The British division of German motorbike specialist Hein Gericke has fallen into administration.

Moorfields Corporate Recovery has been appointed administrator to the retailer which sells clothing and equipment to bikers and is looking to sell the business as a going concern.

The company has 49 stores across England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

The Hein Gericke brand is sold through shops across Germany, Austria, Belgium, Netherlands, Italy and Luxemburg.

Moorfields Corporate Recovery blamed falling sales due to the economic climate but no store closures are planned. Moorfields said the online has traded successfully and its performance matches that of better performing stores in terms of sales growth.

Simon Thomas, joint administrator at Moorfields Corporate Recovery, said: “Hein Gericke (UK) Ltd is one of the leading suppliers of motorcycle accessories in the UK and has a well-established infrastructure in place that will allow a potential buyer to focus on generating sales.”

The retailer started life as the largest motorcycle dealership in Germany before expanding internationally and into clothing and accessories.

Its founder Gericke sold the business in 1987. Restructuring specialist Gordon Bothers invested in the business in May 2010.