Reply With QuoteNope that's about right. John is a good guy but I have over the years wondered how he fit that head through his T-shirts
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I went into Riders Choice last week for the first time. They have some nice stuff there for sport riders. The young sales guy was friendly, but every time I asked him what the price of something was (very few items had prices on) he had to speak to the middle aged guy (John) to find out.
"John" wasn't unfriendly as such, but I think "big ego" would cover his personality. His manner didn't make me feel comfortable enough to want to buy anything from him.
Now, I'm not putting this on to put down this guy, as I am quite willing to admit that first impressions can be way wrong.
So, is this a good shop to buy stuff at, and is "John" a decent guy to deal with?
Dealer/Vendor
Nope that's about right. John is a good guy but I have over the years wondered how he fit that head through his T-shirts
John, is that his name? That guy is Clown Shoes !!!! the first and only time I went in there to inquire about service, he goes off on a tanget without even looking a my bike...Nice guy or not, customer service is not a priority to him and therefore my business will travel elsewhere !
That's about right. John is a good guy and they have a good shop. Great mechanics in the back, and I trust their work completely. They do things in the time they promise, they make appointments and keep them. That already puts them miles ahead of most shops.
But despite the "living room" area with videos and the nice store, they're not as customer-service oriented as I would like. Their prices are also high (but so is everyone else in Toronto), and it really really really bugs me that prices aren't marked on most things in the store. It's kind of a "what price do I feel like giving you today" kind of approach. Although I've spent a bunch of money there, in my opinion, I usually wonder if I'm getting the best deal or even the same deal as the other customers...
Still, one of the best shops in Toronto. But the competition makes that an easy race to win.
--- D
I know where people are coming from on this, but i must say I kind of got a kick out of John's strange approach when I bought my leathers there. It was just really amusing to watch how he operates. I can see how this could just as easily put people off though.
move this to the "reviews" section?
I live five minutes from this place so it would be great to have a local shop I can count on......but the only reason I would pay a premium for accesories at a brick/mortar store vs. the internet is customer service. And they don't seem to have that IMO.
As for maintanence, I am going to try them out at some point down the road. But it did strike me odd that they only carry non-synthetic oils.
From my very limited dealings with him, John seems to be a unique character whose sarcasm and nonchalant attitude may rub people the wrong way, however I find him rather amusing!
I prefer a shop that prices all of their items. Better yet, a website with updated prices! Get with the times John!
As for not knowing whether I am getting the best price or not, I do my research which I would have to do regardless of whether there are price tags or not on the items.
I do not worry if I am getting as good a price as someone who spends all their money there or is a friend with the owner, as that is a given, whether there are price tags or not.
Would I go to Riders Choice again, yes! Hopefully John reads this and it will get me a discount the next time I go
You should check again,Originally Posted by maxpowers
there are cases and cases of Motul 300v, ELF Sport2 competition and ELF MOTO4 XT in the shop.
All the work done on my SV was by RC. It wasn't much, just a new chain, two sets of tires. In terms of pricing, they can't compete with online stores. But for instance the tires I bought from them were only $50 more expensive for the set than if I had bought them from Buffalo. Factor in the gas, time and hassle, and it's not that bad. The same goes for everything else I bought from them.
It's a nice shop, and they have decent service and very good mechanics.
Edit: BTW, John is actually John McBride, of the now defunct McBride Cycle. I can't verify the story, but he was removed due to a family feud. While he was in charge of that shop everything was running smoothly, but after he left and started RC, it only took a few years for McBride's to go bankrupt.
Last edited by croco; 10-23-2007 at 01:35 PM.
haha. Dumbass.
You should have replied back by saying
"if you **** faces cared so much about our life then you would charge a reasonable price. then young idiots like me would probably get their bikes serviced properly. go **** yourself."
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Sorry, but that's the dumbest thing I've ever read. If you can't afford to maintain your ride, then you shouldn't be riding.
Wow.
Serious? It's up to shops to make sure us young idiots can get our bikes serviced? I always thought it was part of having a bike to either know how to work on it or pay someone else to. I'd sooner not ride at all than ride an unsafe bike.
I blew 2nd gear on my first bike and I couldnt afford the $2000-2500 they local shops wanted to rebuild it, so I fixed it myself for $600....Should I also not be riding? I dont like his attitude either but....
Or you can just maintain your own bike yourself. It's not that hard. The engine won't self distruct if you were off a milimeter with your vavle clearences, the rear wheel won't fall off if you don't tighten the axle to ~65ft-lbs, etc. etc.
Last edited by d00dz; 10-23-2007 at 02:00 PM.
Did you first ***** out the shop for you not being able to afford having THEM fix it? You were able to afford to fix it regardless, so my statement wasn't really about you, was it...
Actually a millimeter is a fair amount when you're talking about valve clearances. A good feeler gauge should get you closer than that.
I get what your saying, but your statement is pretty broad "If you can't afford to maintain your ride, then you shouldn't be riding"....Things can pop up fast with motorcycles and get very expensive quickly, so not everyone can afford things right away and choose to put them off or find other means to have them fixed. Either way how much you can afford doesnt make you more or less deserving of being a rider....
Like I said I dont like his attitude, Id be the guy laughing in the backround as John chewed him out.....Just think your statement it a little funny...
I had quoted one particular person, and that is what I was talking about. Jesus.
Last edited by Jenerator; 10-23-2007 at 02:24 PM.
Thats not a bad price for a tranny rebuild, just parts for my 01 cost about $500....And $1000 labour to tear down and rebuild isnt all that bad....There is alot of work involved
Rider's Choice is a good store and they do excellent work in their service area, (props to Ryan Gill).
That being said, I too wish that everything in the showroom had a price tag!!
As for John McBride, I think he's a good guy--and I get a sense that he's "been-there-done-that" ....and that he can rub people the wrong way.....maybe it's a misplaced sense of humour? I dunno, it's a tough business...
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