What’s The Story Behind Bike Starters?
Bike Starters was originally designed & produced by the Australian & World Championship Motorcycle Racing Legend, Barry Smith starting in 2013
Innovation Inspired By A Racing Legacy
Bike Starters were developed by Barry Smith in 2013 when Motorcycle racetracks began to ban push / bump starting motorbikes in the pits. Barry was heavily involved in motorcycle industry for over 50 years racing and winning here in Australia a abroad through the 60’s, 70’s and 80’s. His wins include 1968 Isle of Mann, 2 World Championships on a 250cc and 2 x 125cc Australian National Championships. With this experience he quickly recognised the need to have another way to get motorcycles out of the pits as quickly as possible and Bike Starters were created.
Barry decided in in 2019 that at 80 years old it was time to retire and was looking for someone to take over and continue what he started. Richard Craigie was the right person to do that and took over from Barry, days before the first COVID lockdown in 2020.
A NEW ERA FOR BIKE STARTERS
Richard’s motorcycling journey began in the early 90’s when his housemate got a motorbike and licence. Richard thought it would be a much faster way to get around Melbourne than using a car. He soon came to really enjoy motorcycling and became a fan of the Phillip Island Grand Prix and Australian Motorcycle racer Mick Doohan.
Richard moved to Gippsland in the late 90’s and his love of all things Motorbike related continued to grow. Soon he had more than one bike and discovered dirt bikes.
2015 saw Richard looking for a new challenge and he wanted to start working on restoring vintage motorbikes which eventually led him to meet Barry.
One of Richard’s favourite bikes is his 1978 Suzuki RM400 which after completing many hours of restoration he had to push start it down a hill to ride it. He thought there must be an easier way and stumbled across Barry’s product Bike Starters.
He contacted Barry about Bike Starters and they started to get to know each other. With their shared love of motorbikes they got to know each other and Richard ended up buying the business from Barry.
March 2020 saw the handover finalised. The timing of Richard taking over was not ideal, two days before the first lockdown threw some unexpected challenges his way. This gave him the time to start to look at what he could do to improve the production processes and improvements to the initial design developing Bike Starters into the product we have today.
Our motorcycle roller starters are now used all over the world by racers and enthusiasts.
OUR COMMITMENT
Under Richard’s leadership, we maintain the highest standards of quality and craftsmanship. Whether you’re a seasoned rider or just beginning, our products are designed to make starting your bike quick and effortless.
We are proud to be a part of the Australian motorcycle community, dedicated to equipping riders with the tools they need to enjoy their riding experiences to the fullest from racing to leisure riding.