GP Bikes: A Masterclass in Operational Incompetence and Mechanical Neglect

[Lightcycle]

how come nobody mentioned yet Snow City with their central location. Auth dealer for Yamaha (and Honda, Suzuki, Kawasaki) so I am pretty much using them now for everything bike related nowadays. Good service and nice ppl.

Not a Ducati or MV Agusta dealer/service.

 

[Klaatu]

I bought 7 bikes from GP over the years and never had an issue with any of them. Anyone can have a bad day. I can't even imagine what it takes to run that place and all that staff. I had a friend come out from Toronto west for the first time, he was amazed. He said this is like going the the bike show and I agree. I'm glad they are 5 min from my house.

 

[Baggsy]

Successful motorcycle shops become a victim of their own success. Eventually, they get too much business and have to hire more staff. I've had the issue from every shop I've been to, except my most recent, and others have complained about it. First shop I ever took my bike to, was Ontario Cycle Salvage, and they did a great job, but there was still one mechanic that you didn't want anywhere near your bike.

 

[timtune]

how come nobody mentioned yet Snow City with their central location. Auth dealer for Yamaha (and Honda, Suzuki, Kawasaki) so I am pretty much using them now for everything bike related nowadays. Good service and nice ppl.

The Ol Boy used to buy Rupp sleds and mini bikes from Snow City way back in the '70s.

 

[streptoman]

It must be quite

Sorry to hear about your poor experience with GP, and welcome. It says a lot when someone goes through the trouble of registering for a forum that doesn't support 1/2-click SSO just to vent. Many years ago, GP would have been the only local dealership I would consider bringing my Ducati's to when I couldn't/didn't want to do something myself. Now they're just like every other place. Curious who you're using instead. Ken Livingstone is the only other person in Ontario I've trusted them with. Another tech by the name of Giovani comes highly recommended as well, but I have no experience.

That said, nobody's perfect and even the best can have a bad day. Back when I first started riding, I couldn't afford to pay someone to service or fix my bike, so I had to learn how to do everything myself. Now I still can't afford to pay someone else - not because of the service cost itself, but because of the time, aggravation, and ongoing costs of fixing things that I basically paid to have damaged or done improperly.

View attachment 78806

While I agree they should have followed your direction about not starting it, if your concern was about the old fuel in the tank damaging your fuel pump due to moisture accumulation and water separation, that would have already happened from the same fuel inside the pump body. Assuming you have OCD like me, I hesitate to mention how long I've stored and subsequently run my 998 on old fuel when my OCD was trumped by my laziness. Bike is over 80k now and still running strong.

satisfying to

Sorry to hear about your poor experience with GP, and welcome. It says a lot when someone goes through the trouble of registering for a forum that doesn't support 1/2-click SSO just to vent. Many years ago, GP would have been the only local dealership I would consider bringing my Ducati's to when I couldn't/didn't want to do something myself. Now they're just like every other place. Curious who you're using instead. Ken Livingstone is the only other person in Ontario I've trusted them with. Another tech by the name of Giovani comes highly recommended as well, but I have no experience.

That said, nobody's perfect and even the best can have a bad day. Back when I first started riding, I couldn't afford to pay someone to service or fix my bike, so I had to learn how to do everything myself. Now I still can't afford to pay someone else - not because of the service cost itself, but because of the time, aggravation, and ongoing costs of fixing things that I basically paid to have damaged or done improperly.

View attachment 78806

While I agree they should have followed your direction about not starting it, if your concern was about the old fuel in the tank damaging your fuel pump due to moisture accumulation and water separation, that would have already happened from the same fuel inside the pump body. Assuming you have OCD like me, I hesitate to mention how long I've stored and subsequently run my 998 on old fuel when my OCD was trumped by my laziness. Bike is over 80k now and still running strong.

It must be quite satisfying to do a good amount of work on your own. I would much prefer this myself. I would definitely agree that the old fuel would have found its way into the rail and injectors; however, starting the motor would have circulated it under pressure. In the end, everything turned out okay (not an excuse for the act at all). I've got the Streetfighter back, driving great, and the MV is getting her 1,000km service right now. I'm now with Dukes of Cycle in Etobicoke. Trustworthy and competent; I'm happy with them.

 

[streptoman]

This has been my experience as well, they get so much business, that each customer is treated with indifference and an afterthought

Their sales staff is what I can only politely describe as "severely subpar". I have no experience with their service department.

I've come across a few negative reviews ...probably should have researched a little more first. But it's a little difficult to find local alternatives considering the scarcity of the MV units

This has been my experience as well, they get so much business, that each customer is treated with indifference and an afterthought

Their sales staff is what I can only politely describe as "severely subpar". I have no experience with their service department.

Sorry to hear about your poor experience with GP, and welcome. It says a lot when someone goes through the trouble of registering for a forum that doesn't support 1/2-click SSO just to vent. Many years ago, GP would have been the only local dealership I would consider bringing my Ducati's to when I couldn't/didn't want to do something myself. Now they're just like every other place. Curious who you're using instead. Ken Livingstone is the only other person in Ontario I've trusted them with. Another tech by the name of Giovani comes highly recommended as well, but I have no experience.

That said, nobody's perfect and even the best can have a bad day. Back when I first started riding, I couldn't afford to pay someone to service or fix my bike, so I had to learn how to do everything myself. Now I still can't afford to pay someone else - not because of the service cost itself, but because of the time, aggravation, and ongoing costs of fixing things that I basically paid to have damaged or done improperly.

View attachment 78806

While I agree they should have followed your direction about not starting it, if your concern was about the old fuel in the tank damaging your fuel pump due to moisture accumulation and water separation, that would have already happened from the same fuel inside the pump body. Assuming you have OCD like me, I hesitate to mention how long I've stored and subsequently run my 998 on old fuel when my OCD was trumped by my laziness. Bike is over 80k now and still running strong.

 

[streptoman]

Joined 2010. First post 2026. Epic!

Hahaha, I actually responded to a reply to my post from 2010, merely to see how the system would react. No explosions.

 

[streptoman]

@streptoman If i were you, id call in and ask for Jerry, the owner. He and I have spoken a few times and he came across as a reasonable person.

Failing a good conversation i'd write a scathing review on google/etc.

I did receive an SMS from a Jerry over the ordeal (informing that he was with the salesman and to call to talk about the Ducati, the same day that the sales manager informed that this particular salesman was off), but I had no idea who he was, so I let it pass.

 

[streptoman]

Service wise I've had nothing but good experiences there.


Sales though......
The sales person I bought my Ducati from there was good the first time (although my bike had a dead battery when I went to pick it up), not overly good the second time (mostly for communication issues) which kept me from contacting them for my third bike from them.
Bought a Honda there and the purchase itself went great and was trouble-free and pleasant (completed over the phone and email). Picking it up wasn't the best experience when I arrived when I said would only to be told to go wait outside and they'd bring the bike out (which is fine, if they hadn't taken 30min to bring the bike out).
Tried to buy a KTM dirtbike and they didn't respond to my email or calls (twice). I purchased new elsewhere because of it.
Tried to buy a KTM 1290SAR and they answered my phone/email but had no interest in negotiating price/options so I bought elsewhere for $3,000 less. Didn't matter that I've bought a few bikes there and been a customer for 15yrs, when I told them the advertised price on the same bike elsewhere they just said go buy elsewhere.
I don't bother trying to get them to match other places prices on bikes or gear now. I usually just go elsewhere. I don't even enjoy going in to peruse bikes/gear there anymore (too big, too busy, no one seems friendly, no one seems to care).

Definitely a high level of apathy for customer retention. Shop loyalty is not worth much at all anymore, as you've clearly discovered. I suppose buyers are becoming more and more savvy and shopping around, and sellers are reacting ...the wrong way.