Local shops scare me

[Defender88]

So I was riding my xb9s around town today and noticed a little shop tucked away off a side road that specialized in V twins. so I dropped in and they had some nice stuff and I needed a front tire. so they quoted me 140 installed for some bridgstone battlax.and i needed a front tire pretty badly. so I told them to go ahead put it on. so i am walking around doing some searching and i hear a very loud thud and look over at my girl laying on the ground crying fuel. luckily the only thing wrong was a busted mirror, foot peg and some scuffs on the swing arm. so they dropped my price down to 120, got 2 new mirros( i only had one before) and a footpeg. the shop was very apologetic but like I said, They still scare me

 

[firebolt020283]

well the good thing is they made it right and your bike was not seriously damaged.

 

[upthemaiden]

A lot of the random shops I've been in kinda put me off too. I prefer to pick things up in local shops, but there's just so many places that don't seem to understand that in a world with so much access to the internet, a friendly smile should be their best tool to shoppers. Too many shops just give me a bad feeling when I walk in like I'm bothering them by being there. No good.

Sorry to hear about your bike. How much was just the price of the tire? If someone dropped my bike I'd definitely expect the labor to be free, and a discount on the tire price would be nice. I guess they're not too concerned because they already know you're not coming back, but being extra friendly might keep the word-of-mouth problems from spreading too fast.

 

[Defender88]

yea i am for sure not going back, the people where really nice so i wont bad mouth them at all. accidents happen but it could have been avoided with some safety procedures. that could have seriously insured someone, they work on bikes on the sales floor.

 

[SchoolHouseCycles]

I own one of those dreaded local shops. I get the impression that you feel you would get better service at a larger "dealer" type shop. I sure don't see that in my experience. Accidents will happen and it is up to the shop to make good. It sounds like they did. And 140 for a Bridgestone Battlax is a VERY good deal. If is a BT016 you got the best sport bike tire out there. I get $167 mounted for them. As far as working on the bike up front.. heck at least it fell over on carpet! Don't get me going on the internet... it won't mount and balance tires. Give the shop another chance. It is the local guys like me who do it for the love of bikes and riding. It damn sure isn't for the money.

 

[Defender88]

i hate big shops, perhaps I should have made the thread with a different topic. but coming from a ex mechanic for a few small shops I did notice a majority of them where very, unprofessional and not very trustworthy. these guys where very polite and did make good, but after watching them for over an hour try to figure out how to take off a bar end mirror, and some of their tactics i will no longer go there. the little shops are usually the good ones, its just weeding out the shade tree's

 

[MAGIC]

I want some work to be done on my bike like: oil change, front brake pads change, tires installation, clutch cable/o-ring change, shift shaft seal change, D&D exhaust installation, new grips and levers put on. I have all the parts, just need labor.
HD service guy quoted me at $970.
I went to the local shop run by one guy and his employee. The dude quoted me for the same amount of work $350 to $400 at the most, he said it might be less depending on how many times he is going to swear while working on it . Go figure...

 

[BuddhaBuell]

I am not the most mechanical person but have found joy and a sense of pride in being able to do some minor things to BamBam myself, dropping the exhaust for paint, replacing plugs and doing oil changes, the breather re-route, head light mod, shortening up the turn signals, new dash etc, etc...it all helps me know BamBam better...

when it comes time for some stuff that is outa my skill set then I am fortunate to have a shop like Arrow cycles in town other then dealing with the only H-D stealership on Vancouver Island (frakkers quoted me $109 for a RSS) [mad]

Schoolhouse, props for being solid man
[up]

 

[Dinuns1]

Guys there are bad places no matter where you go in any line of buisness , he made good for it ,give him another chance . i dont understand why he works on bikes on the sales floor but hey to each his own. small shops are what keeps the place alive and gotta agree with school house my boss always uses that line . i agree some places think your botherin them but the only thing that gets me is when you have a cust call up having problems installing parts they bought online i didnt make a dime and they want help . thats all for now , keep the small shop alive

 

[upthemaiden]

Yeah, I could've worded my response better. I went more into depth the first time, but then erased some and started over because I thought I was getting a little off topic. I don't necessarily like larger dealerships more, but the only thing I like to have is someone smile or say "how're you?" when I walk in the door. If some grumpy looking guy looks around a corner, sees me, and then just goes back to what he was doing without even acknowledging that there's someone else around I usually just go somewhere else. I don't ask many questions, and I try not to touch too many things, but I do like to browse around quietly and see what you have, and if I like something I'll bring it up to the counter. I just hate feeling like I'm bothering someone when I bring something up to their counter in hopes that they'll take my money for it, you know? That's what happens when you make the mistake of buying a $7000 triumph from a BMW dealership. That was a ton of money to me when I was a 20 years old college student, but I'm sure it was chump change compared to what they're used to seeing people put out for the bmws and ducatis they're usually selling, and I got pretty tired of the attitude I used to get from those guys. I'm cool with higher prices, less of a selection, whatever, but at least give me a smile when I come in to hand you my cash!

I also worked in a couple smaller bicycle shops as a mechanic when I was in school, so I'm used to the smaller shop kinda thing, but the guys who owned both were creeps, and didn't have the best habits when it came to treating people well, so I'm all for smaller shops, but you don't get a free pass for being a jerk just because you own a small shop.

All that being said, if someone dropped my bike but was nice enough it, I wouldn't have a problem going back. I just wasn't sure how much they really gave him off the price since I didn't know what the tire was worth. The last shop I used to get my tires changed at would want to charge you $30-40 to change a tire if you just brought your bike in and had them take off the wheel, so when he said he saved $20 for a tip over, it didn't sound like a whole lot to me. If it was a good discount then that's fair enough.

 

[Dinuns1]

im with you on the not being personable thats a huge part especially a smaller shop . im just saying dropping a bike is a big deal but they made good ,give em another shot .unless theres sumn he aint sayin

 

[Defender88]

I sat and watched them work on the bike and it just seemed like neither of them had a clue what they where doing, I mean it took them about 1 hour, two hammers and a saws all to get my bar end mirror off cause they stripped the screw.

 

[BPlass]

That would bother me quite a bit. I also have had a problem with small shops. I don't even really like discussing it, but I burned the free t-shirt they gave me. Don't go to Metro Motorcycle in Neenah, WI.

Anyway, bummer about your bike dude...at least they made it right.

 

[bardo688]

Iam 17 and I wish i could have lived in the Good ol days where a smile handshake and some good customer service went a long ways. Small shops make you wonder and worry but they do it for love (usually) and the big stealership is all about the $$$, but its got the name small people dont.

 

[TooFst]

Amen bardo688. My buddy runs a very little shop, he is the best mech. I've ever seen and their prices are super cheap. I personally wouldn't do anywhere else.

 

[dave_xb12r]

My local superbike shop quoted me $120 installed for the same tire. I went in and saw a Buell up on the rack, so I knew I was at the right place.

 

[bardo688]

If I have to go to HD I try to support the small ones but helping the lil guys who know what there doing and love doing it is the good ol way

 

[Defender88]

well seems like im getting the run around. my parts where supposed to be in tuesday, i tried calling about 4 times with no answer. i got a hold of someone Wednesday and they said they would call me once the mail ran and then never called back. same thing today. supposedly the package was over nighted but its been 5 days

 

[bardo688]

Go down and tear some ass through the sales and parts counters and to make it good roll up on a ricer.
I went through the same thing with Whitchita dealer. Told me the stock left side scoop doesnt exist..yet they had xb's on the floor. Called smaller dealer lil closer did exactly what they said they would.

 

[Defender88]

yea well this is a very small shop, the service department and sales and techs are all one. but they called me last night and said my stuff was in so here in a couple hours im going to head over and have it taken care of. i will update it after i get done