which it could refer customers. With the Court of Appeal ruling that dealer commissions without the customer’s prior knowledge are illegal, the lender market has been left with potential compensation payments to historical customers. As a broker, the company has amended the process to ensure that all clients have visibility of any commission payments associated with their deals, but low finance continues to impact conversions and average commission receipts within the company.”
7. Also in its 2024 annual report, Superbike Factory said that “Sometimes, the terms of business with a finance provider may include a provision for repayment of commission received if the agreement terminates earlier than anticipated. The company actively monitors this risk and makes provision for it in the accounts.”
8. pitchbook offer following overview ACT Fund (managed by private equity firm Endless LLP) as a “restructuring/turnaround” fund. This is the same fund through which SBF had obtained a loan in 2024 to aid its business expansion.
9. Superbike Factory also operated the following subsidiaries, which are listed in its 2024 annual report: Superbike Loans Limited, Superbike Insure Limited, Superbike Group Limited, We Want Your motorbike Limited, We Want Your Motor Limited, Factory Heads Motorcycle Company Limited, Carbay Limited, MAM Automotive Holdings Limited.

How do customers feel about Superbike Factory?

As with many stories, it depends on who you ask. Read UK-based motorcycle forums, Reddit, or social media comments, and you’ll come across a variety of opinions. For example, some seller reviews on Trustpilot seem to praise the service they say they received from the company. Sometimes, individual employees are also singled out for praise by name for being particularly helpful. Other sellers report difficulties receiving timely payment for their bikes.

On the buyer side, the results are much more mixed. Some buyers report that they had a good experience overall, but others report missing parts, flat batteries, unresponsiveness from the SBF, etc. Allegations are also quite common that the chain takes used bikes purchased from individuals and then does not repair or properly inspect them before putting them up for sale in its showrooms. One user recommended purchasing from them “magic wand“Experience; meaning, you put your hand in the bucket, you grab something, and you don’t know what you’re going to get.

Is this potentially a great bike? Yes, possibly! But it could also be a big repair headache waiting to be uncovered, and you won’t know until you spend time living with it.

what happens next?

When a company goes into administration, the administrators look at all the relevant financial details to try to find the best way to satisfy its creditors. Possible outcomes include selling the business and/or declaring bankruptcy (for example, see how Norton Motorcycles was eventually bought and revived by TVS).

These are not predetermined conclusions, but rather distinct possibilities.

I’ve seen some Superbike Factory customers asking online with motorcycles for service what they should do. According to the newly-appointed administrators, if you are a current Superbike Factory customer and have any concerns about what is happening, you should email them directly at SBF@kr8.co.uk. According to the administrators, “the companies have ceased trading with immediate effect.”

Equally unclear is what will happen to the 200-ish employees of the superbike factory, who have undoubtedly been impacted by the news. Presumably, if this describes you, you will also want to reach out to administrators, who can hopefully point you in the right direction.

ride separately We’ve contacted the administrators for more information, and we’ll report back with any new information we receive.