buying/ordering gear in Toronto - not doing it anymore | GTAMotorcycle.com

buying/ordering gear in Toronto - not doing it anymore

_Motorhead_

_Motorhead_

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More of a general post here.

I've noticed a lot of people putting up posts about looking for specific gear "cant find".

I stopped buying most of my gear in Canada a few years ago (unless it's something I need right away). Sometimes the prices are totally out of whack with what's available in the US. Sometimes we can find specific vendors up here.

So, I buy online, and ship my stuff to CBI in Niagara Falls. Great service, only a few minutes from the Rainbow bridge.
 
I think that most of us here on this forum do that now.
Until Canadian prices come down to be on par with U.S prices I will continue to buy a lot of stuff from the U.S.
I just last week bought an electronic ignition conversion kit for my boat, the boat dealer near my place wanted $215 ,So I went online I got the same thing from U.S. for $69. no taxes or dutys shipped via USPS.
 
Yeah screw helping local businesses. They should help us first by selling decent priced gear.
 
yeah, if the price diff is minimal, ill buy local.

I bought 2x tires from Revzilla earlier this year and saved almost $70.
wtf?
 
US = more buying customers/buying power. Its basically like buying at costco but... MUCH BIGGER lol

CBI is awesome though :p
 
You just need to follow deals and know where to go...I saved around $50 on my helmet by going to Competition Cycle, (would've saved more if it wasn't special ordered) and GP Bikes has the Stryker vest at least 30 bucks cheaper than anyone else. Velocity just had a group buy on for pants...all in all I saved over $150, and kept it all local by taking 15 minutes out to search the forums and google.
 
Meh.. never been one to order things, even locally. Too impatient to have it shipped and do all that, plus wait.. I'm perfectly fine with paying more for something just for the convenience of not having to do any work at all. If something isn't on a store shelf in front of me and i can't have it right away, then i don't need it.. ;)
 
LePhillou said:
US = more buying customers/buying power. Its basically like buying at costco but... MUCH BIGGER lol

CBI is awesome though :p
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It's not exactly that ... we in Canada have a uniquely terrible system of a small number of distributors. They handle the vast majority of motorcycle vendors, they have warehouses of slow moving inventory, and it seems to work like a layer that's on top of the American distribution network. THEY are the reason why all/most accessory dealers are all consistently overpriced here, and for the time being they aren't going away.
 
I saved over $540 on a helmet purchase recently buying from the US...
And last month I saved almost $100 on 2 tires, again from the US...
When the savings are this large, it's hard to rationalize spending more just to stay local.
 
Gotta find deals like here http://www.shiftracing.ca/ or order via the net. Don't mind waiting on a good deal. Not only is Canadian stuff overpriced the availability and selection is a joke. Thank partscanada and motovan
 
TwistedKestrel said:
It's not exactly that ... we in Canada have a uniquely terrible system of a small number of distributors. They handle the vast majority of motorcycle vendors, they have warehouses of slow moving inventory, and it seems to work like a layer that's on top of the American distribution network. THEY are the reason why all/most accessory dealers are all consistently overpriced here, and for the time being they aren't going away.
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It's not just motorcycles or accessories either. I could offer my own customers more services, choices and better pricing if I could order directly from the US.

Though I can't vouch for everything they sell, Parker Brothers offers some pretty good pricing. Pretty much all my recent purchases were within $40 of American retailers. One buy in particular was actually LESS than buying used (closeout and promotion combined that I didn't see online).
 
Jayell said:
Would be interested in hearing the details on this one.
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I ordered from motorcyclesuperstore.com. Their closeout deals are unmatched by anyone else online IMO. Here's the exact helmet I bought:
http://www.motorcycle-superstore.co...-1R-Extreme-Double-Gray-Helmet-Closeouts.aspx

And here's a link to a look at their full-face, mens street helmets on closeout, sorted by 'best deal':
http://www.motorcycle-superstore.com/1/1/38/CDEPT/Street-Bike-Helmets-Mens-Riding-Gear-Closeouts.aspx#&&Back=0-1-30%2c905-5-0-0-0-24-6-1-0

Cheers :)
 
Anybody knows good shops maybe a 2-3hrs max from the Buffalo border ? I don't know how can I purchase gear without trying it on, and I know that I can go try it here in the store first and then order, but still...

Also, any recommendations for online vendors ? With who did you have good experiences ?
 
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malim said:
Anybody knows a good shops maybe a 2-3hrs max from the Buffalo border ? I don't how can I purchase gear without trying to on, and I know that I can go try it here in the store first and then order, but still...

Also, any recommendations for online vendors ? With who did you have good experiences ?
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RevZilla has had good reviews.

Their videos explain well the products and supposedly great after-sale customer service.

If you get to ship it to CBI (niagara) then you can get free shipping if its over 39$ and at the same time get some hooker/ripper action in Niagara to celebrate!
 
I saved over $3, 000 buying parts, gear, accessories over 2 1/2 years for my bike in the States and shipping it to CBI. Only time I buy local is if it's cheaper and it's rarely cheaper. Local wants my business, they lower their prices and they'll get it, every time.
 
Scary said:
I ordered from motorcyclesuperstore.com. Their closeout deals are unmatched by anyone else online IMO. Here's the exact helmet I bought:
http://www.motorcycle-superstore.co...-1R-Extreme-Double-Gray-Helmet-Closeouts.aspx

And here's a link to a look at their full-face, mens street helmets on closeout, sorted by 'best deal':
http://www.motorcycle-superstore.com/1/1/38/CDEPT/Street-Bike-Helmets-Mens-Riding-Gear-Closeouts.aspx#&&Back=0-1-30%2c905-5-0-0-0-24-6-1-0

Cheers :)
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Great, thanks.
 
TwistedKestrel said:
It's not exactly that ... we in Canada have a uniquely terrible system of a small number of distributors. They handle the vast majority of motorcycle vendors, they have warehouses of slow moving inventory, and it seems to work like a layer that's on top of the American distribution network. THEY are the reason why all/most accessory dealers are all consistently overpriced here, and for the time being they aren't going away.
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WOW...You have no clue what you're talking about. Our Gov't implies many import tariffs and duties to certain products like helmets and textiles that are not applicable to US Distributors which immediately raises the costs of goods coming into Canada. No one is gouging anyone, that's for sure, especially on third party products that distributors have to purchase from vendors all over the world.
 
I think you should consider that if you are traveling in Canada and you have a breakdown, it is always someone's local dealer that usually rises to the occasion and sometimes stays open late or even opens up for you on a holiday to bail you out. That is worth something. So I hope you at least purposely spend money on the other items you need from your local dealer.

But the gear and helmet issue is a double whammy for anyone who does shop locally, because now..not only are you possibly paying a bit more (and admittedly sometimes a lot more...as these are liabilities a dealer invests in by deciding to be a dealer in this country) but you are buying a product that someone else has sweat in, stretched, poked, prodded, coughed in etc and during the process left no small amount of greasy forehead on the helmet, pet hair etc cuz the USA shoppers first went to their local dlr to determine what frig size they need! :angry1:
 
nesobriquet said:
I think you should consider that if you are traveling in Canada and you have a breakdown, it is always someone's local dealer that usually rises to the occasion and sometimes stays open late or even opens up for you on a holiday to bail you out. That is worth something. So I hope you at least purposely spend money on the other items you need from your local dealer.

But the gear and helmet issue is a double whammy for anyone who does shop locally, because now..not only are you possibly paying a bit more (and admittedly sometimes a lot more...as these are liabilities a dealer invests in by deciding to be a dealer in this country) but you are buying a product that someone else has sweat in, stretched, poked, prodded, coughed in etc and during the process left no small amount of greasy forehead on the helmet, pet hair etc cuz the USA shoppers first went to their local dlr to determine what frig size they need! :angry1:
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Agreed, but why are you whispering???
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