The Bay Area's Best Motorcycle Dealers

OK, let's just start with the disclaimer; my "Bay Area's Best" is biased, subjective, unscientific, uncertified, and purely the product of one man's opinion..........mine. That is not to say it doesn't have merit, or is necessarily inaccurate, mind you. After all, I've been toiling away in retail since I was seventeen years old, the last twenty or so years in the motorcycle industry. I've had the privilege of leading the marketing and merchandising team that built the first successful national chain of motorcycle clothing and accessories stores in the country.

Part of my gig entailed doing field research, looking at our potential competition in a given market..........and trust me, I've been subjected to the very best, and the very worst of what passes for customer service both at OE dealerships and independent shops. At last count I had personally visited over 100 Harley Davidson dealerships.......I'll bet there's quite a few marketing folks in Milwaukee that haven't seen as many.

So what's my criteria for making the list? Simple, do it right. And do it right in every aspect of the business, every time a customer, or potential customer comes in contact with the staff, how satisfactory is the experience? Are the folks in the business genuine? Motorcycling is a passionate pursuit......we all know that. When I'm in a dealership, or a store, I want to know that the staff "gets me", that they share the same passion for the sport as I do. You can't train that enthusiasm, it's there, or it's not. Nothing puts off a real rider more than a poser........you know, that mall store refuge that's a "great salesman", but doesn't know crap about a motorcycle. There ought to be a law..........

So enough about criteria, who the hell made the 2010 list for cryin' out loud? Thankfully for those of you that have toughed it out this far, there are only two. Cue the flugelhorn...........

McGuire Harley Davidson, www.mcguire-hd.com. Quite simply, if you live anywhere in northern California, and you're thinking about buying a Harley, you'd be nuts not to give them first shot at your business. Mike McGuire is the real deal, not some idiot dentist (my sincere apologies to all the Dr. Painless types out there) that made a few bucks and thought...."motorcycles are cool, think I'll buy me a dealership". No way. Mike's a riders rider. Want proof? How about scoring in the top ten in the Hoka Hey Challenge........it's a little cross country race from Key West Florida to Homer Alaska!! Oh, and for good measure, Mike rode out to Florida to start the ordeal, and home again from Alaska for a total of somewhere around 18,000 miles! That's top ten in an event with over 700 participants......

Mike's enthusiasm for riding and all things Harley resonates throughout the business. From Brady, Rich, Dave, Harry, and the rest of the crew in Service, I've yet to find a better, more competent tech staff. I know this personally, as they've handled all the mechanical "this and that" on my Harley's for years; whether it's been recall issues, big bore kit installs, or routine maintenance, these guys get it right, the first time, every time. And for me, that's huge. Bonus, they're friendly as well.........not always a common trait in the more mechanically inclined among us. Come on, you know it's true.

Same story in Parts; John, Dave and crew have truly scary levels of knowledge and are more than willing to share it. And the best thing about that? Once they've divined what it is you need, nine times out of ten they've got the part in stock. Huge again.

While McGuire's doesn't have the biggest Motorclothes department, what they do stock is right on the money, and Shannon and Rene will get you fitted up, and I guarantee you'll have a blast the entire time. Just don't try and wear that hoodie a little too tight to show off those guns...........Shannon isn't having any of it!

Does McGuire's have the largest Harley Davidson selection in northern California? No. And it simply doesn't matter because Steve, Ryan, Kevin and Shaun (hope I spelled that last one right, sorry buddy) will find what you need pronto should it not be in stock. And they'll do it in a low key, zero pressure environment.......there's none of that shady "used car lot" crap at McGuire's. Never has been. Just straight up, fair pricing and a sincere desire to take care of the customer. It just doesn't get any better..........and yes, in the interest of total disclosure, I have purchased a couple of bikes from Mike and company, why the hell would I recommend someone I wouldn't buy from!?! Jeez.........Oh, and one last thing, Mike owns another shop, Devil Mountain, in Pittsburg, and while I haven't been a frequent customer, they've got it going on there too...........it's Mike's store after all.

Ace Motorsports, www.eastbayace.com. You need to get over to Ace right this minute, if for no other reason than to check out one of the coolest, most well designed dealerships in California. Seriously, it ain't big, but it's smooth.........they've even got a lounge just to chill out in and BS about motorcycles, or whatever. Oh yeah, they get it. Ace sells Ducati, Triumph and KTM and always has a pretty robust stock on hand.

Jim, Ace's GM, is a force of nature, the dude is certifiable.........truly crazed, and that's what makes the place great, there's an energy at Ace that I've found nowhere else. It's young, it's fast, and it's professional. From Jim (different guy) in Parts to the crew in Service these folks are the real deal. They love motorcycles and they love riding........simple as that.

True story, a couple of years ago the Ducati road show was at Ace for a demo ride weekend. My buddy and I rode down to ogle all the new models and maybe catch a ride (or two) on the freshest two wheel sex from Duc. I had a real "need" to experience a 1098........oh baby. Imagine my utter depression when the shiny face from corporate Ducati informs me that some clown in Oregon (figures) wadded their only 1098 just last week. No ride. Frown.

Just when I thought I 'd have to console myself with a consolation putt on a "lowly" Monster, in steps Jim. "No worries" he says, and promptly pulls a just out of the crate 1098S and says, "have a blast!" Holy crap.......if I ball this machine up, it's on him, it's on Ace, not DNA. That was huge.........I was sold on the joint right then and there. My first Duc is coming from Ace; and my second, and my third.........hey a guy can dream.

Not sold? How about this........get done with a day of riding at Carnegie SVRA, my KTM's running like crap, which lead to a crash that broke my hand.....just one of them days. Anyhow, frustrated and in a fair amount of pain, we stop by Ace on the way home. I wanted to talk to the lads in Service about the bike's mechanical "issues" to see if they could offer up some solutions. They did way more than that. The unloaded my bike (broken mit remember), took off the tank, and looked at the carb. Turns out the pilot jet was clogged up solid. They took it out, cleaned it, put my rig back together and.......and that was it. "Oh, there's no charge, glad we could help you out" Say what!?

But that's how they do it at Ace, and no, I didn't buy my KTM there, although I wish I had, nor have I purchased any motorcycles from them, they were just helping out a fellow rider. That's all........simple in task, but massive in impact. If I were purchasing a Ducati, KTM or Triumph, why would I go anywhere else? Short answer, I wouldn't. These guys have got it going on.

That's it dear "Chromies".......my picks for the Best of the Bay Area. Think I'm whack, got some of your own? Let me hear it.........we're all big boys (and girls) gimme your picks.......