If you have ever tuned into The Motorbike Show or Shed and Buried, then you will know Guy Willison. Everybody calls him “Skid”, which is appropriate for someone mad about motorcycles ever since he was a boy. Now 62, he’s made a job out of that fixation, running 5Four Motorcycles and being on the telly while building some of Britain’s coolest bikes.
Where It All Started
Guy grew up in London and was already messing with engines by the age of eleven. While other kids were playing football, he was taking bikes apart to understand them. By his teens, he was building simple field bikes from leftover parts.
He later studied motorcycle engineering at Merton Technical College, but most of his skills were developed through years of hands-on work.
Life As a Despatch Rider
Before becoming known for custom builds, Guy spent years riding as a dispatch rider in London. He rode over a million miles through traffic, rain, and long days. His call sign back then was 5Four.
Those miles taught him what survives daily punishment and what doesn’t. It shaped how he thought about design, reliability, and build quality.
After leaving dispatch riding behind, he opened a workshop. Riders came in because they heard he built things properly. He didn’t cut corners. His work speaks for itself.
Building a Name
Guy joined forces with his friend Henry Cole to form Gladstone Motorcycles. They designed hand-built bikes that blended traditional British aesthetics with modern performance. What they built were nine Gladstone No. 1s in a shed. Proper small-scale stuff, each bike getting individual attention.
Together with Sam Lovegrove, Guy would design and create the Gladstone Red Beard. That bike still has one of the British land speed records for a classic 350cc motorcycle. Not just a pretty bike, then. It could actually go.
His work with Norton on the Commando 961 Street certainly raised eyebrows. Guy added his trademark flair to the Commando by producing a run of only fifty bikes. They sold out within a week. When 50 custom bikes that each took thousands of pounds to build are all sold in seven days, you’ve done something right.
5Four Motorcycles
In 2018, he launched 5Four Motorcycles, named after his old call sign. It’s a tiny team that builds limited-run motorcycles for people who want something special. His business partner, Adrian, looks after the boring bits. Guy focuses on design and build. Every bike is done in short runs; sometimes fifty-four, sometimes twenty, so each one gets proper attention.
Honda Projects
Guy’s partnership with Honda UK has been a big success. He worked on the CB1100RS 5Four, then the CB1000R 5Four, and most recently the CB1000 Hornet SP 5Four in 2025. That Hornet came with candy red and pearl white paint, a Racefit titanium exhaust, and a long list of custom touches. Only fifty-four of them were made.
What sets these projects apart is that Guy doesn’t just add stickers and call it custom. He improves things. He redesigns parts. He makes the bike feel new without losing its soul.
On TV
Guy never planned a television career. Henry Cole brought him in because they were mates who loved bikes. Viewers liked him because he talked plainly and didn’t put on an act. Whether it was The Motorbike Show, Find It, Fix It, Flog It, or Shed and Buried, he stayed himself: calm, funny, and knowledgeable.
His Age, Health, and Family
Guy Willison’s age is sixty-two, and he still works on bikes most days. He rides, films, and attends events, so he seems to be in good health. Nothing public suggests otherwise.
Guy has kept his personal life properly private. We could not find any mention or any hint of the woman who is Guy Willison’s wife online.
As for his family, he keeps that private. He has a son named Charlie, but he doesn’t share details online. He stays focused on bikes, not personal life.
Some fans have been researching Guy Willison’s illness details on account of their concern for their favourite TV star. Guy’s in good health, from what is known publicly. He is still active, works regularly and rides motorcycles himself.
Money and Net Worth
People often search for Guy Willison’s net worth out of curiosity. Most estimates place it between $1 million and $5 million. It comes from TV work, custom bikes, Honda projects, and years of business. He’s not flashy, though. He doesn’t show off big houses or fancy things. He just keeps building.
Why People Respect Him
Guy’s reputation comes from three things:
- Real skill – Fifty years around motorcycles gives you deep knowledge.
- Good design sense – His bikes look great without being over the top.
- Integrity – He doesn’t cut corners. If something takes more time, he does it anyway.
People respect him because he’s honest and straightforward. What you see is what you get.
The Road Ahead
As of late 2025, he’s still running 5Four Motorcycles and still turning out limited-run builds. More collaborations are on the way. He doesn’t seem ready to slow down, and he probably won’t until he has to.
Why His Story Sticks
Guy’s story is simple. He found bikes early, stuck with them, and put in the years. No shortcuts, no chasing trends. He built a life around something he genuinely loves.
Not many people manage that.
He’s still building some of the most striking motorcycles in Britain, and he’s still doing it for the same reason he started at eleven, which was that he can’t imagine doing anything else.