Sponsored: New owners in the seat at Marlborough Motorcycles

Marlborough Motorcycles on Warwick Street in Blenheim has new owners at the helm, Daniel and Amanda Morton. The couple are no strangers to the industry with Daniel feeling most at home on the back of a motocross bike.

Looking forward to bringing their own touch to the business, Daniel says it wasn’t an easy decision to change careers from owning a building company to going back to his roots in the motorcycle industry.

However, when the opportunity to purchase Marlborough Motorcycles arose, he knew it was one he couldn’t pass up. “I first met Brendon Wadsworth, the original owner, in 2006 and have dealt with him a lot with my motocross racing and trail ride business. I was doing some building refit work on the shop a few years ago, after they’d relocated, and that was when Brendon first planted the seed in my head to take over the business. Brendon mentioned it a few more times and I realised he was serious. I knew that this sort of opportunity doesn’t come along every day. We thought now was as good a time as any, so we said, ‘sure why not!’”

Taking over the business at the start of July, the couple look forward to building on what is already a solid business and helping facilitate regular community events for the off-road sector. “Brendon and Cathy have done the hard work getting the business to where it is today. Amanda and I just want to come in and continue to grow the business. We plan to give it a fresh start, a bit of a rebrand, and bring a new modern look and ideas. We are excited to continue working with the existing team of staff. Having a tight-knit and enthusiastic team is massive it’s such an important aspect of the business. It’s essential to have a positive atmosphere in the workspace. I am quite a chatty person, and I love to create a rapport with people and create a cool work culture and environment.”

Daniel has grown up in the motocross scene, as a rider, and worked for motorbike dealerships in the past in both sales and parts roles. Daniel and Amanda also ran a trail ride business part time. “My dad rides, I ride, and my son loves to help me work on my motorbike too. The industry is not foreign to me. In 2015 I took a break from the industry and trained, and worked, as a builder, and then I ran my own building business from 2020 to 2023. I loved what we were doing but I felt a pull towards my first love which is motorcycles. I have been involved in the scene for many years and it is nice to come back to it in this capacity.”

marlboroughmotorcycles.co.nz