I had a similar experience. There is a small local bike shop I regularly went to, when I needed to order bits. The problem was, that the mechanic was a bit of an arris, even though he was quite good at his stuff.

I'd bought a few bikes from them and anytime I had a problem, they'd offer to give me a run home or give me a loan of a bike. We're not talking demonstrators here, it was just a small shop, so they'd give you a loan of one of the bikes, which they thought, you'd be interested in buying.

I got on quite well with them until I bought a chain & sprocket kit. I did a search around the web and managed to pick up an AFAM chain & sprocket kit at a very good price. I changed the sprockets myself and then asked them to swop the chain for me. The mechanic was acting like a bit of a plonker and making it obvious, that I should have bought the kit from them and saying it was probably crap and wouldn't last very long. When I got home, the chain was solid, I had to loosen it off myself, which I shouldn't be doing, when I've just paid somebody to swap ot over for me.

There's another small mechanic in town, from now on if I need anything mechanical done (which I can't handle myself) I'll go to him. I haven't been back in 6 months, its their loss, not mine. All because the mechanic is a tosser.  :verysad:

I have part guys at Ride on to be pretty good. On of the blokes had a look at my bike once and noticed straight away that it had CBR1000 wheels fitted. Thats the first person to my knowledge, who has noticed.

And they're supposed to be a yamaha dealer.  :O

i really dont know what it is with some bike shops but they seem to only be interested in selling you something and they dont care if they treat you like a piece of crap along the way... they've obviously not heard of repeat custom  :Oo:

theres a few bikes shops round my way i wouldn't buy anything from again, simply because they didn't give me any respect. Another thing, why are they always filthy and badly arranged? At one local shop you have to climb over tins of paint/lawnmowers to get to the loo!

i've alway's wanted to run my own bike shop/workshop but never really had the capital to start it off

I'm lucky in that I have quite a few choices of shop to use.
Westgate Hill in Newcastle is a half mile road crammed with bike shops, catering for all tastes-Oooh Errr.
I use one or two & avoid some like the plague, you learn by your mistakes dont you?
I can recommend Hunters, for good discount prices & service, they ALWAYS take the piss, so you know the're consistant
They generally beat the prices of other spares shops, but the stuff they sell is not crap.

As for servicing, I try to do my own, or we have a very competent mechanic at the training centre.

There is a scooter shop that I have dealings with in my Instuctor  jobbie, time & time again we get bikes from them(brand new, delivered for the student) with bits missing/damaged.
We have to phone up & point out the broken bits/missing L plates etc. To be fair they usually sort it but always after the fact-where is the PDI?
They delivered a bike yesterday-Moto Hispania?? or something,
50cc crosser-so tall I had trouble getting on it(I'm 5ft 11)
also broken clutch lever & missing rear "L" plate & no R/H mirror
(its an import they only use L/H mirrors was the reply)
The kid riding it was 16, never been on a bike B4-you would think they might realise how important a R/H mirror would be wouldnt you?
Anyway the kid turns up & is about 4ft 6-no way is he going to get on the bugger let alone ride it!
The only way he could get his leg over-shut it shut it- was by leaving it on the side stand, climbing on & shuffling it till he was on tip toes.He then couldnt get the side stand up without help.
He explained "the salesman said to start it on the sidestand then climb on"
Slight problem with that-the sidestand is not designed to take the weight of bike & rider-& the stand has a detant switch-cut the motor/ will not start with it down.
The poor little bugger couldnt kick it over when it was upright anyway-the kickstart was too high for him to reach.

He did his CBT on one of our 50cc scoots.
rant over......................................................................
I'll get me coat-again.

sounds a sensible train of thought so there must be a flaw in it somewhere  :D

I've always had Suzukis (mostly on price) trouble is to stick with my current supplier means staying on Suzis, or switching to Ducati or Harley-Davison (or praps KTM).  Nothing wrong with Ducs, cos there's some fit burds ride 'em - but I couldn't afford the servicing costs
Could be interested in  VFR next, but I know that means dealing with a shop who have a crap reputation for service

Be really cool if all shps could sell any bike, and there were no possible restrictions on servicing / warranty issues.  get the bike you want from the dealer you want.

thought id go looking round some bike shops today, so i went to the triumph bike dealer, ongar motorcycles, which is just the other side of braintree . i thought id have a look at the mudguard extenders  for my tt600, couldn't see any so asked the guy in the shop. He found one and showed me it.. hmmm £20 for a extender about 1 inch long..  :O  

"that wont stop the spray/mud/stones much will it?" i say. He then goes into one, giving me a lecture on how it will give the bike extra protection. Speaking to me like im a 5 year old and dont know anything about bikes. I've never heard so much utter crap in all my life.. " thanks but no thanks"  i said and left him to it.

With attitudes to customers like that, i dont think they are  gonna get much custom.  Anyone else been treated badly by bike shops?  It's just the whole , treating you like you know nothing about bikes attitude that really p***ed me off!  :angry:

the people at the ipswich triumph dealer couldnt be more friendly in comparison.

I've pretty much stuck to 1 shop - treated me right so they get my business
once tried the more local option and got shafted

I know mine aren't the best or cheapest, but saves pain when I know they are 85 % reliable.

Alvins Edinburgh

I went into Powersports in Derby a few months back, looking for a Scottoiler. Couldn't see one, and the only person around wearing a PS t shirt was a very nice piece of totty.

So I turned on the legendary FF charm and asked her if they stocked them.

'Sorry, Dave's out at the moment and I only do clothing'


Whaaaaaaaaa ?

When I was behind the counter I sold clothing, bikes, spares, insurance, HP,  and on a few occasions even dipped into the workshop to help out.

I passed PS last night on the way home and it looked very empty. Only a couple of bikes and very little clothing or lids on the stands. Has the bubble burst?

... oh.. btw

ill get my coat ...

yep im affraid some bike dealers will sell you anything.. Theres a certain bike shop near mine that  ive been in a couple of times and witnessed the following...

young customer comes in having just passed his test.. tells sales man how much he can afford.. so rather than pick out a sensible first bike like a sv650, they show them straight to the super-sports bikes, like the R1 or sp1 etc.. no wonder they then go out and kill themselves. The dealers should take more responsibility in helping someone choose a bike that is suitable for there experience etc.. they cant stop someone buying a bike too powerful for them but they can offer sensible advice.. unfortunatly there only interested in how much money they can make off of someone...


ah well ..  :angry:

I dont know the ins & outs of bike shop policy, but you would think that if they sell a "new" biker a suitable 1st proper bike,he/she will come back for the next one, & the one after that?
Or am I just stupid??