Are you old enough to remember these motorcycle shops in To? | Page 8 | GTAMotorcycle.com

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

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This is probably never going to happen but I 'd love to see some bright MBA student do a comprehensive business case review of the motorcycle industry in Canada vs. USA including;

* New bike pricing and markup - Currently, given the $ exchange, most new motorcycles are cheaper here than in the U.S.

* OEM parts and service pricing and margins - OEM parts (see above), labour at most dealerships runs around $100/hr. so that's what $75 US ?
Margins - a lot depends on your purchasing power, the more you buy the greater volume discounts you get and savings in freight charges.

* Aftermarket parts/tires pricing and margins, including the role and impact on the industry of Motovan and Parts Canada. - if anything, the big aftermarket guys have helped keep prices down (I think), although I don't have any hard evidence to back that up. What they have done for sure is make it lot easier to source non-oem stuff for all the 20, 30 and 40 year old bikes still out there running around.

* Impact of e-commerce and end users ordering OEM and aftermarket parts/tires directly from the US - maybe it was worth it when the CDN $ was higher, now by the time you pay exchange, shipping and brokers' fees its tough to justify.

Please understand, these are just my opinions - certainly its not the dealer making the killings, if it was there'd be more of them.
With the advent of world e-commerce its a lot easier to find obscure stuff than it used to be, and that's a good thing (IMO)....
 
Malks said:
Can't remember exactly when but it was on the north side of Steeles Avenue, just west of Yonge Street. I think it was there until the mid-80's
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busabim said:
Cycle world north became mercedes i think in that location. ah the good ole daze.... Had a flat nearby on my FZ 750 front tire , and they swapped it right away. Pirelli mt 28 comes to mind, pre radial days.

Bb
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Before my time then. I do remember the Mercedes on Steeles.
 
The sticker on the back of my GT750...

Sonic. I was too young but my brother bought this bike there.
 

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Re: The sticker on the back of my GT750...

Ok. Here's one nobody here will remember.
Clauson Cycle. Hwy 3. Port Colborne.
Sold Ossa. Husky. Suzuki.
 
Re: The sticker on the back of my GT750...

I scanned a couple of photos from 1987 - Hurst Yamaha on Queensway had a 'stuntman' doing burnouts on a FZ750X Fazer. Later on did some jumps (on a XT600 I think).

Hurst%20Yamaha%201%201987_zpsu2cbndlb.jpg



Hurst%20Yamaha%202%201987_zpskbsjwgcn.jpg
 
Re: The sticker on the back of my GT750...

Co-incidentally, a couple of years later, I ended up buying a new-old-stock '87 Fazer from Cycle World West.

1987%20Yamaha%20FZ750X%20Fazer%202_zpsqc6tmwli.jpg
 
Re: The sticker on the back of my GT750...

Yup. Remember most of these. Bought my first lid from Carl at CycleWorld in Scarborough, first bike from McBride, and then used to frequent Jamie at 55 Degreez.
 
Re: The sticker on the back of my GT750...

used to live near Ontario Honda. had my Yamaha RZ500 serviced there once in the late 80s..
 
Re: The sticker on the back of my GT750...

Whatever happened to Gordon Stafford of GS Racing in Etobicoke?
 
meester_jamie said:
my avatar RoadKing came from Cycle World East.
my first bike came from scarboro,, is that considered part of this thread?
can you tell the model of bike from the photo.. and do you have any info about the dealer?
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Saw this in the paper on the weekend.
Surprised there was no specific mention of motorcycles.
http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/thestar/obituary.aspx?n=richard-hiroyuki-arai-dick&pid=185465489

Dick's Sales and Service on Kingston rd.
 
Re: The sticker on the back of my GT750...

Wingboy said:
Whatever happened to Gordon Stafford of GS Racing in Etobicoke?
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The Stafford family owned Stafford Farms & Foods, he likely went back to work for them.
When he and his brother had Stafford Motion in Woodbridge I hung out there.
 
Re: The sticker on the back of my GT750...

I bought my first bike from McBride, 2000 Honda CBR 600 F4.. sold it 7 years ago and regret it.
IMG_4551.JPG
 
Re: The sticker on the back of my GT750...

I tried to buy a bike from McBride's, but the salesman kept trying to upsell me, so I ended up getting a used bike from Ontario Cycle Salvage instead. I did get some gear there later on.
 
Re: The sticker on the back of my GT750...

Baggsy said:
I tried to buy a bike from McBride's, but the salesman kept trying to upsell me, so I ended up getting a used bike from Ontario Cycle Salvage instead. I did get some gear there later on.
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You met John McBride. Aren't you lucky.

Who remembers NoPa Yamaha in Port Credit? (my first sponsor. I raced a Kawi S3... for a Yamaha dealer) or Reg Rodair's in Oakville? Reg used to sponsor the Anderson brothers, Clint and Lance, on Huskies. They were both about 6'6" tall and all knees and elbows, but boy were they FAST!
 
busabim said:
Ah remember the day when you could go to yonge/davisville for bike parts at Canada cycle sports? Or GP cycle on O'connor? Cycle World East + West!!
Competition wheels on Ellesmere? I heard Steve Crover died years ago .

The only original shop left is Snow City cycle...

bike%20keys.jpg


BB
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I recall all these places.
Left my wallet at GP Cycles once.
Steve Crover and his team at Competition Wheels/Cycle Crafts rebuilt the engine in my kz650 I still ride.
Cycle World on Yonge and Davisville was a great spot.
Good days.
 
Re: The sticker on the back of my GT750...

Baggsy said:
I tried to buy a bike from McBride's, but the salesman kept trying to upsell me, so I ended up getting a used bike from Ontario Cycle Salvage instead. I did get some gear there later on.
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It's rather unsurprising that some shops are gone. I lived 5 minutes from Brampton Cycle. Bought my first bike there. Last bike that I bought from them. They didn't abide by the quote I received two weeks prior, saying that it was a 'limited time offer.' once went in there to buy a $200.00 pair of gloves. Stood at the counter for 15 minutes while everyone in the place snuck looks in my direction, but no one bothered to come over. Went in with ddusseld, who had a pocket full of cash, and wanted to buy a Duc. The negotiation process was the sales guy laughing when D tried to negotiate a price. Obviously no sale, purely due to attitude.
 
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Re: The sticker on the back of my GT750...

I remember that. Cash sale. It was if they were doing me a favor by selling me a bike. Always seemed like a place that did not really want your business...

Rob MacLennan said:
It's rather unsurprising that some shops are gone. I lived 5 minutes from Brampton Cycle. Bought my first bike there. Last bike that I bought from them. They didn't abide by the quote I received two weeks prior, saying that it was a 'limited time offer.' once went in there to buy a $200.00 pair of gloves. Stood at the counter for 15 minutes while everyone in the place snuck looks in my direction, but no one bothered to come over. Went in with ddusseld, who had a pocket full of cash, and wanted to buy a Duc. The negotiation process was the sales guy laughing when D tried to negotiate a price. Obviously no sale, purely due to attitude.
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Re: The sticker on the back of my GT750...

ddusseld said:
I remember that. Cash sale. It was if they were doing me a favor by selling me a bike. Always seemed like a place that did not really want your business...
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All high on their own farts after selling a couple of bikes to David Cronenberg. It's why I went a half hour away to deal with Cycle World West instead of them, until........ The Incident.
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