Premium helmet makers Nolan & Grex are introduced.
For the 1st time in it’s history, GV begin selling items online through a brand new webshop.
About
GV displayed the full Royal Enfield range, including the brand new Classic 350, at the 2022 Bristol Classic Bike Show.
GV Bikes was featured in a new book, ‘Champions 5, Thrive To Ride‘ by Jeremy Jackson, with all profits going to the Motor Neurone Disease Association. This also featured in the Somerset County Gazette newspaper and on their website.
GV shows off the brand new Royal Enfield Interceptor and Continental GT 650 Twins at the 2019 Bristol Classic Bike Show, just days after the UK release.
An excited customer receives the keys to their brand new Interceptor, the first out the door. Also note the new Royal Enfield branding on the building. This was added in early 2019.
GV Celebrated 30 years since it opened in Whitehall. Celebrations included a large write up in the local gazette and a bike night on the late May Bank Holiday. A highlight included Royal Enfield providing a Himalayan, months before release to show.
The GV man was given his first proper makeover since his inception in the late 80s.
Zontes, Motorini, Sym and Sinnis were all welcomed into GV.
Thanks to Moto-Novo, GV were able to provide a full finance service for the first time in a number of years.
After 3 years of hard work, GV moved into their new purpose built workshop and opened the extended showroom and reception area.
Stomp Pit Bikes are introduced to the shop, bringing great quality Pit Bikes to the South West.
Jimmy opened his own motorcycle shop in Norway called Moto-Tech. You can see them here.
This year brought the arrival of the AJS brand.
Work on the new extension began.
Jimmy leaves after 8 years to move to Norway.
The Website is finally updated to something a bit more modern as well as a fresh lick of paint for the GV Bikes man.
On November 16th, the GV Bikes Facebook page is launched.
Geoff’s middle son, Tommy, starts working for the business splitting his time between engineering college and GV Bikes.
GV adopts the Royal Enfield brand.
1999
GV sells new bikes for the first time becoming agents for Hyosung and Beta.
2004
Gordon and Geoff decide to go their separate ways and Geoff becomes the sole proprietor
2006
Geoff’s oldest son Jimmy joins the business full time.
2006
GV’s first website is launched at gvbikes.co.uk.
Geoff Hodges joins Gordon Harris to move GV Bikes to its present site in Whitehall.
Antony Snell joined as an apprentice, later becoming chief-technician and staying with the company for over 30 years.
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Years Experience
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New and Used Bikes in stock
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Bikes sold in 2023
Proprietor
Geoff Hodges
Geoff opened GV at it’s current site along with Gordon Harris back in 1987 after working in Atkins Motorcycles on Wellington Road for multiple years.
From a young age, Geoff has always been interested in motorcycles with his first being the BSA Bantam D1 at the age of 11 and then on the road, the Garelli Rekord in 1974.
He has toured much of Europe and Southern India on a motorcycle and most recently rode in Australia.
In 1980, he took part in his first Speed Hill Climb at Hartland Quay in Devon, later making it up to 2nd place overall in the 1988 season. This is still a regular hobby for Geoff with all 3 of his son’s taking it up as well.
It was in 1989 that Geoff met his now-partner Becky after she ran her motorcycle out of oil and called into the shop for help.
A keen classic car collector, Geoff has always been a fan of old Saab Cars, especially the 1970s curved roof varieties such as the 96. He regularly visits the Saab International shows across Europe, usually driving one of his own Saab’s. In addition, he has multiple Renault 12’s including his favourite, the 12 Estate from 1972.
Geoff took sole ownership of GV in 2004 after Gordon decided to leave and since then has worked hard to make GV what it is today, including introducing the now-familiar Royal Enfield brand into the shop and pushing forward with multiple extensions.
Chief Technician
Tommy Hodges
Geoff’s middle son Tommy joined GV part time in 2009, splitting his time between the business and engineering college.
He became passionate for bikes at the age off 11 having been brought into it by his father. His first bike was a modified MT 50 which he used to ride around the field from the age of 7.
At 14, he participated in his first Enduro in Tiverton and first Speed Hill Climb at Hartland Quay. He took to the tarmac more confidently and has been hill climbing ever since.
Completing Engineering college in 2011, he started working at GV full time later becoming a MOT tester 3 years later.
In 2014, Tommy bought a 1976 Kawasaki S3A 400 with the aim to fully restore which he did by the following year.
By 2015, Tommy’s skills in Hill Climbing were growing, finishing 2nd in the Overall championship that year.
Eventually, in 2016 he succeeded in acquiring the hill climb crown winning 9 rounds and becoming hill climb champion.
In 2017, Tom came 2nd again in the overall championship.
IT & Showroom Manager
George Hodges
Like his brothers, George has been brought up on motorcycles and has been riding them from the age of 5. He would often attend Motocross events with his oldest brother Jimmy, entering in the Junior Class.
When George turned 13, he had his first go at Speed Hill Climbing and along with his father and brother, still attends regular meetings.
George started working weekends at GV Bikes in 2012, doing basic workshop jobs and cleaning and managing the showroom. Shortly after, he took control of the GV Bikes website, giving it a total revamp. George used the skills he learnt redeveloping the GV Bikes website to take up an apprenticeship at another local company, working in their IT Department. He later left this company and in 2020 formed Kernel IT Services, specialising in Website Design, Tech Support and Maintenance.
Whilst running his own business, you can still find George at GV Bikes most weeks working Saturdays at the shop. He also regularly attends and plans GV’s trade shows and was pivotal in organising the ’30 Years of GV Bikes in Whitehall’ anniversary event in 2017.
2021 saw George take on a larger role in the company, working in-office and remotely, managing sales and IT. This year also saw George finally reach a podium in his speed hill climbing club, coming 2nd place in the 500cc class.
Technician
Wayne Morgan (Jim)
Technician