Adventure Bike Rider Forum

I have changed career a few times, Trade is Carpet Fitter but when recession hit it was no longer viable up here after i pay my insurance, tax, fuel tools etc so i went into customer service/sales and moved state side ( a big mistake left with 10k come back with about £500 but i learnt and did it so was worth it)
i am now back worked as a head gardener for 9 months till got laid off and now i am going to college to become a chef my bursary tides me over the ost part and I do a few little jobs here and there to let me buy the occasional toy.
but come spring i am going to do garden work part time for a few extra pennies while i study only got another year till i have all my qualifications then hopefully get work off-shore
So if you want to go for then do it, but dont burn all your bridges and be flexible and make the most of whats available

we only come this way once and live so you don't regret things

You will struggle to make a profit recycling bikes from the UK market (MCN, Ebay etc) back into the UK market.

Your best bet is to either find a market overseas where there is an abundance of something that there is demand for here, or find a market overseas where there is demand for something that there is an abundance of here.

For example: a few years ago there was a good living to be made buying 1970 - 1990 Ducatis, Morinis, Guzzis etc in Italy where they were regarded as run of the mill stuff that wan't particularly desirable and then dribbling them into the market here, taking great care never to have too many similar bikes on sale at once.

Equally three of four years ago there were Poles coming here and buying used KTM EXCs up, taking them home and selling them. There was demand for them in Poland because the dirt bike market was relatively 'fresh' and there were few used enduro bikes for sale in it.

Chinese motorcycles represent an opportunity too. Some of them are actually not bad, and while the price of them is low, the profits are still better than for 'premium' Japanese and European makes. You do have to be prepared to build and PDI them properly though.


Another interesting market is for classic British bikes, but only if you know what you are talking about. For instance there are very large numbers of Triumphs still in the USA (far more were originally sold over there than over here). People here are keen to buy Triumphs re-imported from the USA (which often got better versions of core models than we did here), yet at the same time there are American collectors who like the idea of sourcing a 'classic' Triumph from the UK.

I suspect that some exceptional classic Triumphs with verifiable history have crossed the Atlantic several times.

well, if its career doing something with motorbikes your looking for,

maybe, buying crashed bikes, and braking them and selling the parts, I would like doing something like that myself, so I would

anyway, Its just an idea

Hi Spasm,
I had been in the building trade since fifteen, usual story boom and bust but thought there was nothing for me beyond joinery, I had left school with no qualifications. I had a bad motocross accident at 18, 2 weeks in doc and 9 months off work at the age of 35 those knocks were catching up with me big time and I ached most of the time, I was even told I would soon need a knee replacement. Any hoo after a particularly rough year I decided to turn my hobby into my career. sailing... A huge decision for me. It was a slow start but refreshing to see a whole other world that I didn't know existed, 6 years on and we have done OK and planning to move back to the UK this year. Last year I was offered a project managers job at a prestigious boatbuilder in the UK, I turned it down to sail on one more boat, I am not really enjoying it now and it was probably a mistake to decline the offer but life is too short to have regrets. I now have no idea what I am going to do for work when we return but I do know I will be positive and we will get by, and if it doesn't work out I'll try the next thing. My life over the last few years has taught me to grab what feels right, and if your are not enjoying something try something else. you are a long time dead so make the most of it. I also realise I was lucky, i had no kids depending me so this gave me some freedom, but I think its always worth having a go. I hope you find something that works out for you. good luck

Jesus you builders want me as a customer I am sick of asking my builder for up to date bills so I can pay him :pinch:

Life's for living if your unhappy move on

cheers Spud

lol some interesting replies here, many thanks, some of the reasons for my wanting to change is due to the fact ive just left the company i was working for 20 years, they became impossible to work for, a bit personal too.
so ive just upt and left with no work, since then ive had a couple of jobs come in out of the blue, which couldnt have come at a more needing time. im earning well out of it at the moment, but im a terrible worrier and am worried about future work.
thanks for the replies once again, eye opening to see so many others with similar problems (thumbs)
i know all things turn out ok in the end

Redmurty wrote:Jesus you builders want me as a customer I am sick of asking my builder for up to date bills so I can pay him :pinch:

Life's for living if your unhappy move on

cheers Spud

lol last time I tried to get a builder in to have a look at something, I would have to wait 6 months!

Spasm, Only you know the real answer, once you know what the month;y out goings are, then you can make the choice.
I must be one of the lucky ish ones. left the Forces after 22 years then a short job at canery wharf, now at a Privated Gov contracted firm, been here a fiar number of years now, down side is as of Jan the first, I will be out of a job! only found out a few days prior to xmas. just wondering how much ££ im going to get may be I will go do that RTW ride I have been on about or pay of my morage, dunno am I worried yes, but Im sure something will come a long between here & then. whatever you decide good luck.

Redmurty wrote:Jesus you builders want me as a customer I am sick of asking my builder for up to date bills so I can pay him :pinch:



cheers Spud

wish there was more guys like you back in my day (thumbs)

well, one time many years ago this asshole was bitching about paying me for work I done, a big job it was too, he owed me a lot of money

well that was no problem, I decided to undo all the work I did with a D8 dozer

bull wrote:

Redmurty wrote:Jesus you builders want me as a customer I am sick of asking my builder for up to date bills so I can pay him :pinch:



cheers Spud

wish there was more guys like you back in my day (thumbs)

well, one time many years ago this asshole was bitching about paying me for work I done, a big job it was too, he owed me a lot of money

well that was no problem, I decided to undo all the work I did with a D8 dozer

No money - but I bet it made you feel better B)

If we ever got done over for money when I was on the tools (Chippy) we just used to take an axe to every corner bead in the building - a re-plastering job soon wiped the smile off their faces :laugh:

sidestand wrote:

bull wrote:

Redmurty wrote:Jesus you builders want me as a customer I am sick of asking my builder for up to date bills so I can pay him :pinch:



cheers Spud

wish there was more guys like you back in my day (thumbs)

well, one time many years ago this asshole was bitching about paying me for work I done, a big job it was too, he owed me a lot of money

well that was no problem, I decided to undo all the work I did with a D8 dozer

No money - but I bet it made you feel better B)

If we ever got done over for money when I was on the tools (Chippy) we just used to take an axe to every corner bead in the building - a re-plastering job soon wiped the smile off their faces :laugh:

to tell the truth, all I can remember is being angry, I was like a man possessed, so I was

anyway, I got in trouble over it, so I did,

and was it worth it, well I don't know,

but I didn't feel angry anymore