Honda show bikes destroyed in fire

Honda show bikes worth nearly half a million pounds are feared to have been destroyed in a warehouse fire. 

Up to 50 bikes were destroyed when the blaze tore through the premises of Honda’s events agency, KCS Group, early this morning.

Machines stored there appeared on Honda’s stand at the motorcycle show in London’s Excel Centre last month. They were due to be used at other Honda events such as dealer open days and included virtually every model in the range.

About 70 firefighters and 10 fire engines were called to the blaze in an industrial estate in Corby, Northamptonshire, shortly after 5.30am.

KCS staff were alerted by security guards and arrived to see the fire spreading to their premises from the warehouse next door.

Lindsay Shields, the firm’s head of operations, said the bikes stored at the site represented Honda’s “whole range” from £24,000 Goldwings to £1200 CRF50Fs. He said there had been up to 50 machines with a total value of around £420,000.  

He said: “We got a call from our security firm at ten to six this morning saying a fire had started. When we arrived the fire brigade had cordoned the road off.

“We’re not allowed near it yet but as near as we can get it looks like both our units have been destroyed.

“It’s a sad loss and we’ve got quite a lot to try to sort out. We’re just shocked at the moment. We can’t comprehend it really. We can’t even get to our own unit to have a look.

“What we’re trying to do now is find another unit and carry on a business. If a dealer has planned an open day, it’s got to happen on that date. We’ve got to try to put everything back together and find out what we need to do to carry on.” 

A Honda spokeswoman said: “The KCS guys had to stand there and watch as the fire crept through the building. The fire is now out but we don’t know the extent of the damage yet.”