Charlie’s Place has been operating for two decades, offering motorcycle restoration, customization, and upgrades. The Glendale, CA-based business specializes in vintage Hondas and boasts its deep respect for authenticity. Models serviced include Café Racers, 450 Twins, CB750s, and much more. The owner Charlie O’Hanlon of Charlie’s Place has a deep passion for vintage Hondas.
Five Star Motorcycles does full-service motorcycle repair in Cerritos, CA. Garage services include brake and light inspection, paint jobs, accident assessments, frame gauging, tire service, winter storage, parking, replacement parts, and more. The staff speaks Spanish and hosts a variety of biker events and excursions.
Garage Company has been serving customers for nearly three decades. The business has been located n Inglewood, CA since 2010 and provides custom bikes, motorcycle services, and parts to customers. The business services all motorcycle makes such as Yamaha, Honda, Suzuki, Ducati, Triumph, Harley Davidson, and more. Clients can come in for tune ups, tires, brakes, engine rebuilds, and completely custom builds, and well as other necessary maintenance. Garage Company has been featured in Street Chopper Magazine.
Hi Pro Motors offers motorcycle maintenance and repair in Woodland Hills, CA. Services include safety analysis, drivability problems, tune-ups, oil changes, tires, brake repair, steering and suspensions, fuel system mapping, custom fabrication, and more. The team can service all makes and models of sport, track, cruiser, off-road, ATV, and scooter. Hi Pro Motors has a five-star rating on Yelp and satisfied customers praise the expert staff.
Metrik Moto is a motorcycle repair shop located in Culver City doing maintenance and custom upgrades and modifications. Factory trained technicians can service Yamaha, Ducati, Honda, Kawasaki, BMW, KTM, Suzuki, and Aprilia. Basic services include tire repair, tire replacement, aftermarket exhaust, and suspension set up. Metrik Moto also promises competitive prices on all parts. The business specializes in race prepping for street bikes, supermotos, and dirt bikes.
Moto Republic is a Los Angeles Motorcycle Repair shop. The unique shop specializes in BMW, Ducati, Moto Guzzi, and Triumph. In addition to servicing popular makes, Moto Republic offers classes, workshops, and rents out workstations where bike owners can work on their bikes for themselves. Workstations include a motorcycle lift, workbench, and Metric or SAE tools. Overnight service is also available at Moto Republic.
Motorcycle Tire Center provides motorcycle repairs on a wide variety of makes in Orange California. Harley-Davidson Motorcycles, Metric cruisers, Japanese and Italian sports bikes, touring motorcycles, dirt/offroad bikes, quads, ATVs and UTVs are all serviced. Certain brands of mopeds and scooters can also be repaired. The team can undertake motorcycle maintenance, tire changes, brake service, motorcycle performance tuning, upgrades, and visual enhancements. Motorcycle Tire Center also carries a vast selection of tires in many major brands, sizes, and tread patterns.
New Century BMW Motorcycles is an Alhambra, CA motorcycle dealership and repair shop. With an online store and showroom, the business provides a number of new and used BMW motorcycles and scooters for sale. BMW services and parts are also available. New Century BMW can help with financing and offers monthly service specials.
RPM – Attack Motorcycles is a Glendale, CA full-service motorcycle repair shop. Offered services include oil and fluid change, tire change, brake service, battery replacement, carb rebuilds, custom fenders, and more. The business also provides OEM and Aftermarket Parts. RPM – Attack Motorcycles is considered an authorized dealer for Parts Unlimited and Western Power. The business also works on Harley Davidsons using Genuine James Gaskets. Happy customers praise the excellent customer service.
Valdi’s Motozone offers BMW motorcycle repairs in the South Bay. The full-service repair shop offers "while you wait," pick up, and delivery services for any and all 6,000-mile, 12,000-mile, and annual service needs. Valdi’s Motorzone is independently owned and operated and owner Valdi Slusarczyk is a factory-trained mechanic along with his son Dave Slusarczyk.
The cost to repair a motorcycle varies based on what breaks. The type of motorcycle you own and its overall condition also affect the annual repair costs. However, a general guideline for motorcycle repair and maintenance is $800 to $1,000 per year.
If you’re running mineral-based oil in your motorcycle, plan to have it changed every 2,000 to 3,000 miles. If your motorcycle has synthetic oil in it, it should be changed between 7,000 and 10,000 miles. Additionally, one oil change per year is considered the minimum regardless of oil type.
Motorcycle oil changes are so expensive because mechanics need special tools and skills to perform the task. Additionally, businesses have overhead to cover and generally use branded oil that’s specially blended for the type of bike in question.
To replace motorcycle tires with new tires, it typically costs between $450 and $550. It can, however, cost as much as $1,100 for certain types of tires and motorcycles. If you buy used tires or retreads for your motorcycle, it can be a bit less costly.
While the way a motorcycle is maintained plays a huge role in how long it lasts, 100,000 miles is typically about how long a motorcycle that’s reasonably maintained can last. Additionally, some brands of bikes, such as some BMW models, have a reputation for lasting as long as 150,000 miles.
When a motorcycle sits for years, moisture and rust can collect in the inner workings of the engine. This leaves water in the oil and bits of rust in the engine. All the bits of rust and old oil need to be cleaned out before operating it to avoid further damage.
You typically don’t need to start your motorcycle every day. In fact, running it for short stints can drain your battery and cause damage. During winter months, however, you should start your motorcycle at least once per week and let it run for a minimum of 15 minutes.
During riding season, it’s typically best to ride your motorcycle at least once a week. Aim for a minimum of 20 to 30 minutes each week to keep it running smoothly and to keep your battery charged.
Brief periods of idling won’t typically hurt your motorcycle. However, extended idling sessions can do damage if the engine overheats. Air cooled motorcycles tend to overheat faster than liquid cooled models, so keep an eye on temperature gauges, especially if your ride is air cooled.
While there may be some bikers who ride year-round, it’s generally best to avoid riding a motorcycle when the temperature drops below freezing. This is for safety reasons. It can be harder to ride safely when roads are slick and icy.
You should warm up your motorcycle to make sure the oil has time to lubricate the seals and rings. It doesn’t take long to warm up, though. A couple minutes is long enough for most bikes to sufficiently cycle the oil through the inner workings of the engine.
Leaving your motorcycle in the rain won’t typically hurt it. However, if it is in the rain and elements for an extended period of time, you may notice it showing signs of decay. Being left in the elements can also cause a motorcycle to develop electrical problems.
If you have the necessary tools, supplies, and a way to lift your motorcycle off the ground, you can change a motorcycle tire by yourself. The necessary tools and supplies include lubricant, a set of tire irons, a bead breaker, and rim protectors. You also need an air compressor to fill the new tire.
A motorcycle mechanic is a small engine mechanic. After receiving specialized training to become certified, other job titles can be used. These certified professionals may also be called certified motorcycle mechanics, motorcycle and power equipment technicians, and motorcycle and service mechanics.
To be a motorbike mechanic, you need to have mechanical skills that include using hand tools and power tools. You also need to have diagnostic skills and be comfortable solving mechanical problems and puzzles. Additionally, it’s typically helpful to have customer service skills for talking to motorcycle owners about their bikes.
The typical path to becoming a motorcycle mechanic is to take a training course and pass certification tests. You could also take on an apprenticeship with another mechanic. Additionally, you could learn from working on motorcycles with a friend or relative or through a self-study program.
Most motorcycle training programs take between one and two years to complete. These training programs typically include a lot of hands-on work and some time spent working with a more skilled motorcycle mechanic.
Being a motorcycle mechanic is a good career path for people who enjoy being around motorcycles and who have solid mechanical skills. Working conditions can be dirty, so it’s ideal for those who are comfortable getting oil and road dirt on their hands and clothes.
A mechanic who works on motorcycles can make over $100,000 a year after obtaining an advanced degree and specializing. However, the mean annual wage for motorcycle mechanics is lower. The majority of motorcycle mechanics earn an average of $40,390 per year or $19.42 per hour.
