Bikes have always been a constant in Norman Smith’s life. Growing up in the Johannesburg suburb of Orange Grove he recalls haunting the Jo’burg dealerships for any spare Owners Manuals that he could lay his hands on. His first bike was a Yamaha 100 Twin. I remember these epic little parallel twin 2–strokes well. With their sloping tanks and peppy performance, they were the envy of every schoolboy in the ’60s.
Norm repaired many of the neighbourhood bikes despite, by his own admission, and the wisdom of hindsight, “not knowing much”. In 1975 Norman apprenticed himself to “Honda on the Hill”, Jo’burgs top Honda dealer. His Journeyman was another legend of SA motorcycling, and drag racing in particular, Mike Bramley. They remain firm friends to this day. Norm recounts that with Mike there was only one way. The right way!
Walk into Smith’s Motorcycles today and you see how that ethos is still the way that things get done. Motorcycles in for service or repairs are allocated their space, and bits and pieces are laid out with military precision. The workshop is clean and tidy. Bikes waiting for spares or for collection are covered with bike covers.
Norman opened Smith’s Motorcycles way back in 1987 on Main Street, very close to Continental Cycles, the then Ducati Importers. In fact, in the ’70s and ’80s, the who’s who of motorcycling in Johannesburg had their shops on Main Street. In 1996 the shop moved to its current location in the complex adjacent to, and just below Kyalami Grand Prix circuit.
Over the years Norman has become renowned for his quality of workmanship and hands-on approach. I can attest to this as he replaced the steering head bearings on my VFR 800 Honda in the late ’90s. The attention to detail and care that he lavished on my bike was akin to how I fettle my own bikes. As Mike Bramley taught him as a 16-year-old apprentice.
Norman has perhaps the cleanest collection of pre-used bikes for sale that I have ever seen. He specialises in low-kilometre immaculate bikes. I will always remember one of the first times that I visited Norman’s shop and drooled over the spotless bikes with some real exotic bikes amongst them. “So which are your bikes,” I asked Norman, meaning which bikes are your own, as opposed to the shop’s bikes? Norman fixed me in his steely gaze, and in his typical laconic manner replied, “They’re all my bikes”…
That, in essence, sums up Norman’s approach to doing business. He only stocks bikes that he would be proud to own personally. I bought an original carburettor black Honda Blackbird from Norman years ago. It had 1800 odd k’s on the clock and to say that it was immaculate would have been an understatement. It was magnificent. I paid top dollar for it, but it was worth every cent and then some. Norman’s immense experience and bike knowledge are reflected by the bikes on his floor. His own Yoshimura Suzuki GS1100 still has pride of place. Absolutely immaculate. He says, somewhat ruefully, that the best of his collection funded his kids’ education. I hear you, brother.
So, if you want only the best for your bike, take it to Norman. You can only benefit from his old-school values and work ethic. Similarly, if you are in the market for a new bike, pop in at Smith’s Motorcycles and browse around or keep an eye on their Instagram as Noman’s son, David, keeps us updated with their latest bikes. You may just hit the mother lode as I did.
