My thoughts as well.
Pro 6 Cycle closing the storefront
- Thread starter Priller
- Start date
My thoughts as well.
Priller
Well-known member
Definitely your best bet, then. Would only trust Moto Motori as a first choice or Studio Cycle as a backup. The big multi-line Aprilia dealers are Vos and Two-Wheel in Guelph, and I have heard awful things about Vos and my chats with Two-Wheel didn't inspire confidence at all. Way too many lines (and side-by-sides), there's no way those mechanics spend much time on Aprilia V4's.
One nice thing about the Guzzi: valve adjustment can be done in a couple hours with a wrench...
Funny, the two brands you've mentioned above are the ones that are conspicuously missing from the rural areas, like where I live.
Wish there was an Ape dealer near me, I'd definitely consider having at least one of their models in the garage. Closest one is four hours away. Not ideal.
I wouldn't consider either of them "large" - hard to consider anything large when there is GP Bikes out there - but there is also:
- ATC Corral in Uxbridge (Kawasaki and Suzuki). I had good experiences there about 4-1/2 years ago - in the course of 1 year, at the height of Covid I bought a street bike, 2 dirt bikes, and a trailer from them when nobody else had any stock. I dealt with a guy named Joey who was great to work with and very responsive.
I did check their website and while they are showing inventory for most power sports and dirt bikes, their motorcycle page is empty. Maybe they stopped selling street?
- Orillia Motorsports ( Suzuki and Honda)
EDIT:
VOS Motors - (Yamaha, Suzuki, Aprilia, Moto Guzzi)
- ATC Corral in Uxbridge (Kawasaki and Suzuki). I had good experiences there about 4-1/2 years ago - in the course of 1 year, at the height of Covid I bought a street bike, 2 dirt bikes, and a trailer from them when nobody else had any stock. I dealt with a guy named Joey who was great to work with and very responsive.
I did check their website and while they are showing inventory for most power sports and dirt bikes, their motorcycle page is empty. Maybe they stopped selling street?
- Orillia Motorsports ( Suzuki and Honda)
EDIT:
VOS Motors - (Yamaha, Suzuki, Aprilia, Moto Guzzi)
You can't bash someone's business without a bit more explanation.
I went there to look at a new V Strom, at around the same time. I really liked it. The exact same bike was $1500 cheaper in Ottawa. ATC wouldn't budge, so I went to Ottawa and bought it.
Bummer, but adapt or die, I guess 
Soooo… clearance sale when?
Soooo… clearance sale when?
Sure I can. It's no longer a business, at least not in the way that matters enough to talk about it.
The air cooled, push rod bikes (V7, V85, etc.) are so easy for valve adjustments. The newer water cooled models, Mandello and Stelvio? Not so much.
Want to hear two more?
My first experience with VOS was when they tried to sell me a V-Rod exhaust pipe years ago, when I asked if it fit my Night Rod variant they said yes. You know that feeling you get when you're talking to someone about motorcycles, and realize they don't actually know a single ******* thing about motorcycles? I got that feeling right away when I got there. Big red flag. So I grabbed the part number off the exhaust, googled it, and sure enough, that pipe would not have fit my Night Rod variant. They didn't bother to even look it up, they just said whatever was going to get the customer to come in, and hoped I would be stupid enough to believe them.
Sometimes even when the clown leaves their big red shoes at home, you can still spot them. But not everyone gets so lucky.
My next experience with VOS was when someone I know thought his safest bet would be to buy a used motorcycle to save money, but to buy it from a dealer "to be safe." First mistake. The shop he chose to buy from was VOS. Second mistake. It was a sexy red Ducati Monster and he said they kept trying to sell it to him with a rear tire he thought was too worn, and kept reminding them that part of the deal was that they would replace the rear tire. Eventually they finally replace the rear tire so he goes to bring it home. First time riding it he breaks down on the highway off ramp. That's when he reached out to me. When I got there I found him with his chain off the rear sprocket. No axle nut to be found anywhere. Either they did not tighten the axle nut correctly after the tire change, or they could have left too much chain slack. I don't know what they did wrong, all I know is this guy was really lucky he didn't stay on the 401 for one more exit or things could've gone really badly.
I told him next time he wants to buy a bike to just buy it used and get it checked out by a reputable mechanic at a reputable shop instead of a place that sells him a bike that almost kills him on his first ride because of ****** work done.
Considering I know who owns the place and who works there, I can safely say they are not in it to screw people over, and they do know what they're doing when it comes to service. Perhaps your friends are those who cannot reasonably afford to have this as a hobby?
3 properties, 3 bikes and 2 cars. He's not sweating.
But no where did I say they are 'in it to screw people'.
I believe the HD was already owned/run by them but it was in the building next door, whatever it was called.
I'm thinking that they are merging the two under 1 umbrella and possibly selling/renting the building next door.
Will Harley tolerate sharing space with Indian? I recall that Mackie's HD at one time picked up Vespa scooters but quickly had to drop them after HD has a hissy fit because - exclusivity. You wouldn't want that potential harley purchaser comparing the performance of his $30K porker-glide with that of a scooter that likely goes faster.
Agreed I've had mixed experiences. A few times I was there for simple tire swaps and got calls about things that were allegedly wrong with my bike which were purely fishing expeditions on their part.
TK4
Well-known member
I recall BMW Toronto trying to slide another line in (don't remember now which one) but BMW Canada had a hissy fit and it was gone in about 2 weeks.
Must've been a long time ago.
The vast majority of Motorrad stores I know of are part of multi-line dealerships. Maybe a couple are still stand-alone, but they're now the exception rather than the norm.
Times change. Demographics shrink. You gotta do what you gotta do to survive, even if means sharing floor space with a Harley-Davidson...
