- Suspected cause: battery fault in a brand-new motorcycle
- Workshop equipment, customer bikes and owner’s private collection affected
- GoFundMe campaign has already raised over 5,000 pounds (approximately 5,975 euros / 6,250 US dollars)
On February 5, 2026, a fire broke out at the workshop of Second City Customs in Bromsgrove, West Midlands. The suspected cause is a battery fault in a brand-new motorcycle that was neither connected to a charger nor being worked on at the time of the fire. The exact cause of the blaze has not yet been conclusively determined.
35 Years of Passion Up in Flames
For founder and owner Ian Cushing, the fire is more than just a business setback. “It’s pretty devastating. It’s not just a business, it’s been my life for the last 35 years,” Cushing told MCN. The custom specialist has built a reputation in the scene over decades and sees working on motorcycles not as a mere job but as a calling. He has no intention of giving up: “There’s no option to just stop. It’s a passion, not just an everyday job.”
The fire destroyed large parts of the workshop equipment, including an in-house powder coating facility and dynamometers. Several customer motorcycles were destroyed, while others sustained significant damage. Cushing’s private motorcycle collection, which he had assembled over decades, was also affected.
Damage Amounting to Hundreds of Thousands of Pounds
Cushing estimates the total damage at several hundred thousand pounds. Some of his personal losses are not covered by insurance. However, he reassured customers: all affected vehicles are insured, and no customer will be left bearing the costs. Only delays on ongoing projects are unavoidable.
Despite the massive damage, the team is already working to resume operations as quickly as possible. Within the next four weeks, Second City Customs aims to reopen at least in a limited capacity. Cushing is clear about his goal: “There’s no solution that doesn’t involve us reopening and coming back better and stronger than before.”
Strong Support from the Motorcycle Community
To accelerate the rebuilding process, a GoFundMe campaign was launched, which had already raised over 5,000 pounds (approximately 5,975 euros / 6,250 US dollars) at the time of reporting. Initially, Cushing hesitated to accept donations, but the response from the community overwhelmed him. “The support has been more than we could have wished for,” said Cushing. Every penny donated goes 100 percent toward rebuilding and restoring the accustomed level of service as quickly as possible.
Help also came quickly from the organized motorcycle scene. The Birmingham Chapter of the Harley Owners Group (HOG) offered its support. The National Motorcycle Museum offered to clean damaged customer motorcycles free of charge.
The case of Second City Customs demonstrates once again how devastating fires can be for small, specialized workshop businesses — and how important solidarity within the motorcycle community is in such situations.
