Aberdeen motorbike firm gets in gear as it revs up for 90th birthday

A north-east motorcycle business is revving up for its 90th birthday.

Family-owned Shirlaws Motorcycles was established by Leslie B Shirlaw in 1928 and will celebrate nine decades in business later this month.

Over the decades the firm – now based in Crown Street – has gone from selling used bikes and spare parts to even winning prestigious races.

Principal dealer Craig Shirlaw, 33, said: “I’m a fourth- generation Shirlaw so it’s nice when customers come in and say their family have been buying motorcycles from us since we opened in 1928.

“It just goes to show you the loyalty that we’ve received from the local community over the years and it makes us really proud.”

In the 1950s, Craig’s grandfather Leslie G Shirlaw joined his father in the family business, selling used bikes, supplying new bikes and spare parts.

Two decades later, the company changed its name to Shirlaws and Shirlaws, becoming the main franchise dealer for Suzuki, Yamaha, Triumph, Norton, Ducati, Harley, Laverda, Moto-Guzzi and Vespa.

Soon after, Roy and Pat Shirlaw joined the company, following in their father’s footsteps.

Craig said: “The business really took off in the 1960s, and the last four years have been some of our best years in business.

“We sell more than 850 new and used bikes per year which are bought from customers all over the United Kingdom and Ireland.”

Shirlaws has previously been based in Princes Street and the Green before moving to the current home Crown Street at the beginning of the 1990s.

This move saw the rebirth of Triumph motorcycles after the company went into receivership in 1983 – and Shirlaws was one of the first dealers to sign up in the UK.

Shirlaws Racing Team won the British Championship in 1989 with Brian Morrison and the Isle of Man TT in 1994 with Iain Duffus to enhance the firm’s reputation even further.

The business has lived through numerous periods of economic uncertainty over the years, with Craig describing the current recession as “a very difficult period for all businesses and families in the Granite City”.

He said: “The recession and tough economic climate that comes with Aberdeen and the oil and gas has hit our business over the years but we never buckled under the pressure.

“All the attention has turned to Brexit and what looks like our departure from the European Union. Businesses here in the city should be preparing for Brexit, but it’s incredibly hard to gauge so we’ll have to wait and see what the outcome is.

“Shirlaws Motorcycles has been run by bikers for bikers since we first opened in 1928 – it’s in our blood and we’re thankful for the continued support we’ve received over the last 90 years.

“We also have a great connection with motorcyclists all over Britain and Ireland so we hope that continues into the future, whatever highs and lows that may bring.”

Shirlaws will celebrate its 90th birthday on Saturday January 26 and 27.

Craig said: “We want to do something special for our customers so we’ve been trying to get a motorcycle from each decade, since the shop was first opened by my great grandfather, Leslie B Shirlaw in 1928.”