What are you looking for in your local motorcycle shop ? | GTAMotorcycle.com

What are you looking for in your local motorcycle shop ?

TK4

Well-known member
There's a lot of wringing of hands in the retail motorbike business about how to stay alive and make the customer happy enough to come back.
is it all about price, or is there more to it than that ?
Online retailers can do a lot of things, but they can't repair it for you or let you try it on.
Brick and mortar, with people to staff it cost money.
What are you looking for in your local motorcycle shop ?
Thoughts please.
 
people to ride with, is a fact that some of those guys have trials bikes and never ride them.
 
drop everything you are doing as soon as I walk thru the door and serve me! at prices that are comparable to the dollar store.

most people have no clue what it take and costs to run a business / motorcycle shop, they want everything done for free not understanding that rent, employees, hydro, tools, equipment etc cost big $$, and that at the end of the day this is a business that is there to make money, not do charity work.

I'd like to think I have realistic expectations: accurate estimates (both wait time and cost), stand behind their work (warranty), pleasant to deal with, good communication
 
tough question

stopped by Snow City the other day as I was in TO
inquired about sprockets for a Yamaha, they are a dealer
no stock, for a regular mtce part on a current bike...okay
what about grip puppies or grab-on grips - also special order
how much is this 4L jug of oil? $89.99

and they wonder why we shop online.....

There's a lot of wringing of hands in the retail motorbike business about how to stay alive and make the customer happy enough to come back.
is it all about price, or is there more to it than that ?
Online retailers can do a lot of things, but they can't repair it for you or let you try it on.
Brick and mortar, with people to staff it cost money.
What are you looking for in your local motorcycle shop ?
Thoughts please.
 
my bike mechanic also services my mercedes benz, i wouldn't go anywhere else
does he ride a trials bike? I think I might know him


... free stuff! I like free stuff.
 
Have items in stock.

I don't want someone to open a catalog and order something on my behalf; I can do that myself.

If I visit a store, I want to leave with an item.
 
Have items in stock.
I don't want someone to open a catalog and order something on my behalf; I can do that myself.

Worst is when you call them to check if they have the item in stock:

"No, but we can order it for you. But you'll have to come in and put a deposit with your card since we don't do Card Not Present transactions. Then when it comes in, you'll have to come in again to pick up your order"

WTF? I have to drive in twice *and* pay more than I would online?

Or I could order it myself and wait on my couch till Canada Post delivers it...
 
I get that those aren't piles of gloves, or helmets. Those are piles of money, somebody elses. It costs to run a shop and I dont expect anything for free.
Just give me a straight fair answer to my questions and some reasonable guidance if I ask and its all good.
 
I just want decent service.

Don't leave me standing at the counter while you prattle-on with a co-worker, or look something up on a computer. Just say, "Hi, I'll be right with you." I get it, sometimes it's busy. Sometimes you have to multi-multi-multi task. I'm not asking you to drop anything/everything to serve me NOW...just acknowledge that I'm there and I can wait.

As for inventory, make sure you have the stuff I need to service the bike I bought from you in-stock. Oil, filters, crush washers, brake pads etc. It is perfectly acceptable (to me) that you have to order in the $1200 accessory pannier set I want. You've dropped the ball if you don't have the chintzy little oil filter I, and I assume your mechanic needs.
 
Someone that doesn't rely on Parts Canada and Motovan for all their stock
 
Wide selection of gear and gear sizes. One of the reasons GP bikes is so popular is because they have an area bigger than their bike showroom dedicated to gear.

I am a super tall person, there is almost nothing available in my size in any stores in the GTA. I have to order most of my stuff.

Also, keep parts for your bikes on hand. I've had to resort to ordering my own parts and bringing them to the shop on many occasions because they don't have any in stock.
 
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Look at GP Bikes and Rider's Choice as an example of good shops, probably the two most successful bike shops in the GTA. There's a reason they are where they are.

Conversely, I have been to Corsa Meccanica a handful of times, and I live five minutes away.
 
I try to make purchases at the dealer when practical and/or necessary. Too often I come home and wonder why their business model hasn’t changed with the times. They must be making money. I just can’t understand how.

Brought 2 conventional batteries home the other week. One battery had 4 of 6 cells overfilled...the other had 4 of 6 cells underfilled.

You would think they could at least get that right. It’s not rocket science ffs .


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Worst is when you call them to check if they have the item in stock:

"No, but we can order it for you. But you'll have to come in and put a deposit with your card since we don't do Card Not Present transactions. Then when it comes in, you'll have to come in again to pick up your order"

WTF? I have to drive in twice *and* pay more than I would online?

Or I could order it myself and wait on my couch till Canada Post delivers it...

This x 100
 
It's impossible to have the 100s of thousands of different parts in stock guys. That's not realistic.

I settle for few days shipping. I usually order my own parts online but when I can't find something or can't wait a month then I'll go to a local shop because they can generally get stuff faster then I can.

I also understand that shops are busy during the riding season but some have a tendency to ignore their customers, which is mind blowing.
I don't give those places my business.

Finally - yes - prices. If something is 10-20% extra - I don't really care. I'll buy it for the convenience. However, when prices are at 200-300% vs online then there's no way.
Fake sales on tires are my personal pet peeve. For some reason MSRP on tires is extremely high but no one sells them for anywhere close to the MSRP. All the stores are guilty of this. They announce these massive sales and basically sell rubber for the same price they've been selling it all year round. Or they are simply getting rid of old stock.

I don't subscribe to the point of view that we have to support local brick and mortar shops at all cost, no matter what. Every year there's a thread about how all the stores and shops will shut down and we will have nowhere to go. Guess what - it ain't happening.
 

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