where to buy motorcycle gear? | Page 2 | GTAMotorcycle.com

where to buy motorcycle gear?

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ZX600 said:
Make sure to buy your valve clearance and your forks refresh online as well, cause once the local stores close because all you guys are buying online to save a small amount of money you will have no where to go or the line ups a are going to be huge
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If it was a small amount of money, nobody would care. You keep repeating yourself in every one of these threads. Let me tell you one more time - it is NOT a small amount of money.
Some gear and parts are 2-3 times more expensive.

Many people do their own servicing, do you suggest they stop that filthy practice too? Support the local shop by all means necessary?

And don't worry dude, it's a myth about all these places disappearing. There's lots and lots of them around in GTA and new ones always open up. The crappy ones go out of business, good ones manage to stay in. Just like any other business. You cater to your customers not the other way around.
 
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dricked said:
You make it sound like I've never purchased anything from the internet.

I guess I'm more picky with how my stuff fits and haven't come across enough crusty weirdos that wandered in from behind their screen.
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Haha, YOU made it sound like you never bought anything from the Internet. But yeah, you could be more sensitive. Helmets I will generally buy locally unless it's a same model replacement but jackets, gloves, pants - never had an issue with an online fitment description. Motorcycle websites will often test all this stuff and share the info.
 
Hack said:
I'd rather sit at my computer in my underwear mouse in one hand, Visa card in the other and wishing like hell I had a third hand.
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Wtf you trying to do?? Bust a nut to your gear purchase?? Damn son.
 
I do at least 90 to 95% of my buying online, as the existing shops don't do themselves any favours. Look at twistedthrottle and dualsportplus's hours, for example:

Twisted Throttle:
Showroom & Call Centre
Monday 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Tuesday 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Wednesday 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Thursday 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Friday 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Saturday 9:00 AM - 2:00 PM
Sunday Closed

Dual Sport Plus
Tuesday-Wed -Friday: 9am - 6pm
Thursday-9am-6pm
Saturday: 9am - 3pm
Sunday-Monday: Closed
Eastern Standard Time

WTF, are these banker hours in a hobby-based business? If I owned either of these shops I would close Monday and Tuesday, but open 9am until 9pm Saturday and Sunday…. You know, when people are off work and might have time to go shopping for their hobby. I’d also be very catering to motorcyclists on those weekends to try to make my shop a meeting point… like free drinks, or whatever, to get people to stop there and shop… not close my doors.

Secondly, many existing shops aren’t trustworthy. There was a recent thread at Stromtrooper about a guy taking his bike into Ready Suzuki for a recall. It came out with two or three case bolts not tightened and as a result the case was leaking oil… similar horror stories from Suzuki of Newmarket, Brampton Powersports (when it was open), etc etc… so where do I go for my recalls?

So, I can’t go to them for parts or accessories due to limited hours, and I can’t use their shop due to incompetence, so what do I do?... I learn to do as many jobs myself as possible and use people like frekeyguy or mikeymoto for everything else.
 
ZX600 said:
Make sure to buy your valve clearance and your forks refresh online as well, cause once the local stores close because all you guys are buying online to save a small amount of money you will have no where to go or the line ups a are going to be huge
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I view retail merchandise selling and technical service as two different things.
There are plenty of highly qualified stand alone techs/shops around that do "service". The good ones last.

In any case... We're all free to spend our money where and how we like. Shake and bake.
 
DemonPig said:
Haha, YOU made it sound like you never bought anything from the Internet. But yeah, you could be more sensitive. Helmets I will generally buy locally unless it's a same model replacement but jackets, gloves, pants - never had an issue with an online fitment description. Motorcycle websites will often test all this stuff and share the info.
Click to expand...

I've bought equal amounts of online and in retail stores. Much of what I purchase isn't available in local shops. I just bought bolts from the UK because I can't find a local supplier and they wanted $25USD to ship from the closest distributor. Much of what I buy now is straight from a distributor or manufacturer but I've worked hard to be able to do that and spent many $1000's of dollars in local shops since I was a kid.

Just one small example. I bought a $1000 helmet from GP bikes and managed to break a part in the visor latching mechanism (completely my fault). I went to buy the replacement part but it was backordered 3-4 weeks. I had a race coming up and couldn't wait that long. They pulled a helmet off the shelf and stole the parts to get me out riding. I'm not sponsored by them, I don't go out of my way to promote them either but had I of bought the helmet online and saved $20 (or nothing most likely) I would have had to wait. This is the the advantage that building up a relationship with a brick and mortar store has compared to ordering online. I can't buy equipment without trying it on, it costs far too much for me to take a chance on and I'm very particular with my gear.
 
Im also one that uses a brick and mortar store more than online., Probably 80% store 20% online. For speciality parts I go online. For regular service parts...tires, oil, filters etc. I use the stores. For gear I mostly use the Internet for reviews , pics, videos. Then I'll go to the store and purchase it from them. Like mentioned previously. I've built up a good enough relationship with my local store (GP Bikes). That if i'm not sure of the size and if they don't have the product in stock. They will order a few different sizes for me to try. Without asking I almost always get the typical 20% off. So their prices are very close or competitive with online. I'm a firm believer when it comes to gear. You have to see it and try it on. For me it's more of a gamble ordering online (in situations when you have a choice and a physical store near you has access to the same product). You hope the product fits, is actually what you wanted without seeing it in person and has no defects. Otherwise you are wasting more time sending it back and risking it being exchanged by some business in the cloud.

OP some good stores in the GTA are GP Bikes, Royal Distributing both next to each other in Whitby. There is also Regear in Oshawa if you want to save a lot and dont mind buying used with some near gear selection also. I'm sure there are many others.
 
+1 GP Bikes has been great for me, I always price check online with my phone in store and the price is the same or very close. They also have good hours.
 
This thread went from a dumb question to a debate about online vs store purchases pretty damn quick!
The OP still hasn't been told where he can buy gear and I'm not about to spoil the fun by telling him!
 
Interesting discussion in this thread. Pretty much on par with the last one if I recall correctly: some of us want a physical store to fit the gear correctly, some want the cheapest route possible (which may or may not include a store). The operating hours question is one that does interest me though. I assume most of us (dealers, shops and retailers) would like the opportunity to earn your business by making our hours convenient, but there has always been a life balance with employees and shop owners alike. Owners don't like paying people to stand around, and I could understand a well qualified employee wanting a premium to be completely flexible with their schedule. That can be really tough on the family life.

@Motorcycle Mike - seeing as you brought it up. How often would you need/want to visit a shop (doesn't matter which) outside of the hours they're available now? Would these visits be for service, part and/or accessories? In and fixed while you wait? or drop off and pick up later at a convenient time? I am genuinely curious as to how to bridge the growing gap between online shopping and brick and mortar, but I don't think that is the issue you have raised. If you'd like, PM me if you prefer not to answer here.

PS. Interesting article this morning:
http://www.cbc.ca/news/business/online-retailers-open-regular-stores-1.3948652
 
I don't claim to have all the answers, but I suspect that for most people, a shop that is only open 9-5, Mon to Fri, might as well be closed. Saturday also usually doesn't work for me either as there is more in my life than just motorcycles. Hell, even my dentist books appointments on Saturdays and Sundays now at no extra cost.

I was just thinking of a good idea for these shops last night: I used to lead a lot of group rides in the summer. We'd usually meet early Saturday or Sunday morning at a Tim's on the way out of town (like Innisfill, edge of Mississauga, edge of Scarborough, etc). We'd typically have a coffee, use the can, and be on our way.

So I got to thinking... imagine a place like Royal D or Twisted Throttle with big parking lots... they could cater directly to these group rides. They could open at 8am, have coffee available, and even have all of those little things for sale that invariably someone always forgets: like rain gear for when its spitting out even though it didn't call for rain, a gear bag for when it's hotter than expected, or a branded sweater for when it's colder than expected. They could even offer incentives... like a 5% discount for the ride leader (incentive to start the ride there), so he could take that opportunity to buy that expensive accessory that is on his list... give him a reason to start a ride there, bringing customers with him, and kill two birds with one stone by getting the shopping done at the same time as going for a ride. I wouldn't bother meeting up at Tim's anymore if something like that was available. They could even go a step further and offer a computer that could be used to transfer GPX tracks, etc.. If a shop catered to us like that, I could see being there at least twice a month during the riding season. Bonus if they were near a dirt-riding area and had enough space to let people park their trailers for the day.

As far as staff standing around... I wonder when more idle standing around would be, Tuesday at 10am or Sunday at 2pm? I don't have the answer, but I figure most people with disposable income to spend on hobbies still have weekends off, but need to be somewhere to earn that money on Tuesday mornings.

LPakkala said:
@Motorcycle Mike - seeing as you brought it up. How often would you need/want to visit a shop (doesn't matter which) outside of the hours they're available now? Would these visits be for service, part and/or accessories? In and fixed while you wait? or drop off and pick up later at a convenient time? I am genuinely curious as to how to bridge the growing gap between online shopping and brick and mortar, but I don't think that is the issue you have raised. If you'd like, PM me if you prefer not to answer here.

PS. Interesting article this morning:
http://www.cbc.ca/news/business/online-retailers-open-regular-stores-1.3948652
Click to expand...
 
Great points, "Motorcycle Mike"

Unfortunately, do not think that would work. Too much common sense.
I personally like to ride alone, however, I would go out to these shops. Speak to fellow riders. Try/buy gear, grab a coffee. Can`t be worse than Tim Horton's.
 
Motorcycle Mike said:
I do at least 90 to 95% of my buying online, as the existing shops don't do themselves any favours. Look at twistedthrottle and dualsportplus's hours, for example:

Twisted Throttle:
Showroom & Call Centre
Monday 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Tuesday 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Wednesday 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Thursday 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Friday 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Saturday 9:00 AM - 2:00 PM
Sunday Closed

Dual Sport Plus
Tuesday-Wed -Friday: 9am - 6pm
Thursday-9am-6pm
Saturday: 9am - 3pm
Sunday-Monday: Closed
Eastern Standard Time

WTF, are these banker hours in a hobby-based business? If I owned either of these shops I would close Monday and Tuesday, but open 9am until 9pm Saturday and Sunday…. You know, when people are off work and might have time to go shopping for their hobby. I’d also be very catering to motorcyclists on those weekends to try to make my shop a meeting point… like free drinks, or whatever, to get people to stop there and shop… not close my doors.

Secondly, many existing shops aren’t trustworthy. There was a recent thread at Stromtrooper about a guy taking his bike into Ready Suzuki for a recall. It came out with two or three case bolts not tightened and as a result the case was leaking oil… similar horror stories from Suzuki of Newmarket, Brampton Powersports (when it was open), etc etc… so where do I go for my recalls?

So, I can’t go to them for parts or accessories due to limited hours, and I can’t use their shop due to incompetence, so what do I do?... I learn to do as many jobs myself as possible and use people like frekeyguy or mikeymoto for everything else.
Click to expand...

Not much to add other than both of these shops are fantastic, as are Two Wheel and Oakville Yamaha for "real life" shopping. Online, Fortnine and Motorstarz are good, i've also ordered stuff from 613 Motorsports with great prices and service.
 
Motorcycle Mike said:
I don't claim to have all the answers, but I suspect that for most people, a shop that is only open 9-5, Mon to Fri, might as well be closed. Saturday also usually doesn't work for me either as there is more in my life than just motorcycles. Hell, even my dentist books appointments on Saturdays and Sundays now at no extra cost.

I was just thinking of a good idea for these shops last night: I used to lead a lot of group rides in the summer. We'd usually meet early Saturday or Sunday morning at a Tim's on the way out of town (like Innisfill, edge of Mississauga, edge of Scarborough, etc). We'd typically have a coffee, use the can, and be on our way.

So I got to thinking... imagine a place like Royal D or Twisted Throttle with big parking lots... they could cater directly to these group rides. They could open at 8am, have coffee available, and even have all of those little things for sale that invariably someone always forgets: like rain gear for when its spitting out even though it didn't call for rain, a gear bag for when it's hotter than expected, or a branded sweater for when it's colder than expected. They could even offer incentives... like a 5% discount for the ride leader (incentive to start the ride there), so he could take that opportunity to buy that expensive accessory that is on his list... give him a reason to start a ride there, bringing customers with him, and kill two birds with one stone by getting the shopping done at the same time as going for a ride. I wouldn't bother meeting up at Tim's anymore if something like that was available. They could even go a step further and offer a computer that could be used to transfer GPX tracks, etc.. If a shop catered to us like that, I could see being there at least twice a month during the riding season. Bonus if they were near a dirt-riding area and had enough space to let people park their trailers for the day.

As far as staff standing around... I wonder when more idle standing around would be, Tuesday at 10am or Sunday at 2pm? I don't have the answer, but I figure most people with disposable income to spend on hobbies still have weekends off, but need to be somewhere to earn that money on Tuesday mornings.
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Great points. Thanks for the response.
 
Yep I agree with points made about the hours. Especially during riding season. A lot these stores close around 5:00 or 6:00 during the week. At least if they stayed open until 9:00 pm like most other retailers. it would be a lot more convenient.
 
250R-ICE said:
Yep I agree with points made about the hours. Especially during riding season. A lot these stores close around 5:00 or 6:00 during the week. At least if they stayed open until 9:00 pm like most other retailers. it would be a lot more convenient.
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I should or at least should have qualified my point of view with some perspective... This is GTAM and I assume most of the people reading/posting here are indeed urbanites rippin' it up in the concrete jungle. As such, perhaps access to Brick & Mortar stores is less cumbersome.
My preference towards online shopping is somewhat born out of convenience and in some cases necessity.
Geographical location, distances, schedules and timing often conspire against indulging in the Brick & Mortar retail experience.
The intertoob is open for business 27/7.
 
I worked "retail" once , the hrs were 8-6, then 7:30-7, then 7am till 9pm, then we started to open sundays. The net result was absolutely no more money (tracked over a ten yr span) , higher over heads and payroll, thinner staff and more losses and harder to get 'good' people because they would seek out jobs that were not monday or tuesday night till nine and smart guys often find options.

Lpakala is very right about quality of life for employees, going to a kids soccer game, or playing in your own is important.

I would run a brick and mortar store reasonable hrs. I sure wouldn't be in there 90hrs a week.

You guys do know all the places like dual sport and twisted and town moto, motociccletta all do a solid phone order/ email/ ship to your house business. You don't have to get there when they are open, call them on your lunch hr. Life is just not that complicated unless you make it so.
 
Since I'm buying online anyway, due to limited hours of some shops, then I might as well expand my options and use fortnine, mx1canada, or an American retailer.

Gordon Bay Marine has weekend hours in the summer, but not in the winter. Kind of funny that the boating guys figured it out but the motorcycle guys refuse to... After all, they are both seasonal hobby orientated businesses.

Sent from my LG-H812 using Tapatalk
 
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Motorcycle Mike said:
Since I'm buying online anyway, due to limited hours of some shops, then I might as well expand my options and use fortnine, mx1canada, or an American retailer.

Gordon Bay Marine has weekend hours in the summer, but not in the winter. Kind of funny that the boating guys figured it out but the motorcycle guys refuse to... After all, they are both seasonal hobby industries.

Sent from my LG-H812 using Tapatalk
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Good point about the marinas and such. Just keep in mind, their door rates tend to be much higher. I did my apprenticeship in the marine side, even then the marine shop rates were 25% higher. I haven't polled many of the guys recently, but I would not be surprised to find they were $125-140 or more per hour now. Given that they can burn $1000 in fuel in an afternoon I guess marine customers are not that worried. With the extra money the shops can offer a different incentive package to the techs, essentially paying them to give up a few months of evenings and weekends in exchange. I recall working 15 hour days during the busy season. Money was good, almost cost me my marriage though. Given my experiences I might consider offering that deal to a newer apprentice now, but would strongly caution them as to what it can do to someone's quality of life.

As a follow up question: what services are you needing outside of the existing hours? Service? Parts? Accessories expertise? Just a place to meet up and chat? I am trying to understand where the current industry setup is falling short of your needs.
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