Established in May 1996, Excel Cycle Centre is a one-stop place for all things motorcycle. It specialises in dealing well-known brands such as Yamaha, Kawasaki and Ducati. With its rich 19 years of experience, Excel Cycle Centre is definitely the place to go if you are looking for bigger-sized bikes amongst these brands. 

 

Excel Cycle Centre was one of the pioneer supporters of SGBikeMart. Owner David Aw was eager to try out the new services and listings that SGBikeMart offered as a key marketing area for his business.

 

 

 

Meeting owner David Aw

 

At first glance, Mr David Aw is not a man you would expect to banter with easily. But despite the stony exterior, it was obvious that Aw had a special place in his heart for the company he started from scratch, Excel Cycle Centre Pte Ltd. SGBikeMart visited his workshop at Kaki Bukit and sat down with Mr David to ask a few questions and snap some shots.

 

1. SGBM: How did you come up with the name ‘Excel Cycle Centre’? Was there a specific story or incident that inspired the name?

 

Mr Aw: No, no; it was quite random, and there’s no real story behind the name.

 

2. SGBM: What prompted you to start Excel Cycle Centre? You were in the electrical industry before you became your own boss right?

 

Mr Aw: Passion. I was scared, because I had no experience when I first started out. But it was pure passion that carried me through and helped me to overcome my fear.

 

3. SGBM: Oh, so was biking your childhood passion?

 

Mr Aw: No la, it just developed after a while.

 

4. SGBM: So Excel Cycle Centre was established in 1996. What’s the key difference in Singapore’s biking scene now as compared to 1996?

 

Mr Aw: Nowadays, with more and more advance technology in Motorcycles.  Bikers are willing to pay for quality and safety features as compared to many years back. 

 

5. SGBM: What’s the rich history of Excel Cycle Centre like?

Mr Aw: Our first office was actually at Tanjong Katong, and we moved to this current Kaki Bukit office in 1999.

 

 

A young, handsome David Aw 

 

 

6. SGBM: Oh, why?

 

Mr Aw: The Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) forbid us from operating shop-houses or workshops doing servicing. So we had no choice but to move to the Kaki Bukit office. But aiya, the Tanjong Katong location was much better. If URA had not stepped in, I wouldn’t have moved.

 

7. SGBM: Okay, who has been your greatest pillar of support throughout these 19 years in the business?

 

Mr Aw: My wife and younger brother. Excel Cycle Centre is after all, a family business. All the key stakeholders are family.

 

8. SGBM: There was an economic downturn in 2008. How did it impact your business?

 

Mr Aw: We didn’t feel that much of an impact actually. Because we were already an established business, so there was minimal impact. However, when we first started out, the economy in 1997 or 1998 was also poor. It really hit us, because we were new and didn’t have any experience. Thankfully, the 1997 incident gave us the necessary know-how to deal with the 2008 economic impact.

 

9. SGBM: Okay, what about girl bikers? Do you see any females purchasing bikes and if so, what models do they usually get?

 

Mr Aw: Yeah, we do see a few females every now and then; more as compared to the past. But Excel Cycle Centre sells mainly the bigger bikes, so the girls that come in are usually experienced bikers who have done their research and know exactly what they want, so there is no specific popular model either.

 

10. SGBM: Does Excel Cycle Centre have its own racing team?

 

Mr Aw: No, we don’t.

 

11. SGBM: Oh, then what are all these trophies about? *points to a trophy on Aw’s office table*

 

Mr Aw: Oh, sometimes we sponsor racers and supply them with bikes from our own company and then the racers will compete in the competitions under us.

 

12. SGBM: As our final question, why do you think your company is reliable? Is there any specific business model that sets you apart from your competitors?

 

Mr Aw: Yes, we have many years of experience in the business. We don’t engage in any “hanky-panky” business, and all our dealings are 100% reliable. We focus a lot on providing excellent customer service; we are very particular about that because we know how important it is.

 

 

Check out Mr David’s numerous trophies!

 

The successes of David Aw

 

Mr David Aw is no stranger to success, although his success was hard-earned on his own merits. He won the Outstanding Enterprise for Excel Cycle Centre in 2012 and the Top 25 Prestige Award in 2014.

 

 

 

 

He also hinted to us at SGBikeMart that he would be receiving an award this year (2015), although he was a bit coy about it; either because he honestly forgot the name of the award or he simply did not want to reveal too much. (Mysterious much, Mr Aw?)

 

SGBikeMart also had an exclusive chance to chat with the lady boss of Excel Cycle Centre. Behind every successful man is a woman right?

 

 

Aww, check out the chummy and sweet husband and wife pair!

 

We meet the charming wife

 

Aw’s wife helps out and manages the day-to-day operations of Excel Cycle Centre. Her years of experience shines through as she answers the numerous telephone calls that come in and deals with the enquiries of walk-in customers with ease.

 

SGBM: Hi, Lady Boss! Are you a biker too?

 

Lady Boss: No la! *laughs* He (David Aw) has his own bike. But I drive a car instead; it is much more convenient especially since I send my daughter around sometimes.

 

 

 

Heart-to-heart with David Aw

 

Aw also told us that passion and a personal interest are usually what drives people to ride bikes. He himself continues to ride despite having numerous cars at home! His bike of choice is a Honda Goldwing, as shown in the picture below.

 

 

 

 

Excel-lence powers through

 

SGBikeMart would like to thank Excel Cycle Centre for their continuous support and help throughout the years. With this invaluable partnership, both companies are confident of achieving more and expanding the wonderful world of biking to more Singaporeans in the future.