Words: Bill Hunter.
Regarding motorcycle importers and distributors, for every accessory you can imagine, you can’t get much bigger than the colossal Autocycle Center. With well over 500 outlets retailing their vast range of products within South Africa you’d be pushed to not see some of their products displayed in every motorcycle store. Let me just run through a few of them…
OK, deep breath, HJC helmets, MT helmets, Five gloves, Michelin, Castrol, Silkolene, NGK, myriad of service parts, and the catalog goes on, and on. To be honest it’s too long to list so please visit their comprehensive site at the end of the article. There’s a lot on there so make sure you have a mug of hot tea next to you.
However, during my very fascinating visit to the enormous Autocycle Center warehouse I had the pleasure of spending time with one of the most passionate Brand Managers I’ve ever come across during my many years of being a journalist. His name is Mark Vine. Mark (aged 42) has most certainly worked his way through the motorcycle industry since he wore tight shorts. KMSA and AMP are just a few of the companies he worked for before becoming Brand Manager for the past seven years at Autocycle. His robotic mind knows every product with enviable detail, and most important of all, he absolutely adores what he does. A fact confirmed when he spits out the retail figures for ‘his’ helmets alone, which easily surpass five figures every year. His enthusiasm for the HJC brand (The biggest selling helmet by volume in the World!) shone through more than most, or I could be wrong, oh, and Five gloves too. His personal collection of HJC Marvel licensed helmets would make any ‘man-cave’ owner dribble down their chin, amongst his many other collectables. Mark also went through what’s new and arriving in the near future for the Autocycle Center. I’d like to enlighten you but he said he’d shove his expensive mountain bike up my cavity, or cavities, so I’ll refrain from that for now. Thank you for an informative day out Mr. Vine.
Meanwhile go to www.poweredbyautocycle.co.za. To view their cosmic range of desirable items, for anything motorcycle related.
06/08/26
We recently dropped by our good friends at RAD-KTM and were bowled over to see this gorgeous bike standing outside their premises. ‘They’ have taken a basic, if you can call it that, 990 RC R, and festooned it with factory KTM MotoGP graphics, delicious to say the least.
