FREDS STORY
Boxer Works may be a new venture, but it's been many years. It represents the culmination of a particular set of motorcycle-related skills acquired by company founder Fred Adams.
With his father's encouragement, Fred began learning the art of trials riding even before he started attending school. Although some little boys might be hesitant to ride a kiddie-crosser, it was evident from the start that Fred was enthusiastic and capable.
Fred decided to participate in the British Youth Nationals as he progressed in his career. Despite not winning any awards in his early years, Fred's fellow racers knew him for always showing up with the paddock's cleanest and most well-prepared machinery.
HE grew up in the West Country and was deeply involved in motorcycle trials. While in this sport, he came across the Stroud-based motorcycle dealer BVM. BVM was more than just a dealership; they were known for promoting and supporting young talent in the trials riding community. While BVM was famous for its off-road competition motorcycles, they were also one of the best BMW motorcycle dealerships in the UK.
Fred's passion and attention to detail in maintaining his bikes caught the attention of BVM, and they offered him a mechanical engineering apprenticeship. This opportunity allowed him to work in the BVM workshops and improve his skills in motorcycle engineering.
Due to the low wages paid to apprentices, Fred had to put his motorsport dreams on hold for a while. However, he gained valuable experience working alongside master technicians specialized in BMW. Fred excelled in this environment until BVM went out of business in 2014. Fortunately, by then, he had already qualified and received his IMI award as a Motorrad technician.
After a while, Fred discovered a nearby company called Retro Track and Air that specialized in restoring classic racecars and aero engines. He started working for them, overhauling and rebuilding 27-litre V12 Rolls Royce Merlin engines commonly used to power Avro Lancasters or Supermarine Spitfires. With a steady income, Fred could now afford to participate in motorsport competitions. However, his interests had expanded to include Extreme Enduro racing, where he excelled and won all three titles in 2017 - British Extreme, British Enduro E3 (300+ cc 2 stroke), and overall Clubman Champion.
Despite having a wonderful engineering experience at Retro Track and Air, Fred Adams had to quit because he believed that planes and automobiles were merely trivial diversions from the real engineering of motorcycles. Thus,
He founded GL MotorcycleTech and became a certified motorcycle mechanic. He operated in the exact location that has since been transformed into Boxer Works UK, a specialist in BMW bikes.
