IVECO Daily Keeps Motorbike Business in the Power Band

Mobile workshop, emergency breakdown vehicle, delivery van and everyday commuter - boutique motorcycle service and repair business, 'Squily's Moto', has found the solution in a new IVECO Daily 35S van.

Squily's Moto initially began as a hobby when long-time motorbike enthusiast John Lizamore started helping to repair friends' motorcycles. The operation has now grown to offer a diverse range of services, from full rebuilds and nut-and-bolt restorations to general servicing, accessory fitment, and motorcycle event support.

John has also been known to travel huge distances to assist and recover stricken riders, and more recently, was appointed local dealer for motorcycle brands including Thumpstar and Rieju, along with Segway ATVs.

The transition from hobby to new business saw John retrain to secure mechanical qualifications, and with the support of his wife, Stephanie, the couple haven't looked back.

Given the broad scope of work at Squily's, John recently replaced his utility with an IVECO 35S 16m³ van, which offered him the versatility to do all these tasks more easily.

"There were very few vans available that were suitable for what I wanted - the Daily ticked all of the boxes for me," John explained.

Chief among John's considerations was a generous towing capacity, a standing height roof, airbag rear suspension and sufficient volume to carry two ATVs.

"The Daily has a low chassis height, and with the rear electronically controlled airbags, you can further lower the height by around eight centimetres to make loading and unloading motorbikes and ATVs easier, and when the van is empty, you also get a much more comfortable drive - we have a lot of poor roads around here," John said.

"The standing height roof makes it much more comfortable and safer to get motorcycles on board and to access any tools we need as well."

The machines are loaded with removable ramps, and for bigger equipment, the Daily is fitted with an onboard winch to make the job effortless. It's not just motorcycles that find their way into the back of the Daily though. Being a regional area, John also services equipment such as ride-on mowers, augers, and the like.

According to John, the Daily 35S with its 180hp / 430Nm engine, 8-speed fully automatic transmission and 3.5t braked towing capacity, is a capable tow vehicle.

"With the utility, hooking up to our tandem trailer raised concerns that we'd be close to the legal tow limit; with the Daily, there are no worries, and it tows so much better than the ute," John said.

"For a small business such as ours, fuel economy is important as well - the Daily is affordable to run. We will often drive it to Perth to pick up new motorcycles, and this is a 1400 kilometre round trip. It doesn't cost that much in fuel."

John said that the sales experience from selling dealership, Perth IVECO, and sales consultant Craig Maddox was exemplary.

"Craig had outstanding product knowledge - he listened to what we needed and made excellent recommendations. He also helped organise our signwriting. I'd tried to do this locally but was getting mucked around. Craig organised it for us in an afternoon - he went above and beyond for us," John said.