WORST bike shops

[Coyote]

For any bike purchase over 250cc (we don't have the margin avail on bikes under 250 to be able to do it).

Come and see me...I'd love to sell you all motorcycles!

Yes the coffee is shit...and hell...depending on how many Steinies I've had the night before, I may look and smell like shit (Steinie actually).

But I will treat you well.

Pete.

Wellington Motorcycles.

PS: Happy NY to you all!

He's great at humouring kids too

Someday when I have money, you'll hear from me. Someday...

[McJim]

If you like sales people crawling over you I suggest a visit to Malaysia, as soon as you walk in you are followed eveywhere....I prefer being left alone but have someone there who can answer my questions.
I saw a bike at Haldanes on the net, rang up an asked about a test ride, no probs.
Same for Botany Honda....and got a 160 km test down the coast.
I get good service at Cycletreads too.
Maybe its the grey hair....

Bah, it's not the hair - I had great service from Haldanes and I got looked after when buying a GSX750F from Botany. Cycletreads were always amazing people to deal with....and I don't have grey hair....oh no wait a minute....Yep - it must be the grey hair after all!

[_Shrek_]

I've been in a few bike shops over the years & the two best shops were yamaha in great nth rd Auckland 24years back (shit time flys) my wife & I walked in & looked around for about 15min found something we liked, I looked up & made eye contact with the sales guy, he acknowledged us & came over as soon as he was free (few min) long & short we brought the bike
I did ask him why he didn't come straight over when we first came in, his answer was, I didn't want to hassle you until you were ready "top bloke"

the 2nd one three years ago Street Sports Manchester st CHCH almost Identical to the top one must have gone to the same school or they just know how to treat customers

the worst Thunder Bikes Nelson these guys need to learn from the two above or get out of the bike buisness altogether

[Tone165]

I haven't read all the posts, but am keen to give a big plug to Cycletreads in Takapuna. Last trip over I had a tyre fitted and the guy that put it on did not reassemble the bike right, result a pannier fell off on the way home.

I replaced the missed bolt and sent an email on my nephews computer.

Didn't really expect much, but wanted to get it off my chest.

(Aussie bikeshops are also generally crapp service wise)

The same evening I got a reply, that the matter would be looked into.

The next day, I received an apology and a very significant refund on the tyre.

I was most impressed!!!!

Also the manager guy backed up his mechanic, which I have to respect!

I will definitely spend my $$ there again...

[monkey99]

I vote for Motomart in the hutt for the single worst service/cost/timeliness experience in my motorcyclin life!!

Did everything wrong & the service took 4.5 months..oh & they charged me $2k+ and still at the end of it could not tell me if the rings needed replacing or what kind of engine was in the bike.

Tragic experience & I hope they never do this to anyone else... ever!

[flyingcr250]

BEST bike shop i think is BOYD MOTORCYCLES in hamilton, the worst bike shop ive come across is hamilton motorcycles i waited at the counter for about 10 minutes before someone even looked at me. i still didnt get served, so i walked out, which is a shame because i had 11 grand in my pocket for a brand new kx250. dumb.

[FlangMasterJ]

I vote for Motomart in the hutt for the single worst service/cost/timeliness experience in my motorcyclin life!!

Did everything wrong & the service took 4.5 months..oh & they charged me $2k+ and still at the end of it could not tell me if the rings needed replacing or what kind of engine was in the bike.

Tragic experience & I hope they never do this to anyone else... ever!

Damn just realised this threads been going since 2004. I was thinking 'Wellington Motorcycles'? didn't they close like four years ago.

Seems like Motomart still hasn't up their game. When they were down on Hutt road they would ignore me. They have improved slightly since they've moved. Although I did go in their looking for a simple universal o-ring for my KTM. But nope "we don't sell KTM's sorry".


I do want commend AFC Motorcycles in Palmy for their awesome service and support. I've purchased four bikes off of them. They even bent over backwards when one of my bikes was stolen and the insurance company gave me the finger.

I highly recommend them.

[Sparky Bills]

I vote for Motomart in the hutt for the single worst service/cost/timeliness experience in my motorcyclin life!!

Did everything wrong & the service took 4.5 months..oh & they charged me $2k+ and still at the end of it could not tell me if the rings needed replacing or what kind of engine was in the bike.

Tragic experience & I hope they never do this to anyone else... ever!

Im sure theres MUCH more to the story than that mate...

Oh but thats not what this thread is all about is it. Its about telling half the story to make it sound so much worse.

Oh and we dont sell universal o-rings..... Try a SEAL SHOP for that. There are 2 in Lower hutt.
But once again its all about making shops look bad.
Someone call the WAAAAAA-Bulance! haha

[Crasherfromwayback]

Damn just realised this threads been going since 2004. I was thinking 'Wellington Motorcycles'? didn't they close like four years ago.

In actual fact Wellington Motorcycles have been trading for 35 years. I've been with them for the last 15. You cannae stay in business in the motorcycle industry for 35 years unless you're doing it right.

[FlangMasterJ]

In actual fact Wellington Motorcycles have been trading for 35 years. I've been with them for the last 15. You cannae stay in business in the motorcycle industry for 35 years unless you're doing it right.

Ah sorry. I meant Motorcycle City.

[Dodgyiti]

this thread is a golden oldie!
but a goodie.
people have good and bad days like all of us. that is why i cant deal with people and remain behind the scenes. how many times as a (car) mechanic i had to resist saying something like "you dickhead" to customers who - well think of every stupid thing you can do to f#ck something up and multiply that by 200.. then ask motu for another 200
the thread is valid and entertaining and i want to read more reasons why you nerds should learn to fix your own bikes if your not happy with the service you get
do a night school course, buy some decent tools or just ride a pushbike and be done with it

as for the sales and accessories side of the whinging, fair cop

mt eden gets my vote as good treatment. they treat me as good when i had spent $0 as now having spent $60,000+ with them

i have seen and overheard some really bad stuff in bike shops over the last 25years, or about how long this thread has been going


here's my one: went into well known auckland shop looking at 1000cc hondas second hand, they had a nice one in my price range. on close inspection the clutch cover was showing pink through the black engine paint. i tapped it with my finger nail- and it was bogged up with builders bog. pointed it out to helpfull sales jockey who responded 'oh gosh, thats no good, i will get that fixed properly straight away.
went in the followin friday and there was the bike back on the floor.
clutch cover looked mint, but the bolt heads were now black as well. tapped it with my finger nail again, yes you guessed it- a fresh coat of paint fixed that properly alright. and this shop has had more good than bad reps in this thread.

[Murray]

BEST bike shop i think is BOYD MOTORCYCLES in hamilton, the worst bike shop ive come across is hamilton motorcycles i waited at the counter for about 10 minutes before someone even looked at me. i still didnt get served, so i walked out, which is a shame because i had 11 grand in my pocket for a brand new kx250. dumb.

Another vote for Boyds - however went over to a shop very very close to it on the same side of the road and a new member of our wee riding group was walking out of it!! She has a brand new ninja 250 (300 kms) but unfortunately it really does not suit her height wise so shes looking to replace. Asked the "salesman" if he could tell her a bit about the honda250 for sale (not a Honda shop) and was told "what you see is what you get" and then he walked away. Went up with her to Boyds and they had just closed but saw us looking in the window and opened the door and asked if they could help and got her into the shop had her sitting on a couple of bikes to try out. This was before they even knew she was looking to change bikes. "Great Service me thinks"

[Cross Rider]

There are ok shops, poor shops and outrageously bad shops. As in any industry we need a leader to emerge and start realising that without a customer, their business will fail. Shops need to think about what would suit their customer more and less about what suits them. Maybe some of the larger car dealerships may invest in adding bikes to their business plan. I stll have not met a bike shop that wowed me enough to rave about it. I base this opinion not on one visit but on consistant good service over at least ten visits. By looking at it like this you can eliminate the, just having a bad or one good day judgement. Perhaps there is not enough money in bike shops to attract good operators.

[Dodgyiti]

Maybe its the grey hair....

you mean rest home blond eh?

[BigGuy]

I got dicked around by a bike sales guy at Wellington Motorcycles but I've heard he's always been like that. Even had my cash ready to buy a bike from him too - his loss.
Mike from Wellington M/C is real good. So it goes to show that even though you have a bad experience with someone from the company - not all of them give a bad experience.

I've had excellent service from Motorad.
I know the guys will greet me with a smile and nothing cant be obtained if I really want it.