Northland’s Motorbike Experts

North Coast Honda is a skilled team of enthusiastic people. Everyone loves what they do and between us, we have more than 165 years of motorcycle industry experience across brands including Honda, Yamaha, Harley-Davidson, BMW, Husqvarna, Suzuki, Kawasaki, and KTM. Our workshop manager ran one of the biggest Yamaha and Honda workshops in Australia (Top Two Motorcycles in Warwick, QLD) before coming back to New Zealand. Our resident Parts Expert has 30 years’ experience with Honda parts and products under his belt, and we have outdoor power staff who know the generators, pumps, ride-ons, etc., inside out.

Meet the team!

 

Paul Newman

Dealer Principal

Paul has been the boss at North Coast Honda since we opened in June 2017, when he took over the Honda agency for the Whangārei area. He qualified originally in Agroforestry in Wales and worked as an arborist for 10 years before switching to the motorcycle industry, in which he’s now worked for over 20 years. Before moving to Whangārei, Paul lived in Pirongia in the Waikato and was Sales Manager for the distributor of Honda motorcycles in New Zealand, mainly looking after the North Island. Before that, he was Sales and Service Manager for a BMW motorcycle dealership in the UK, but he’s also sold Husqvarna and Yamaha motorcycles during his career. “I like looking after the needs of our many and varied clients, and trying to make things easy for them - helping to make the world go around.”

Paul’s too embarrassed to say how many motorcycles he currently owns but they’re all Hondas at the moment – lots of CRFs plus the odd road bike - his current ride is a Honda NT1100 DCT. He has a Honda quad bike for his block and says, “It really is the best thing on the planet!”

When he’s not at work, he devotes every waking moment to time with his family. “I have three daughters who all ride dirt bikes plus we have a rescue dog and she helps to keep me fit! I’m still an arborist at heart, so I enjoy being outdoors looking after our little block and am currently restoring a degraded wetland on our property. It’s a huge job that will take a few years. I also enjoy football and squash, and I love tramping in the wonderful New Zealand bush and in the mountains - I’m currently a volunteer at Bream Head Conservation Trust.”

 

 

Geoff Braddock

Aftersales Manager, Head Technician

Geoff has been with North Coast since January 2021. He thrives in his position as Head Technician and says he enjoys the wide “variety of work” it entails. Geoff enjoys working at North Coast because it allows him to interact with his peers and chat with like-minded people. He has spent 35 years in the M/C industry and, quite a jack of all trades, has also worked in aircraft manufacturing, commercial fishing, real estate, and as a business owner of two bike shops and a coffee shop.

As for motorbikes, Geoff rides a 2001 Aprilia Futura and a 2011 Ducati 848. Carrying on from the range of his work experience, Geoff spends his free time in a variety of ways, including bike racing, track days, sailing, flying, and tinkering with anything mechanical. An adventurer of land, sea, and air!

 

 

Mark Steegstra

Road/Harley-Davidson Technician

Mark has been with North Coast since June 2022, when he joined our expanding workshop team. He is a qualified auto technician who has spent 22 years working on motorcycles, particularly late-model Harley-Davidsons, Indians, and other big cruisers. There are lots of Harley-Davidson riders in Northland who won’t let any other mechanic touch their bikes! We’re delighted to have the skills Mark brings to North Coast.

Mark thrives on getting good outcomes for customers, and he says he really enjoys working with the rest of the crew. Much of his free time is dedicated to house restoration.

 

 

Tony Stitt (Gandalf)

Workshop General Hand

We love Gandalf. He’s been with North Coast since June 2021. He enjoys working at North Coast as much as we enjoy having him on the team. Tony has spent 40+ years in the automotive industry and has now worked with motorcycles for over 20 years. We can vouch for his brilliant work.

He rides a 2005 Harley Softail Deuce and enjoys taking all 67 horses this machine delivers out on the road when he has time for a run. He’ll race anything with a motor in it and is a great fan of Speedway and 4-Wheel driving. He likes chasing goats, too. Presumably, they are faster than he is, but perhaps he hasn’t shown them the Harley yet.

 

 

Corban Painter

Apprentice Technician

Corban has been with North Coast since July 2021. With his five-and-a-half years of workshop experience, in a motorcycle shop on the South Island and also working on cars for two years, Corban is well suited to his workshop position. “I enjoy working on a wide range of equipment as no day’s the same,” he says, “and I enjoy having a good laugh in the workshop!”

Though he has no bike of his own, Corban likes to spend his free time working on cars and dirtbikes, and also racing endurance cars in the pro series. He also enjoys 4wding, camping, and spending time with mates.

 

 

Charlotte Giffin

Apprentice Technician

Charlotte has been with North Coast since November 2022, initially coming in on a work experience placement from Bream Bay College. Her favourite part of the job is “Working with such an awesome crew!” and her ability and enthusiasm have made her a great addition to the workshop. Charlotte has previously worked in hospitality and at a hardware store.

In her free time, Charlotte enjoys dirtbike riding, motocross, surfing, and photography.

 

 

Mike Pool

Parts Advisor

Mike has been with North Coast Honda since we opened in June 2017 and prior was with the Honda business in Whangārei for 24 years. Dealing with parts has been much less stressful than his previous position, and he loves the variety of enquiries that come through his department.

A motorcycle man all the way, Mike rides a Repsol CBR1000RR; a 4-cylinder Honda superbike billed as street-legal but track-ready - and spends most of his riding time on the track. He’s a family man and likes to spend time with his kids, and when he can, likes to travel.

 

 

Ryan Davies

Service and Parts Advisor

Ryan has been with North Coast since May 2021, as a Service and Parts Advisor. His previous work experience was primarily as a technician in half a dozen bike shops including Suzuki and Yamaha, and he has also spent some time working in the Construction Industry and as a quad bike tour guide.

Ryan says his favourite part of the job is “the smile on a customer’s face when I achieve a good result or sale for them.” In his free time, he volunteers with Vintage Steam locomotives, rides his CRF450R, and enjoys adventuring around the country with his partner.

 

 

Vicente Fuentealba (Vicho)

Sales Advisor

Vicho hails from Chile and has worked for North Coast Honda since June 2022. In Chile, he worked as a sales consultant for Mercedes Benz and also held a position as Sales Executive for Yamaha. Vicho loves helping customers find the best product for their needs and being able to give them the best possible advice in choosing their purchase.

He’s a huge Formula One fan, and says, “In my spare time I enjoy exercising, and doing some trips on my bike, a Honda VFR800X.”

 

 

Karen Gander (Kaza)

Office Administrator

Kaza has been with North Coast since April 2022 and loves the job. She’s previously worked for motor vehicle workshops in admin and customer service roles. She says the boss and other staff at North Coast are all cheerful, supportive, and fantastic to work with. She doesn’t ride a bike herself but has riding gear because her partner is a Harley-Davidson enthusiast. Kaza’s ride is four-footed. “I care for and ride horses. They are my life love and take up 80% of my spare time. I also spend lots of time with my three grandsons. The six-year-old rides a little Honda.”

Gaynor Baker

Assorted Duties, Unofficial Trades Assistant

Gaynor has been with North Coast since January 2022 and supports the crew with various duties. “My colleagues at North Coast Honda are an amazing group of people,” she says. “Nothing is too much trouble for them. They are a very talented group, and a pleasure to work with.”

Gaynor rides an RST Aprilia Futura and spends her free time cooking, knitting, sewing, watching movies, and sailing. She and Geoff own a 55-foot yacht and get out on the water as much as possible. Gaynor’s previous work experience includes being an administrator for a large university in Australia, looking after one of the biggest faculties on campus. Now, she is semi-retired and enjoys her current job.