Are you old enough to remember these motorcycle shops in To? | Page 5 | GTAMotorcycle.com

Are you old enough to remember these motorcycle shops in To?

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The decline in motorcycle shops relates to the decline in bricks and mortar in general if you read my post carefully bitzz.
I know Rick from his Ontario Honda days as well. sadly, I think he is gone as well.

Customer service alone will not save a B & M store without a very well thought out vision with constant refinement as the market matures...

BB
 
busabim said:
The decline in motorcycle shops relates to the decline in bricks and mortar in general if you read my post carefully bitzz.
I know Rick from his Ontario Honda days as well. sadly, I think he is gone as well.

Customer service alone will not save a B & M store without a very well thought out vision with constant refinement as the market matures...

BB
Click to expand...

Can't really say that I've heard complaints about GP Bikes, as an example, and when I've been there the staff members I've dealt with have been knowledgeable, and the selection of gear is good. I would say that it's the model that's working, for brick and mortar. Go big, provide good service, and have a good selection of product that customers can paw through. Maybe the little motorcycle shop model is dead and the Big Box Store is the way to go?
 
Rob

"Customer service alone will not save a B & M store without a very well thought out vision with constant refinement as the market matures..."

What you are commenting on has been the trend in retail for more than 20 years and motorcycle shops have been forced to adopt a similar model or vanish...
 
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Ricky Andrews was a "God". When I was young and foolish he helped me turn a sensible 1981 Honda 750f into a snarling almost unrideable beast. He had all the parts, Calfab swing arms , all the Yosh,Moriwaki go fast stuff you could eat. If he couldn't get it for you, they'd make it in their machine shop. Scotty and Bill out front arguing and generally being just great parts guys. If you were lucky you could catch Mendelson Joe hanging out, what a great shop, I really miss Ontario Honda. Does anybody remember the parts guy at Gunter's? The guy was hilarious. Another great guy from Scar. was John Cornell, small shop near where Donnie Petersen's shop is now. If you knew them (I used to race motocross for them) Sonic Motorcycles was a good shop, Bill Sharpless was a decent guy. Too bad all the good guys appear to be gone.
 
I miss Ontario Honda the most. Murray was a crusty owner and Scotty was pretty crabby most of the time. It was a small shop with bikes on the main floor as you walked in and parts/service was half a flight down. Never managed to buy a bike from them though.

Scotty went to Yamaha Canada , not sure if he is still there.

Bill Tomlin works at cycle world east in the back if you want to see him for John Pugh (who owns the store now).

It was a small shop but Rick was the backbone and part owner with Murray. It was a more casual time for sure.

Murray sold out to the developers about 10 years ago. I think Rick was gone ( passed) by then.

BB
 
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Rob MacLennan said:
Can't really say that I've heard complaints about GP Bikes, as an example, and when I've been there the staff members I've dealt with have been knowledgeable, and the selection of gear is good. I would say that it's the model that's working, for brick and mortar. Go big, provide good service, and have a good selection of product that customers can paw through. Maybe the little motorcycle shop model is dead and the Big Box Store is the way to go?
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Rob, you are forgetting a very well organized eComm business that GP has built to supplement their B&M. GP is doing a lot of things right and while there is always room for improvement (I work with retailers on in-store experiences for a living), they are certainly leading the way.
 
gqelements said:
Rob, you are forgetting a very well organized eComm business that GP has built to supplement their B&M. GP is doing a lot of things right and while there is always room for improvement (I work with retailers on in-store experiences for a living), they are certainly leading the way.
Click to expand...

Nope, didn't forget that at all. Royal is doing much the same thing too. Thing is that the rather large building and the amount of stock that they have quite handily facilitates the online business. Those who fail to evolve, die.
 
What about Sonic on Eglinton at Midland? The Sharpless family was awesome, and Toni was the hottest lady motorcycle racer ever!
l
 
I'm really enjoying this thread Guys.
The Cycle Canada link was really fun too!
At work today, I was kinda thinking about it from a different point of view....
Shops that I have worked at which are no longer around:
-Pedro's MC
-West End Cycle
-Powersports Specialties
-Brampton Cycle
-McBrides
-Cycle World
-C&C Cycle
-Deliverance
-Motorcycle Superstore
-and now Kahuna :/
 
fiddleguy said:
I'm really enjoying this thread Guys.
The Cycle Canada link was really fun too!
At work today, I was kinda thinking about it from a different point of view....
Shops that I have worked at which are no longer around:
-Pedro's MC
-West End Cycle
-Powersports Specialties
-Brampton Cycle
-McBrides
-Cycle World
-C&C Cycle
-Deliverance
-Motorcycle Superstore
-and now Kahuna :/
Click to expand...

And there goes another tech that I'd want to have working on my bike, especially given all the work you've put into the project bike. You must know the ER650 series upside down and sideways. Are you over at Snow City now?
 
fiddleguy said:
I'm really enjoying this thread Guys.
The Cycle Canada link was really fun too!
At work today, I was kinda thinking about it from a different point of view....
Shops that I have worked at which are no longer around:
-Pedro's MC
-West End Cycle
-Powersports Specialties
-Brampton Cycle
-McBrides
-Cycle World
-C&C Cycle
-Deliverance
-Motorcycle Superstore
-and now Kahuna :/
Click to expand...

And why are none of them around anymore? Poor management and NO vision...... and poor CS as well.... And many of them owned their property as well....

BB
 
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fiddleguy,

If you cant be sure at Snow city , where can you be? They have been in business since early 70s. See you next week for a demo ride.

BB
 
Nelson Honda,Rodon sports,Ernie whites,sonic motorcle,the Shop,Ken kerrs,Bar hodges super centre boy am I ever old
 
My favourite sex on Mike Duff is still male. I guess I'm a bit of a traditionalist.
 
basmn said:
incorrect... Hindle has his first motorcycle repair shop on Dundas st west just north of Annette st. At the time I believe he was racing in the superbike class and his nick was SPINDLE HINDLE... because he crashed so often. He started his exhaust business after that at his home in Scarborough......
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it was 2605 dundas,and with his skill I believe I Had the fastest Z1 on the street in TO was never beaten in a street race until I met Art Robbins
 
Ah the memories:) Had the pleasure of watching Art Robbins consume 1/2 dozen beers @ turn 9 Mosport couple/3? years ago. Of course I was only there for an hour.
 
The Shop at Markham and Eglinton had a mechanic called"john tinker" specialized in polish and porting 500 Kawasakis it was called a Tinker Tune , don't know how I ever survived that era
 
I remember a dealer on the south side of Davenport (I think) around 1972. They sold Kawasaki and Ducati,I was looking for my first bike and checked out the new Kawasaki 350 triple and the Ducati singles..350 also. Anybody recall them? BTW I ended up getting a `73 Honda 350/4 from Nelsons on Queen.
 
AFJ said:
When I was looking to buy my first motorcycle, I went to McBride's at 69 Queen St. East in what had been the old Planet bicycle factory. I ended up not buying from them - a new (old stock) Royal Enfield Clipper 250 being quite a bit more than I could afford - but I remember the elderly man who was the salesman, and who tried valiantly to convince me to buy a bike on time payments. It was Percy A. McBride himself, who had started the business as a bicycle/sporting goods retailer in Toronto in 1909. This would have been in late 1957. I later knew his son Martin and his wife and their son John, of course. Old Percy had made himself a millionaire by the time of the 1929 Depression by selling on credit - which he financed himself - no bank or credit company involved.
........
AFJ
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Also bought my first bike at McBride's in 1976 but when they were located at the last location on Dundas St. W. I was spooked and a bit hesitant because the salesman was in a wheelchair, I think his name was John. Bought the bike anyway but sold it a year later after 3 close calls (like baseball, three strikes and you are out).

Fast forward to 2004 and my son buys a GSXR, but then shortly after shutdown with ~100 years in business. The son's/grandson's passion is not necessarily the father's passion.

Don't really understand how Percy McBride could have became wealthy from personally financing his sales because in the depression people stop paying their finance charges, the bikes are repossessed and there is no market for those seized bikes? If anything he would have gone broke.
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