classic hondas race better with help from bott

As part of its overall sponsorship bott has paid the team’s race entry fees, supplied specialist storage equipment used at the team’s race-preparation workshop, provided high quality graphics for use on the bikes and offered technical advice.

“The support from bott is important because it helps us to be well organised in the workshop and competitive on the track,” says John Davies. “We also need to look and act like professionals and having the right graphics on the bikes and vehicles is a big help.”

John Davies founded the team in 2004 following a successful 20 year career in modern day racing. Based in Swadlincote, Derbyshire, the team specialises in classic racing with its Hondas, two 500cc and three 350cc, based on the 1972 models. The racing surprisingly competitive and the team does its own development work to improve the performance of the machines.		Davies Motorsport
Certain aspects of the original bikes must be retained but modifications to improve the power of the engines, for example, are allowed within the rules. This means that the 2008 bikes are faster than the 1970s originals. In addition to its own bikes the team prepares machines for sale to other riders and teams and has supplied over 15 in the past year.

Although the team was established to have fun on the race days there is an underlying commitment to competitiveness that is evidenced by the way the bikes are prepared. The workshop is immaculate with all tools, components and equipment stored neatly and tidily.

“You cannot do without the racking and storage,” says John Davies. “Every team has to have proper equipment such as shelving to be organised.”

The relationship with bott started following a chance meeting between John Davies and Stephen Turner, the company’s Special Vehicles Operations Director, in a local pub. bott initially offered to help by preparing and applying some high quality graphics on to the team’s van to give it a more professional appearance. As the relationship developed the company supplied a special workbench with built-in storage drawers and some shelving and racking for use at the race preparation workshop. Most of this was either donated or supplied at a big discount.

During the 2008 season bott has prepared all of the decals for the race bikes using its in-house graphics facility in Ashby. In addition to its own logos, which are applied in a prominent position on the bikes, bott can create decals using digital images of other sponsors’ logos. This is the same process the company uses to prepare and apply the all-round body wraps for its business customers’ fleet vehicles. The company has recently applied some additional graphics to the team van to illustrate some of its own workshop and storage products.

“The bikes look absolutely fantastic,” says John Davies. “The graphics not only look great but also help us sell additional space on the bike to other potential sponsors.”

bott also offers practical advice that helps the team in other ways. For example, with its excellent national and local contacts in the automotive and engineering industry the company can often help the team to identify or source some specialist equipment or materials for use for preparing the bikes.

In return for its sponsorship bott enjoys association with one of the most successful classic racing teams around. The company can take employees and customers to any of the events where the Hondas are racing to see the bikes in action, meet the riders and discuss all the ins and outs of the day with John Davies. One of the attractions of this type of racing for competitors and spectators is that everyone can get close to the action and feel as though they are part of the event.

“We have been pleased to support to John and his team, the majority of whom are locally based enthusiasts,” says Stephen Turner, Special Vehicles Operations Director at bott. “As the team has enjoyed more and more success many bott employees have taken a keen interest in its progress with several attending race meetings. It is very uplifting to see so many people offering encouragement and support and I am delighted that the team has made such good use of our workbenches and storage systems.”

The team has participated in a number of races during 2008 including the Manx TT, held every August on the famous road circuit around the Isle of Man. The team won the national championship series organised by the Classic Racing Motorcycle Club in the 350cc and 500cc classifications.