When Suzuki Motorcycles South Africa offered us a long term demo of their latest Suzuki GSX-S1000GX we accepted eagerly. That new electronic suspension is the talk of the town and we were keen to get to learn more about it. However, there was a twist, Suzuki SA sent the 1000GX to Suzuki South in Plumstead, Cape Town to be unboxed, assembled and PDI’d and it would need to be collected there and ridden back to Jo’burg over however many days and along whatever route we deemed best. Séan’s hand went up like a shot….. and he did a very lekker road trip back to Joey’s visiting dealers along the way, first of which – of course, was Suzuki South Motorcycles.
This is a dealership that opened its doors on Main Street, Plumstead in 1980.Shortly after opening, they acquired the Suzuki agency and are one of Suzuki’s oldest dealers in South Africa. Over the last 45 years they have moved two or three times, always by a few hundred metres up and down Main St to their current location. They are moving to a new home soon and are building new premises about 40 metres down and across the road from where they are currently based.
We chatted to Boss Man Justin Horne about future plans, and he walked us across the street to a building site. Yep, they have purchased their own bit of Main St and are building their forever home with well over 300 square metres of retail space over 3 levels in a modern, industrial styled building. “We plan to reinvigorate the shop with the absolute latest and greatest the 21st century buyer looks for.”
That being said, the current shop is quite a lekker, modern place to be just as it is. Along the way, South Motorcycles acquired the Kawasaki agency as well as SYM, Lifan and Kayo with lots of all the latest each brand has to offer in stock.They also stock a good variety of good quality, clean pre-owned motorcycles of all shapes and sizes, they happily consider all trade-ins and enthusiastically – and aggressively buy pre-owned motorcycles for the floor.
They have a hot-shot professional workshop and fitment centre that can handle everything from a simple service or tyre change, to a full engine rebuild and accident repairs and are approved by most major insurers. They also have a very well stocked parts department for both OEM and aftermarket parts, and if they don’t have them they will get them.You just have to meet the team manning the parts department – some of the friendliest people on this planet, always quick with a smile and joke. Every open spot in the shop is filled with rider gear and accessories of every description with most of the popular and top brands well represented in their stock holding – which is planned to get even bigger and better in the new premises.
The whole vibe in the shop and the permanent smiles on all the team members faces just makes it such a lekker place to visit. If you’re in Cape Town you really do need to get down to Main St in Plumstead and pay South Motorcycles a visit.
