OBM reports as follows:
Marsh Holdings a company which runs a major motorcycle and car dealerships in Exeter and Plymouth has gone into administration. This means immediate closure of its Yamaha dealership in Exeter, the Harley Davidson franchise in Southampton and its facilities in Exeter; the Harley Davidson franchise in Southampton and its facility in Plymouth which showcased both Harleys and Triumph. The company blames a combination of the economy, bad weather, oversupply of vehicles and the recent budget (in fact just about anything). The latest loss of MoCo shops follows the closure of Norwich Harley Davidson by owners Lind in January, followed by the shuttering of Reading Harley Davidson in September (the latter being replaced by a Ducati franchise). Elsewhere West Midlands dealer Streetbike of Halesowen closed in July while Husqvarna, Indian, Royal Enfield and BSA dealer Saltire Motorcycles of Edinburgh went into administration in September and the same month Kawasaki dealer John W Groombridge of East Sussex announced it was to cease trading after 73 years in business. In October Nottingham based Pidock Motorcycles went into administration with the closure of its BMW, Ducati and Triumph dealership sites. In addition OBM also report Italian company Energica, one one of the leading lights in the electric motorcycle world, filed for bankruptcy in October due to lack of customers