After 30 years of serving Bangkok bike lovers, renowned big bike specialist Teera Motorcycles has opened in Phuket.

Rawat “Alex” Piyanantapat, manager of Teera Motorcycles and son of the businesses founder, K. Teera, explained, “My father started the business nearly 30 years ago and it has remained a family business ever since. We have put forth total dedication to our craft since we started and this has allowed us to build a loyal customer base.

K. Alex shares his father’s lifelong passion for big bikes. “I was born to ride big bikes,” he said. “When I was a kid I helped my father in the workshop, and he taught me everything about looking after big bikes – how to care for and respect them.”

“When we opened the shop here six months ago, we knew we would face challenges just like any other new business but we were confident that our name recognition would ease the transition,” Alex said.

“We chose this location because of its accessibility. The shop can be traveled to quite easily from all parts of the island and allows our customers to avoid the tourist areas that get congested during high season.

“It was not our goal to open a shop in a busy area such as Patong. We aim to provide efficient service to our buyers and not to serve as a shopfront for sightseers.

“Perhaps a bike shop that is a startup company would be well-suited to choose such a location, as it would provide high visibility, but our deep roots in the Thai market have allowed us to move away from such a locale and focus solely on meeting the needs of our customers,” he added.

“Our customer base here in Phuket is roughly 80% foreigners who have bought bikes in the past and about 20% Thais and first-time foreign buyers, as well as, customers who have placed orders through the Internet.

“This is our second shop and we chose Phuket to serve this established market. Many of our customers have bought property here and, in the past, we have received requests for us to open a shop here. Now, we can provide them with the service they want at a location that is much more convenient for them,” he said.

Teera Motorcycles stocks three styles of bikes: sports, cruisers and choppers. Engine sizes range from 250cc to 2,000cc and the prices start at 50,000 baht and extend up to one million baht.

The shop carries only Japanese models, including makes such as Kawasaki, Suzuki and Honda.

The main branch in Bangkok has more than 70 motorcycles in its inventory, though the Phuket branch currently has only about 30 bikes in stock.

Due to arrive after this interview, is the shop’s first Kawasaki ZX-14, which its makers claim is the world’s most powerful production motorcycle. The ZX-14 will go sale at about 700,000 baht, said K. Alex.

Already in stock is the ZX-14’s baby brother, the ZX-10R resplendid in all black and complete with a price tag of 550,000 baht.

K. Alex said the shop prefers to wait and understand the specific requests from its customer base before bringing in more cycles. “If we already have the model desired in stock in Bangkok, we can have it delivered, and if it is new to market then we can import it for you.

“If it is a limited-edition, fully-restored model from the 1930s, then we can do our best to meet your needs, but it may take some time,” said K. Alex.

The shop also imports brand-name parts and accessories, so it can supply the necessary parts to keep your bike running strong or the custom stylings to make your hog stand out from the others.

Teera’s efficiency in meeting customers’ orders is aided by the respect it shows to its competitors and the shop’s willingness to assist them when needed. K. Alex said that his shop can fulfill a competitor’s request if the product is in stock. They sell it to them at cost and it allows them to obtain their goods immediately instead of having to wait for a shipment to arrive.

Likewise, when Teera Motorcycles needs a part, the favor is usually returned. This style of business has been a trait of the company since its inception and K. Alex explained that it is just the nature of their family to act this way.

“The Phuket shop has been opened by myself and two of my brothers. We have all relocated here from Bangkok to see that the operation will run smoothly. We feel that it will take at least one year to fully assess the market and understand the areas we need to develop more strongly.

“When we have a stronghold on the business, we would like to bring in a new manager from the Phuket area and our experience of having lived here until that point will allow us to effectively communicate our vision during the transitional phase,” K. Alex explained.

Teera Motorcycle. 107/39-40 Chalermprakiat Rama IX Rd, Rassada, Phuket. Contact Alex at Tel: 086-4704978. Fax: 076-526078. Email: rawat@TPmotorcycle.com Website: www.tpmotorcycle.com