2wheelallday
Member
Just wanted to report on my experience at Good Wheel Motors. (sorry, this is a LONG one, but that's how I write)
---PROLOGUE (in green)---
My M2 is expiring in a couple months, and as I don't have a bike at the time, I was looking to buy one for the test (I'm going to be selling it after, mid-season).
I decided that a Ninja 250R would probably be the most efficient way to do this - since I didn't ride in years (it'll be easier to re-learn everything), and it's also an easy bike to sell. I already have all my gear, so all I needed was a bike.
I work 7 days a week, every week, and taking a day off isn't an option. So I'm always on the run - with only some, limited time available after 5pm. Which is why I decided to not buy privately, but go with an OMVIC-registered dealer/store. I was hunting for a Ninja 250r using internet and phone exclusively. While I found one (2011, black) at GP Bikes - I was 1 day late, and it was sold before I got to it. Then I found the one at Performance Cycle in Cambridge (2011, blue) - and I did try to drive there one day (I even left work 30 min early), but 2 hours into it - it was already 5:55pm (they close at 6pm), and I have only passed Brampton (driving out of Financial District in the afternoon on a weekday is a nightmare = dumb idea). So I simply wouldn't be able to make it there, although the blue Ninja did look nice.
So I needed something WITHIN GTA. Better yet, within a 2 hour drive from Bay & Gardiner (during rush hour!). I have been to Kahuna about 4 years ago, and had a bad experience (not to say I'm against them - it was 1 individual's deed only), so I just didn't feel like going there again. Still, regardless of that experience, I'm always cautious and careful when it comes to getting a vehicle (I also had a bad experience buying from a private seller). Regardless where you buy - you gotta do your homework! I considered SnowCity (heard only good things), but they didn't have a Ninja I wanted. Finally I find out that there is Good Wheel - by discovering that they listed a black 2011 Ninja 250r (on autotrader). I didn't have time to research much on their shop, other than the few pages in google and the thread that already exists here. Noone had anything bad to say about them, so I decided to go see what they got.
I'm glad to say I wasn't disappointed! They are very straightforward, reliable, and easy to deal with.
I got to their shop on 17 Tangiers on a Friday afternoon, only 8 minutes before they close (5:52pm) - thanks to pouring rain effectively making the traffic worse. They weren't expecting me either (I never called ahead to let them know I'm gonna drop by). Despite that, Bram was real easygoing and reassured me that there's absolutely no rush - he told me to take all the time I need to look at / inspect any and all bikes I was interested in. Still, I didn't want to keep them there all night, so I skipped through their inventory (they have A LOT of bikes - I wish had the time to check out at least a few others!) and went straight to the 2011 Ninja 250r to inspect it thoroughly. I didn't test ride it due to weather, but I took my time and tested / inspected just about everything you can while at a standstill. The bike has been on the road (and it has been dropped), but the condition at the time I inspected it was very good. Chain was maintained well (clean, lubed up, and no rust), front end looked and felt (suspension-wise) like new. All fluids were topped up, and the tires were in a good condition as well (and not too old either). So on and so forth, I told Bram and Alex right there that I'm buying the bike (cash in hand). We sat down in their office, and all business was taken care of within minutes. I didn't have insurance yet, so we decided that I'd call them the next morning with my policy #, and pick up the bike once they get me plates for it (I would normally do this myself, but I couldn't take more than 1 hour off work - so I was happy to let them get my plates). Next morning, I called them around 11:30am with my new policy #. These guys are lightning fast, because by 1pm they told me to come and pick up my bike. I came right over, and my Ninja was plated and ready to go, with a full tank of gas. Double thanks to them for not warming up the engine before I got there, because I wanted to witness how well the bike behaves from a cold start (this was going to be my first ride on it). Alex and Boris personally double-checked the tire pressure in both tires right in front of me, and that Saturday was real cold again (winchill made it worse too). I have since put just over 150 km on the bike - mostly city riding, and about 30% on the highway (today is my 3rd day riding this bike - and it held up extremely well in 30 minutes of rain too). The transmission feels and shifts clean, and the gearing is of course stock (I might go ahead and change out the front 14 to a 15-tooth sprocket to make the First gear a little more useful), but at just under 10,000 kms (this is a Canadian model) - this bike rides and feels almost new in every aspect. Having been on it, and having inspected it - I'm happy to say that this Ninja was taken care of, whoever had the pleasure / duty of breaking it in.
Thanks again to Bram, Alex, and Boris for being professional, straightforward, and reliable - these guys definitely know what they are doing! That's not something I see often here in Ontario at all (unfortunately). I'll be back again one day (unfortunately, not too soon) for a bigger bike, that's for sure. It's good to know another reliable place to buy a bike from, especially in a city like Toronto (very limited options, relatively speaking - if you've seen the availability and variety of bike markets in New York, or Miami).
---PROLOGUE (in green)---
My M2 is expiring in a couple months, and as I don't have a bike at the time, I was looking to buy one for the test (I'm going to be selling it after, mid-season).
I decided that a Ninja 250R would probably be the most efficient way to do this - since I didn't ride in years (it'll be easier to re-learn everything), and it's also an easy bike to sell. I already have all my gear, so all I needed was a bike.
I work 7 days a week, every week, and taking a day off isn't an option. So I'm always on the run - with only some, limited time available after 5pm. Which is why I decided to not buy privately, but go with an OMVIC-registered dealer/store. I was hunting for a Ninja 250r using internet and phone exclusively. While I found one (2011, black) at GP Bikes - I was 1 day late, and it was sold before I got to it. Then I found the one at Performance Cycle in Cambridge (2011, blue) - and I did try to drive there one day (I even left work 30 min early), but 2 hours into it - it was already 5:55pm (they close at 6pm), and I have only passed Brampton (driving out of Financial District in the afternoon on a weekday is a nightmare = dumb idea). So I simply wouldn't be able to make it there, although the blue Ninja did look nice.
So I needed something WITHIN GTA. Better yet, within a 2 hour drive from Bay & Gardiner (during rush hour!). I have been to Kahuna about 4 years ago, and had a bad experience (not to say I'm against them - it was 1 individual's deed only), so I just didn't feel like going there again. Still, regardless of that experience, I'm always cautious and careful when it comes to getting a vehicle (I also had a bad experience buying from a private seller). Regardless where you buy - you gotta do your homework! I considered SnowCity (heard only good things), but they didn't have a Ninja I wanted. Finally I find out that there is Good Wheel - by discovering that they listed a black 2011 Ninja 250r (on autotrader). I didn't have time to research much on their shop, other than the few pages in google and the thread that already exists here. Noone had anything bad to say about them, so I decided to go see what they got.
I'm glad to say I wasn't disappointed! They are very straightforward, reliable, and easy to deal with.
I got to their shop on 17 Tangiers on a Friday afternoon, only 8 minutes before they close (5:52pm) - thanks to pouring rain effectively making the traffic worse. They weren't expecting me either (I never called ahead to let them know I'm gonna drop by). Despite that, Bram was real easygoing and reassured me that there's absolutely no rush - he told me to take all the time I need to look at / inspect any and all bikes I was interested in. Still, I didn't want to keep them there all night, so I skipped through their inventory (they have A LOT of bikes - I wish had the time to check out at least a few others!) and went straight to the 2011 Ninja 250r to inspect it thoroughly. I didn't test ride it due to weather, but I took my time and tested / inspected just about everything you can while at a standstill. The bike has been on the road (and it has been dropped), but the condition at the time I inspected it was very good. Chain was maintained well (clean, lubed up, and no rust), front end looked and felt (suspension-wise) like new. All fluids were topped up, and the tires were in a good condition as well (and not too old either). So on and so forth, I told Bram and Alex right there that I'm buying the bike (cash in hand). We sat down in their office, and all business was taken care of within minutes. I didn't have insurance yet, so we decided that I'd call them the next morning with my policy #, and pick up the bike once they get me plates for it (I would normally do this myself, but I couldn't take more than 1 hour off work - so I was happy to let them get my plates). Next morning, I called them around 11:30am with my new policy #. These guys are lightning fast, because by 1pm they told me to come and pick up my bike. I came right over, and my Ninja was plated and ready to go, with a full tank of gas. Double thanks to them for not warming up the engine before I got there, because I wanted to witness how well the bike behaves from a cold start (this was going to be my first ride on it). Alex and Boris personally double-checked the tire pressure in both tires right in front of me, and that Saturday was real cold again (winchill made it worse too). I have since put just over 150 km on the bike - mostly city riding, and about 30% on the highway (today is my 3rd day riding this bike - and it held up extremely well in 30 minutes of rain too). The transmission feels and shifts clean, and the gearing is of course stock (I might go ahead and change out the front 14 to a 15-tooth sprocket to make the First gear a little more useful), but at just under 10,000 kms (this is a Canadian model) - this bike rides and feels almost new in every aspect. Having been on it, and having inspected it - I'm happy to say that this Ninja was taken care of, whoever had the pleasure / duty of breaking it in.
Thanks again to Bram, Alex, and Boris for being professional, straightforward, and reliable - these guys definitely know what they are doing! That's not something I see often here in Ontario at all (unfortunately). I'll be back again one day (unfortunately, not too soon) for a bigger bike, that's for sure. It's good to know another reliable place to buy a bike from, especially in a city like Toronto (very limited options, relatively speaking - if you've seen the availability and variety of bike markets in New York, or Miami).
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