The initial reason for my visit to 'Bike Worx' in Exeter was due to my son having said he had just had the shock absorber on his championship class YZ250 serviced by them. This took me by surprise as in the past local riders had always had to send their rear shocks away.

On sale was a wide range of bikes, from big road burners to small 
commuter models. Also Scoots, Trail, MX & enduro machines. 

So full of curiosity I phoned up proprietor - and dirt bike racer, Jamie Holmes and asked if I could come down and have a look around.

For almost 5 years Bike Worx have been based at Isca Road in Exeter steadily gaining a good reputation and are currently in the middle of a big refurb.

Bike Worx sponsor the Remedies Bar MX series.

Jamie started out his own career on the dirt as a speedway rider, then moved to motocross, but is also now starting to compete in a few local Hare & Hound events when time permits.

Being very enthusiastic about dirt bikes in general, I was very pleased to see that through Bike Worx Jamie is sponsoring the current Remedies Bar MX series. So well done for that!

Yes Bike Worx have their own bike MOT station.  

When I called in Bike Worx were very busy and glancing around it was obvious to see that they sell a range of both on and off road bikes and scooters. But Jamie tells me that the main focus of the business is based around their workshops and the bike MOT bay.

Here they offer quite a big range of specialist workshop services, that I was unaware of being available locally and not just to the public either. They also do a lot of work for many other local motorcycle businesses too.

Re-charging and gas pressure testing an MX shock after rebuilding.

Such as… Bike Worx can repair bent and twisted radiators - handy to know for those crashing in the dirt regularly! - being very skilled with the ally TIG welder tricky jobs like this pose no problem for them, but would be impossible for us at home!

Ally welding also means they can repair heads, barrels and engine lugs, when and wherever necessary - well worth taking note of!

This crankshaft was about to be balanced.

Having crankshaft balancing equipment and bearing presses in house, also means that 4-stroke and 2-stroke engine rebuilds are easily - and frequently, taken care of too.

Being an inventive chap Jamie has designed and built a very special bit of kit to check and pressurise dirt and road bike rear shocks and I was lucky enough to see this in use. Although a fully trained motorcycle mechanic myself, I had never actually seen a shock being rebuilt and tested before, so I found this exercise particularly interesting.

Fitting new main bearings the proper way.

Many dirt bikes 2 and 4 stroke and racing 4-stroke mini-moto's pass through, which keep the engine builders and tuners at Bike Worx very busy one way and another.

Wheel building and MOT's also take up a large part of their workshop day. I must confess that wheel building is not something I have ever done myself yet (and don't want to either) and as the last guy I knew in Exeter retired a while back, this was something I was concerned about getting done, but not any more thank goodness.

The large workshop has 4 bike ramps and still leaves lots of space.

Jamie and his busy team offer another speciality that is quite rare and that is they not only build specials, but they will also finish off specials started by someone else. One of the bikes I saw on a ramp in there, made me do a double take. It was an old Lambretta scooter with a 'max power' Yamaha 350 2-stroke twin installed - awesome or what!

Fancy a 350cc twin 100mph Lambretta anyone?

It was tastefully done, but - and although I used to love scooters - even I wouldn't be that brave!!

This 4-stroke mini-moto was in due to an engine lockup.

Bike Worx don't just repair barrels and cases, they are also very involved in modifying engines, which includes porting and tuning bikes for maximum race performance, or to make the power delivery suit your own personal riding style.

Bike Worx also sell quads and scoots.

Outside the front things had looked a little crowded when I first arrived, but I soon found out this was largely due to the new concrete yard which was being laid down as part of the refurbishment - as could be testified by the cement mixer nearby.

Bike Worx carry a useful supply of popular service items parts.

Bike Worx carry a useful amount of service items - Spark Plugs, Disc brake Pads, Air/Oil Filters, Chains/Sprockets, Greases and Oils, plus various frequently broken plastics and allsorts of dirt bike lighting setups. Also a small range of helmets and clothing and anything needed that’s not in stock usually appears next day.

All in all for me it was a very interesting visit and I came away happy knowing that there was somewhere locally I could pop into when something awkward or nasty needed sorting out on my bike.

They are all enthusiasts - and as Jamie says, referring to his whole team, we don't just repair and sell bikes we ride them too.

Isca road is near Exe bridges on the west side of the river, accessed from the turning opposite the Plaza.

Bike Worx Ltd 62-64 Isca Rd, Exeter, Devon. EX2 8BH. 01392 272722 (After Hours 07971 406378)