Buying a motorcycle is rarely the end of the shopping list.
There is the helmet that needs to fit properly, the jacket you hope will keep the rain out, gloves that still let you feel the controls, and eventually all those smaller things you never thought you needed until you started riding regularly. Add servicing and maintenance into the picture and it becomes clear why a good motorcycle dealer needs to offer more than rows of shiny bikes.
That is a big part of what makes Webbs Motorcycles worth knowing about. The company has been in the motorcycle trade for more than 50 years, with showrooms in Lincoln and Peterborough offering bikes, riding gear, accessories and servicing under the same name.
It starts with the bikes, but there is plenty more around them
Of course, motorcycles are still a major part of the business. Webbs has more than 200 bikes available across its two showrooms, including new and used models. It is also an authorised Triumph and Yamaha dealer, while its used stock can include motorcycles from other manufacturers.
For someone changing bikes, that variety is useful. You can look at something nearly new, compare it with a brand-new model or see what has arrived through part exchange.
But the more interesting part is what happens after you’ve found the bike.
Instead of sending riders elsewhere for everything else, Webbs Motorcycles has built a substantial motorcycle clothing and accessories range around the riding experience itself. That means a new rider can start sorting out protective gear at the same place, while an experienced rider can come back when something needs replacing.
Good riding gear isn’t something you buy once
Anyone who has ridden for a few years will probably have a cupboard containing at least one piece of motorcycle gear that seemed like a good idea at the time.
Maybe the jacket was too warm for summer. Perhaps the gloves weren’t quite waterproof enough. Or the boots were comfortable for twenty minutes and unbearable after two hours.
Finding the right motorcycle clothing often involves learning what works for the way you actually ride.
The selection at Webbs Motorcycles includes men’s and women’s riding clothing, motorcycle jackets, trousers, gloves and boots, alongside casual clothing. Its helmet department also covers full-face, flip-front and open-face designs. Brands listed by the retailer include Arai, Shoei, HJC, Scorpion, Alpinestars, RST and Sidi, among many others.
That breadth matters because motorcycle gear is personal. The jacket your mate swears by might be completely wrong for your commute, your bike or simply the way you prefer your clothing to fit.
Then there are the things nobody mentions when you buy your first bike
Your first shopping list probably includes a helmet, jacket, gloves, trousers and boots.
Give it a few months and the list changes.
Suddenly you’re looking at a phone mount because stopping to check directions is getting annoying. A motorcycle intercom starts sounding useful. You realise the bike needs a proper cover. Then comes cleaning equipment, chain care, luggage or extra security.
This is another area where Webbs Motorcycles goes well beyond motorcycle sales. Its accessories section currently includes hundreds of products, with items such as Cardo intercoms, Quad Lock phone mounts, Oxford bike covers and Muc-Off maintenance products.
None of these products makes the motorcycle itself more exciting, but plenty of them make owning one easier.
A dealership still matters after the keys change hands
This is perhaps the biggest difference between buying from a motorcycle specialist and simply shopping for individual products online.
Motorcycles need looking after.
Both Webbs showrooms provide servicing and repairs, and the business says it has offered motorcycle servicing for more than 50 years. As an authorised Triumph dealer, it also provides official Triumph servicing, repairs and parts support.
For Triumph owners in particular, there is another advantage. Webbs has been a Triumph dealer since the early 1990s, and its relationship with the manufacturer extends into clothing, accessories, servicing and parts rather than stopping at new bike sales.
More of a riding shop than simply a bike showroom
A motorcycle dealership can be somewhere you visit once every few years when it’s time for another bike. Or it can be somewhere that remains useful between those purchases.
Webbs Motorcycles falls much closer to the second category.
You can browse motorcycles, replace an ageing helmet, find new riding boots, pick up maintenance products, look at accessories and arrange servicing without dealing with a completely different retailer each time.
The bike might still be the reason you first notice Webbs. Once you look beyond the showroom floor, though, there is a lot more there for the years of riding that come after it.