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Tragedy Strikes Hatfield Motorcycles: Roof Collapse Destroys

Showroom, But Hope Remains

In the early hours of this morning, Hatfield Motorcycles in Centurion, a well-known dealer of
premium used motorcycles, suffered a devastating blow when the roof of their showroom in the Eco
Boulevard Shopping Centre collapsed at 2:30 AM. The collapse has left the entire showroom —
which housed nearly 50 motorcycles ranging from Vespa scooters to adventure bikes and
superbikes — crushed beneath a massive pile of debris.

structural failure, but the precise
cause will need to be determined in
the coming days. The owners of
Hatfield Motorcycles, along with the
centre's landlord, are awaiting the
results of these investigations.

This collapse marks a second
significant tragedy in the South
African motorcycle retail industry
this year. Earlier in 2024, Bikeshop
Boksburg suffered a catastrophic fire
that completely destroyed around
200 motorcycles and an entire floor
of accessories. Despite these
setbacks, the motorcycle community
in South Africa remains resilient.

Roof Collapse: A Shocking The Silver Lining:
and Unprecedented Event Salvageable Bikes and
Determination to Rebuild
he collapse involved not
just the ceiling but the entire While the damage at Hatfield
Troof structure, which was Motorcycles is severe, there is a
designed in an ambitious three- glimmer of hope. Unlike the fire that
storey, modern architectural style. consumed almost all the bikes at
The structure came down with Bikeshop Boksburg, the majority of
tons of debris, including bricks, the motorcycles at Hatfield are likely
wood beams, glass, tiles, and An unfortunate Suzuki Gixxer and a scooter. salvageable. Preliminary inspections
An unfortunate Suzuki Gixxer and a scooter.
ceiling boards. The impact has left indicate that many bikes have only
the building exposed to the sustained cosmetic damage, and
elements, with the highveld rainy some — including five brand-new
season now setting in, which Vespas and an Indian FTR — appear
could further exacerbate the to have escaped unscathed. These
damage to the remaining stock. bikes could potentially be restored to
full working condition.
Fortunately, no one was inside the The silver lining for Hatfield and the
building at the time of the broader South African motorcycle
c o l l a p s e . H o w e v e r, t w o community is that, unlike Bikeshop
motorcycles — a Suzuki Gixxer The ZX1400 - Still standing... Boksburg's loss, the impact here is
The ZX1400 - Still standing...
and a scooter — are reported to less catastrophic for the industry in
have been trapped and damaged. A Mystery Cause and an terms of product destruction. Still,
Industry in Shock the team at Hatfield, known for their
Remarkably, some motorcycles, As of now, the cause of the collapse passion and resilience, is already
including a ZX1400, have remains unclear. Despite the making plans to rebuild. With the
survived the disaster and remain relatively new construction of the strength of their community and the
standing, though the fate of many shopping centre, engineers and commitment of their staff, there's
others is still uncertain. little doubt they will rise from this
insurance experts are expected to disaster stronger than before.
conduct a thorough investigation.
Early signs point to a potential

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LHR Motorcycle Magazine Issue 09 January 2025