I have been coming to Ben's shop for a few years now and this review is long overdue. The first time I came to see Ben and Nikya was for a simple set of tires, but the friendly, expert service and fair prices keep me coming back again and again. He changed my tires and pointed out a weeping seal on my final drive. He mentioned it would be an easy job I could tackle myself but offered to take care of it if I wasn't up to it. Ben really listens to you and while he is great at pointing out things that need addressing he does so in a helpful way and is never pushy when recommending any work. He knows these bikes like the back of his hand and is an absolute wealth of knowledge. He encourages me to do my own maintenance and has given me confidence in my own ability to wrench on my bike. He lets me pick his brain about even the smallest details. My bike has never ran better than it does today, and I owe it all to Ben. Ben and Nikya run a clean shop and continually exceed my expectations with great work and excellent customer service. If you have a BMW that is in need of service do yourself a favor and give them a call. read more

Email response took too long. A simple 5-minute phone call would've answered my question.....

Ben has been servicing my BMWs for over a decade and I trust his work completely. His wife, Nikayla, manages the shop. You want to see these small businesses thrive, especially one run by such a professional couple. read more

Hello Bens wife, Thank you for your response but I definitely have the right place!!! You weren't in the shop that day when your rude and unprofessional husband dealt with my husband and me. We were reimbursed our money because after supposedly "repairing" our BMW bike it wasn't solved. Fortunately we then took it to an awesome guy at Wunderlich who diagnosed the bike quickly and fixed it. Unfortunately they are now based in North Carolina . Yes for sure we have the right place as you haven't moved your location since then. After such a horrible experience I would never forget your husband or the shop!!! read more

Ben & his wife are very knowledgeabl, take care in their workmanship, friendly and do their best at getting the job done in a timely manner. BMW placed a waded up piece of paper where a screw belonged! Ben found it! There are no cutting corners. very pleasant. You can't go wrong. read more

I was on a long ride, about to tackle the fun roads east of Cambria, when I noticed my rear tire was bald. Crap. I called Ben and he said "bring it on in!" We were hours away, so I suggested maybe I would be too late, and would bring it the next day if it was after hours.. I swung by anyway as it got dark, about an hour after closing, and got an enthusiastic welcome and a tire change and balance immediately! Tim and Ben have both worked on my Ducati Hyper (gave me confidence in the bike again after the dealer screwed it up) and now the new RT - and the work is always thorough and brings up details I didn't suspect, and tidbits of knowledge I didn't yet know. These men are aces. read more

I ride a 2007 - K1200LT and Ben recently performed the 24,000 mile service which is the most comprehensive service required by BMW. Everything was done perfectly and service was completed on time. A few days after the service I stopped by with a few questions and my bike was taken in immediately for a quick FREE checkup to be sure that my concerns were not a serious issue to be worried about or not. This shop is run by professionals with kind of enthusiasm normally only shown by amateurs. They treat your bike like if it was their own. They also understand the importance when you leave their shop on two wheels, your life depends to the quality of the work they performed on your bike. We all know how important it is to find a mechanic / service you can truly trust. Well, if you take your motorcycle to Ben's Motorcycle Works, then you've found the both! read more

Finding a knowledgeable mechanic to service a BMW (or most any bike) is rare. Finding a shop as helpful as Ben and Nikya is becomming near impossible. I count myself fortunate to have this team close be to help me maintain my bike. They make suggestions on future needs my bike needs and shows me ways to keep it running at top performance. This is what you call customer service. read more

I commute almost every day from Scotts Valley to San Jose on my 2006 FJR1300. It was approaching it's 27,000 mile maintenance and I started researching shops to take it to. Multiple friends recommended Ben's Motorcycle works. From the moment I called them and got the ball rolling for a quote, time it will take to finish, etc. the professionalism was great and accurate. Not only did they do a great job with the standard maintenance that the manual calls for, they also found everything wrong with the bike and notified me to see if I wanted to have it fixed. I would highly recommended Ben's Motorcyle Works to anyone with a BMW, Yamaha, or Ducati! Super nice, family operated shop. As good as it will get! read more

Ben does some of the best work in the area. I know that when ever I take in any of my motorcycles to be worked on, Ben always gives me back a bike that runs SO much better then what I brought in. Ben is the best! read more

Without question the best motorcycle repair shop in the central coast and Bay Area. They concentrate and prefer to work on BMWs but can and have fixed any type of motorcycle if they are able to schedule it in. Their reputation earned them the responsibility and privilege of working on all the local police department motorcycles which in my experience was always consistent, high quality and top notch work. Attention to detail, professionalism and personal responsibility for the condition of their customer's motorcycles is paramount to Ben, Nikya and Tim. Call ahead for an appointment read more

Great service experience. Called to schedule a quick service a new front tire on my K1600RT prior to a trip along Route 66. In and out quickly. Really nice people and reasonably priced! read more

I suspect they are great mechanics. My experience with their customer service was odd. I made an appointment for a Tuesday almost two weeks in advance. When told what the wait time was I asked if there was anywhere else in town that could do it sooner. Wait a minute she said. I few moments later she came back on and told me that they talk to the other service places and they always have longer wait times. Then I spend a bit of time considering a drop off time and decide on Friday. In the meantime My girlfriend asks me to park my coach in her best friends driveway to protect her from her violent son. Police are called multiple times and scary threats are made to both of us every few days. The weekend was really bad and Sheriffs Dept were called multiple times. I forgot to drop the bike off but thought it wouldn't be a big deal and they might just push me back a little until there was an empty lift. So on Tuesday morning at about 10:30 am I show up with my tire strapped to the rear end of my PC 800. I had to re-fit the lower part of the trunk to have tail lights and a place to put the tire as the bike is being restored and most of the body work has been removed. So I arrive, say hi to the receptionist and tell her I am here to drop off my bike for a tire change and that I'm sorry I didn't drop it on Friday that I had extenuating circumstances. She said hold on let me talk to a mechanic and returned looked at the schedule (that I should have been on) and said "we are really backed up right now" It was kind of dismissive and she had no solution. So I said I would take it somewhere else and with no interest in finding a solution she said "have a nice day" That is the extent of my interaction I had with her. I called back later and asked her if she could explain why I was treated like I didn't have an appointment. She had no explanation or solution. I told her to have the owner call me. A few minutes later A woman who sounded just like the receptionist called and said she was the owner. I asked her to have Ben Vickers call me. It turns out she is the owner and is the receptionists sister. So Ben calls and explains the ownership/sisters thing. Ben is a nice guy but again no solution is offered. He tries to tell me that the appointment was between Friday and Tuesday but I know it was for Tuesday because I had something of a conversation with the receptionist about when to drop the bike off in advance after the appointment was made. Still there was no offer of a solution. I am baffled by this and try to explain this to Ben. Finally I get "what would you like us to do?" I tell him I wanted him, his receptionist and co-owner to offer a solution when the problem arose. He still doesn't offer a solution. Before I talked to Ben I had called Stoke motorsports and was given an appointment the next day. So it seems that the receptionist was not honest about the wait time of other shops and it could have had it done right away. The whole experience felt dismissive. I told Ben I was going to right a review online and hung up. It was a very unfortunate thing considering how simple and obvious the solution was and how many times they were told what the solution was. This is quote from a guy on the road who got instant service. " I was riding from Moss Beach to Rancho Cucamonga and found a slow leak in the rear tire of my BMW R1200 Adventure bike. I had known of "BMW of Santa Cruz" and searched for them at their old address - they are now out-of-business. Jesse, at a local Chevron service station directed me to Ben's Motorcycle Works. They were wonderful - promptly replaced my old tire and I was on my way. " Why can't they do this for a local guy who waited two weeks. So in the future regardless of how many bikes you have scheduled for that day other than the person who just arrived for their appointment. Tell them you will get them right in and call them when it is done. It's pretty simple and doesn't look like you don't give a damn about your customers. read more

I was looking at a bike in Santa Cruz, so I called Ben's to request an inspection. He was super nice, and told me to come on over. I met the seller there, and Ben basically acted as my agent on the transaction, examining the bike and asking good questions. He gave great advice on the transaction and made me feel a lot better about it. Most impressively, when I tried to pay him for his time, he wouldn't even hear of it. Dude is solid. Great guy, with a great shop...and a kickass replica General Lee on site!! read more

Stoked On this local business. I have known of the business for a long time and only heard good things about them. So,... I am now in the market for picking up a new bike and stopped by the shop to ask question and they were very helpful. the shop is very clean, the customer service was on point. It is very nice to still have a local motorcycle business that knows theirs stuff. read more

Great place to go to get your bike serviced. Took my 2007 Honda 919 in to replace the tires and it came out perfect! Ben even gave me tips on what to do when you have new tires to ensure no accidents. This shop is a place I will recommend to friends and family. You do not get great service everywhere you go but rest assured you will get amazing service here. Thanks Ben! 5 out of 5 stars. read more

I just had my BMW RT serviced and Ben did a marvelous job. He even threw some work in for free. Which was nice because BMW service is never cheap -- that said, he did a really good job servicing everything - the whole bike, replacing things and fixing the timing. I'm so happy now -- and it was all shiny clean when i picked it up. And they gave me a lift home. I'll be back soon to get some other things replaced...We are so lucky to have them open up here in South County Santa Cruz. Thanks Ben ! read more

I have been taking my bikes to Ben's since they opened their doors. He runs a clean shop, is meticulous, and gets you on the road. If he finds other issues, he calls it how he sees it. And his prices are very fair. He comes recommended by a number of people who don't usually take their bikes to shops, but when they do, they go to Ben's. I can't think of anywhere I trust more to take care of my bikes. I have 2 BMWs, but he also works on other brands. read more

I was riding from Moss Beach to Rancho Cucamonga and found a slow leak in the rear tire of my BMW R1200 Adventure bike. I had known of "BMW of Santa Cruz" and searched for them at their old address - they are now out-of-business. Jesse, at a local Chevron service station directed me to Ben's Motorcycle Works. They were wonderful - promptly replaced my old tire and I was on my way. A nice family owned business that puts customer service and quality work at the top of their list. Ben's mechanics are experts working with BMW motorcycles and can help with all your repair and maintenance work. Based upon my experience, they easily rate 5-stars. Thanks to Ben's Motorcycle Works, I was able to complete my ride with minimum delay. read more

On the recommendation of two colleagues, I took my 2001 BMW F650GS to Ben for a new chain & sprockets and new tires. When the sprockets delivery was late, Makaya drove from Freedom to Capitola to the FedEx station to get the package off the truck and expedite the repair. (This, after they offered to deliver the bike to my house.) Excellent customer service, good people, and good prices; all ingredients for a very satisfied customer. Thanks, Ben and Makaya...I'll be back! read more

Ben has worked on my BMW 1100, BMW 1150, BMW 1200, and Kawi 1400. Have literally 100,000+ miles with his expert service performed on my bikes. Never a problem. Always on time. Always professional. Highly recommend. read more

The mechanics at this shop are great. They were able to fix my 1999 bmw 1100 rt-p that was having major issues. I'm not that motorcycle savvy but he fixed it for an affordable price. read more

So I was in a jam. Cruzed down to Santa Cruz on my motorcycle for work and realized the front tire was done once I got there.... I mean the steel radial was showing through on one side. I called around. No one had a tire for my Ducati panigale 899. But Ben's did. They were about 15 miles out of my way, but I didn't care. I rolled in 20 minutes before closing. They took good care of me, stayed late, put the tire on, and even adjusted my clutch and my exhaust.... which apparently was coming out under my seat. Maybe that's why my tuchus is always so warm and I have swass getting off my bike. Anyway, I will probably never see them again but if this is how they treat a one-time customer under duress, imagine if you're local and need a good place to go for life! These guys are the best! read more

Motorcyclists occasionally hear this story: I was on an organized ride on this holiday weekend when I had an emergency and was stranded and this person saved the day! Now, it happened to me! DOH! I was to leave San Juan Bautista Saturday morning with SCMA motorcycle group on about an 800 mile ride...Ebbetts Pass, Sonora Pass, a guy tipped me off AS I LEFT "uhhh...dude your friggin' back tire is BALD" It was bald. I only had 2000 miles on that cheap-ass IRC tire. I do not know how it is possible for it to have magically gone bald, but whatever. I dialed around, found one shop out of business (I rode on the bald tire, carefully). Then I caught Ben on the phone. He sold me a Michelin, excellent tire, jumped me to the front of the line and I met my group straight down the road while they were stopped for breakfast, completed the rest of the ride scrapin' pegs on Rt 49 east of 108 into Mariposa, hit snow at 9,000 feet on the Sonora Pass. What a ride! If it weren't for Ben and his lovely wife at Ben's Motorcycle Works, I would have had to load my sh*t in the back of a truck and go home, crying. Five stars are not enough. Thank you for the excellent service. Shawn read more

Bought a used R1200Rt and needed a place to take it have it checked out in order to start my own service records. Was told by friends that Bens was the place. Made an appointment and was very happy with the service and the way I was treated. Will continue to bring my bike to Ben for service and repairs..... Feel so much better that he went through it and found no problems read more

Brought my K1200S in for a clutch and tuneup. Excellent work, done on time and at a competitive cost. Everything well explained in a way that allowed me to make the right choices. Returned again 6 weeks later for a new front shock absorber. Watched Ben and his fellow mechanic work. Both were highly competent. Very happy. My motorcycle is running superbly well. Highly recommend this shop. read more

Mom and pop repair service for which Ben has a lot of knowledge in fixing BMW bikes. However, the customer service is very lacking in this shop. I didn't experience this until recently but Ben doesn't seem to be a tolerant person. Case in point, I brought in my bike after an accident for which I was hospitalized. He made a point to suggest that the small amount of the blood on the bikes interior gears was somehow disrespectful of him. Even after I explained that I just had not seen this when I first washed off the bike, he had no empathy whatsoever. He then suggested he would not ever work on my bike again. Also, if you go here to get your bike fixed, don't ever go anywhere else to do anything or he will hold it against you. (Just one person's experience.) read more

Living in Monterey I had been using SJ BMW or the Beemer shop in Scotts Valley, Both adequate, but always very difficult to get in for an appointment. I heard of Bens by a few local BMW riders but never had reason to break from the other shops. I tried Bens when a family emergency meant I needed to get down to SoCal asap and I needed fresh tires. I spoke w Ben on the phone explaining the issue and he squeezed me in the next day. Both the SJ BMW and Beemer shop had me waiting over a week. The staff and Ben were very pleasant and attentive. Though I just had new tires installed, the clean facility and the many well kept/serviced K and R bikes in the parking lot, Ben's looks to be a very competent full service BMW shop. Thanks Ben, excellent job! read more

Ben's been working on my bikes, since his days at Santa Cruz BMW, and his passion for motorcycles is apparent at every turn. This is complemented by two extremely important things: supreme knowledge of the bikes on which he works and a keen interest in the riding life of his customers. He tells you what he's going to do and keeps you involved until the tasks are complete. He never makes changes to the plan without checking first. There will be no surprises. In the end he delivers, as promised, in a timely manner. Nikaya out front is the perfect partner for Ben. She knows what makes the customers happy - answers to their questions. She's typically got them, but when she does get stumped Ben is always willing to step out of the shop to help out. read more

When local BMW Motorcycle Dealer went out of business recently, I dreaded the logistics of getting repairs. Thankfully Ben Vickery just opened Service & Repair shop. Yay! Just in time as an idiot light on my moto's dash is warning of some sort of fault. So just dropped off my LTE with confidence Ben will fix whatever's wrong plus renew all fluids. read more

Ben is the best motorycle mechanic I have ever known (I am forty, and I have been riding motorcycles since I was nine). He is certainly the best in California north of San Luis Obispo, and possibly in the entire state. He has seen me through tens of thousands of miles on my K1200R, even proactively spotting trouble before I have. He's currently helping me through a nightmare with a bent frame. Service is always excellent, nothing stumps him, and all work is done impeccably. He also charges fair prices, Nikya and Ben are patient and helpful about explaining options and accommodating logistics and scheduling. You could go someplace else, but why? read more

Got a rear tire replaced on my k5 gsxr because I was on threads. Got recommended to this place by a friend who lives in Watsonville. I don't normally write reviews, but Ben's shop is an honest, reliable and accommodating place and I recommend anyone who has motorcycle troubles to give them a call or swing by their shop. Not only did they recommend me a great tire for my bike, I asked them to inspect my bike as it is a second hand purchase from Fresno. My rear brake felt strange and they gave me an accurate diagnosis that my rear master cylinder needed to be replaced. They allowed me to buy an used oem part of eBay in order to save over 200 dollars and even let me drop the part off when they were closed so as to accommodate my schedule. Ben could have told me I needed a number of different repairs but instead made out with 30 min job and saved me tons of headache and money. I came to pick up my bike and got to the shop right after he closed. He was kind enough to open the shop again and gave me my bike even though it was half an hour past close. To my pleasure I noticed they lowered my high idle and lubed my kick stand as well as other parts as part of the inspection. My bike has never felt better and my wallet is not hurting. Ben says his primary concern is safety and recommended that I keep an out on my front tire. Auto and motorcycle shops are always out to make a quick buck. I can assure you that is not the case at this shop. Everyone is polite, patient with newbies, and courteous. Thanks a lot Ben, you have earned a lifetime customer. read more

I was reluctant to go all the way to Watsonville to get my bike serviced, but I'm happy I did. I've been there twice now, and both times were great for me and my bike. It's day and night compared to the service I was getting at the dealership. Also, Ben and is wife are not pushing for any unneeded work. They can be trusted. read more

Brought my BMW R1100GS into the shop for a tune up and once-over to make sure we weren't going to have any issues riding back from CA to TX. We ended up with a flat tire on our car and Ben went next door to the tire shop there and helped get us to the front of the line to have us on the way both with the car, and the motorcycle. They went above and beyond and are just good people. read more

Took my old 78 airhead in for forks and headset rebuilt and then the top end.... When the bike was in for the forks, I was called to see if I wanted the boots replaced. I said 'no' because it didn't occur to me that this was something that could only be done with the forks apart. That bit of information came to me when I picked the bike up. I was bummed but felt partly to blame. But still, isn't this what a shop is supposed to do, inform you when something can be done only at a certain time? Anyway, I still liked them and thought to take it back to have top end rebuilt. When I picked it up this time the pipes were on the wrong sides... I pointed this out and Ben said that he would give me a deal on new tires. Also, one of the heads was rotated so I could see the scuff marks that used to be on the bottom. By this time, red flags were wavin since I expect a BMW tech to have a bit more of an eye for detail. Recently, almost a year later, I called to see how much for tires and the rubber boots for the forks would be. Micayah asked me to count the rings on my boots and check the size of my tires and call back after quoting me $650 for all. I called the Beemer Shop and they quoted me $630 and bothered to inform me that the Metzlers for my bike are made in Brazil now and are not getting good reviews but they had another tire made in England. They also didn't bother to ask me to look up their parts for them. Which I did go online and looked at Max BMWs website to see the microfiche which gave only one boot for my bike. This all steered me to the Beemer shop to get my work done. No deal was offered from Ben's, I made slight mention but is it my responsibility to remind them? After getting new tires at another place, they pointed out that there was no top out bumper in the forks as they would clank when it was put on the center stand. When I called to address this with Ben, he harassed me for going to another mechanic. After pointing out that if I hadn't, I wouldn't know that the top out bumpers were never installed. He said they weren't there when he took the forks apart but also knows that things can disintegrate in fork oil. I would expect that he check the diagrams if he was not familiar with the older forks and make sure that he replaced all the necessary parts. This seems like a rookie mistake, really? Didn't know they had two sets of bumpers in the forks??? He continued to tell me that he felt he had done enough. "Of what?" I said. When I reminded him that he had given me my bike back with the pipes on wrong sides, and oh yeah, one more, didn't bother to correct the wire harness running on wrong sides of head set, he begrudgingly said " OK, bring it in then!" I told him that I will not have someone with a chip on their shoulder working on my bike. Ben cannot take responsibility for his mistakes in a mature manner, and if you can't do that then really, what are you worth? read more

Ben and everyone else were very helpful. I'm a first time motorcycle owner and bought a 94 BMW k75 that has a salvage title. Ben and the crew did a used cycle purchase inspection and relaced everyting I needed relplaced of fixed so I could not only pass my headlamp and tail light inspection but so I felt safe on the road as a first time cycle owner. They have been and continue to be very helpful in answering all of my first time bike owner questions and uncertainties that arise from time to time. I feel great knowing that Ben and the crew have my back while Im up in the Santa Cruz mountains ridingmy bike to work and for pure enjoyment. I highly recommend this shop and these people. Good people go a long way in my life and this shop not only has great mechanics but good people. read more

I've been waiting a long time for a shop run this well, by someone as organized, clean, honest and dependable as Ben. My bike was treated well. I was treated well, and Ben and his wife (and kids) are very nice people. It's liberating to know that I have someplace to take my bike (that pays as much attention to detail as I do), so I can spend my time riding! Give them your business. They deserve it, you won't regret it, and it'll keep them in business for me next time! 'Worth whatever ride you might have to make to get there. read more

I have been going to Ben to have my. 2009 BMW GSA and now my new 2014 BMW GS since he opened the doors. Great place to do business. I highly recommend his services without reservation. read more

Very happy with the work here. Ben explained everything he wanted to do and thought was necessary, but didn't press on it. Prices for tires where the same as if I ordered them online. Shop is clean, people are very friendly. I trust them. read more