Mutt, the Birmingham-based manufacturer which made its name with retro-cool 125 and 250cc machines, has entered administration after a fall in demand caused it to make most of its 18 staff redundant. Administrators RSM UK Restructuring Advisory LLP were appointed on 3rd March.

Speaking to MCN, RSM said: “The company experienced a period of difficult trading due to a decline in market demand. As a result, the business faced significant financial pressures and was unable to secure the necessary funding to continue operating.” They are reportedly talking to a number of firms interested in buying the bikes and parts stock, plus the Mutt brand.

Mutt, set up by Benny Thomas and Will Rigg in 2013, had been something of a success story, taking Chinese-made 125/250s and transforming them into urban street scramblers, with knobbly tyres, different bodywork, seats and other mods. Working out of an old Victorian Mill in King’s Norton along with a coffeeshop and whiskey bar, Mutt epitomised hipster chic.

Meanwhile, CCM is also facing tough times, having made redundancies and cut production by half in 2024, reflecting a generally depressed motorcycle market which has seen several major dealerships close.

Jim Freeman, chair of the BMF said: “Tough times, particularly in those niche ICE brands. Small bikes have been particularly affected by the growth in the battery electric market, with non-motorcycle brands like Surron looking increasingly attractive. Why bother with jumping through all the hoops that buying an ICE bike entails, when you can just whip out the plastic and get an ebike delivered? Especially if the style of a Light Bee X takes your fancy, just looking at them tells me that they fit right into the urban street scrambler niche. ”

Written by Peter Henshaw

Top image courtesy of Mutt Motorcycles