i was there today ( yesturday now bc yelp removed my first review ) may 2 2015 monay the girl there was super nice, i forgot her name tho but she showed me a tire for sale that was 10 years old, r u kidding me, and they were asking 130usd for it. come on, front tire 110/60 17, wow, anyways i found a great deal on BATTLAX BT016 PRO STREET MOTORCYCLE TIRES a deal for two front and rear (2 tires total) for $219.99 usd package deal, wow, and the coolest part is that they also have a promo for a 50usd mail-in-rebate. free shipping too, u just cant beat the deal anywhere, but i just end up selling the bike 4 hours later so life is good. anyways, the funny part to me is that she (the shop) did not even offer to check the tire pressure or put some more air in the low rear tire, i had to do that myself later. they wanted 55usd for putting the tire on after i would but it plus tax so she tolled me the total was like 178usd, hehehehe another place sale 2 tires for 180usd after the rebate and i bet u its not 10 years old tire, hehehe the saddest part and why i decided to take my time to write this is that she said if i write a review or check in on yelp then they would give me a 10usd discount. what, who dose that, just have good price products and have nice common seance to check the tire pressure for a new first time potential customer instead of just saying good luck and be safe on the road. anyways, i am not coming back there again read more

KC Engineering - they tried to sell me a tire that is like 10 years old from 2007 39th week of the year for 130usd, wow that is amazing, no but thank you :-( - Motorcycle Repair Near Me - San Francisco, California

I've had good experiences with KC Engineering in the past for routine maintenance and flat tires. Recently, my bike was involved in an accident and the other party's insurance was paying for the repairs. The rep at KC assured me that they would handle the supplemental repairs above the initial estimate by going through the insurance company. They lied. The did not follow standard procedure. They did not get sign off from the insurance company before going over the estimate. AFTER the repairs were done, three different employees told me that I owed all the extra money, and that it was my responsibility to handle the insurance company for the overages. They demanded more money from me to release the bike. My mistake was in listening to the KC employees and wanting to get my bike back that day. I talked to AllState and USAA Insurance later, and both companies assured me that the bike shop had broken all the standard rules and hosed me in the process with the overages. Francisco, the top mechanic, rocks. I was completely satisfied with the repairs. However several of the other KC employees pulled a fast one on me with the insurance. DO NOT GO TO KC Engineering FOR INSURANCE RELATED WORK. They will try to screw you after they fact, and pretend they've never dealt with insurance companies. read more

I don't usually write negative reviews but Worst PLACE EVER, so slow. My boyfriend came when they opened at 8, told him about yelp so they can get a good look Total Scam. just for a simple front tire change it took them 2.5 hours to finally apply the new tire, then implied he needed new break pads it took them 1hr to do both sides. So now they screwed something up and say something electronically is wrong with the speedometer, like people do your job precisely. 6 hours total. awful awwwful job!! If we've known this issue we would've taken our business elsewhere. read more

I brought my bike to KC Engineering twice and both times they were rude and I am sure they overcharged me. I am never going back there again. i wish yelp had negative ratings. read more

I went there on a friend's recommendation, (Steve R, whose review is also up here). Brought the tires down, the bike the next day, and they installed them quickly and correctly. The reason why I am giving them 5 stars is that between bringing my tires down and the bike the next day, I found out that my uncle was in the hospital after a very long bout with cancer, and that I had to make arrangements before he passed on. I was very emotional when I brought my bike down, even debating whether I should spend the hour to do it. I was being a jerk to Jose, but he behaved very professionally and was very sympathetic to a stranger. Thanks Jose for helping out another human being, and doing a good job on my bike. read more

I have a hard time believing that the previous review and I are talking about the same person. My experience was the complete opposite. The caliber of a business is tested by issues that come up so while I am reluctant to explain the negatives it should be understood that the end result of my experience will have me going back to KC for a long time. I purchased a new rear tire for my BMW F650 at KC and after buying a new front tire elsewhere was told the rear was from '92 ( I did not know how to read the birthdate) . Now this can be ok but it concerned me so I returned and found the owner Ken to go above and beyond the call of service. Not only did he replace the tire with a new one, he also didn't charge me for the heavy duty inner tube and mounting. He wanted to make things right no matter the effort and expense. You'll not find personalized caring service like that at any large corporation which is why I go out of my way to frequent the small business owner. Thanks Ken! read more

Had a new rear tire on my bike in less that 40 mins. That's from the time I rolled in to the time I rolled out. Fantastic service, and very knowledgeable. read more

Having ridden motorcycles for the past 14 years, I've figured out where to go for certain things and where not to go for others. KC is the place to go for tires and random parts/ tools you may not be able to find elsewhere. I've often found that oddball o-ring set there when I could not get a hold of it at other shops in the area. Great shop for that sort of thing. On the service front, I have been standing at the front counter while other bikes are being worked on (the service area is in full view of the counter) and let's just say I decided years ago that I won't be taking my bike to them for service. It has been over two years since I've been at that front counter though, so hopefully things have gotten better over time. read more

I brought my 76 Honda CB750 here for a set of new Avon Road Riders. Best tires I've ever ridden on. I sought them out in particular, and came to KC Engineering, because the sizes are are odd; 19" front and 18" rear. Plus, these tires have a really nice wide flange, which helps increase the width for the skinny rims of older bikes. All the people at KC engineering were super professional and yelp helpful and friendly. They got the tires on fast and were within the quote. The Avons were not cheap, but worth it. It wasn't much cheaper to get them online. And I wanted them put on by professionals like these guys. I do a lot of my own work, but the two things I leave up to the experts are tires and breaks. I'm super happy with the service! read more

I've been here in the past for a tire and bought another one here yesterday. Pricing for the tire was really good. I bought a Metzler and checked pricing online.. Only $10 more than what's available online. Definitely a good deal. When replacing my tire, they saw that my rear brake pad was on it's last legs... $30 for the pad, $30 for labor. Okay, go for it. Took a little over an hour for all of it to get done. I thought it was a reasonable amount of time to finish all that work. $60 an hour for labor? Totally reasonable. EVERY time I'm in there.. A Harley rider shows up bitchin' about something and being the cheapest-ass people to pay for anything... My time in the shop would've been less if one of those guys didn't show up :-) How to get 5-stars? 1) Don't rush me through my decisions. Give the customer a moment to think through the repair decisions you're asking him to make. 2) When you're done working on someone's bike, clean off the areas that you may have gotten dirty. There were grease smudges all over my rim. I'm washing my bike tomorrow so it's not too big a deal. Heck, when I get a major service on my car, the shop usually details it before I get it. I'm asking to clean off ONLY the parts you may have gotten dirty. To get my tires replaced, Motojava had recommended them and would do the same for anyone needing tires and minor service. They're pretty good guys and give you a good deal. read more

Let me preface this by saying I don't have a ton of experience with bike or auto repair shops, as my Dad is a mechanic and normally does work for me. I live in Foster City but was quoted approximately $70 more for tires and install by several shops. When I called KC, Joey was friendly and knew bike tires, so I felt comfortable dealing with KC. When I brought in my Shadow, they took care of me. It took about 2 hours on a Saturday morning to install the tires, which seemed reasonable enough. After all was said and done they came in $90 cheaper (approximately 25% less) than the shop nearest my work. Joey was extremely helpful over the phone and in the shop. He also took the time to warn me about the slipperyness of new tires, which was much needed and commendable. He gave me tips on air pressure, etc. These guys know bike tires and I would recommend them to anyone looking for tires based upon my experience. read more

Needed Pirelli Sport Demon tires for my moto. Found them here same day. Stephanie & team were super nice and upbeat on the phone...and whaddya know, in person too! Smiles, great service and instant gratification @KC Engineering. I'm a happy camper. read more

I brought my bike in to get a rear tire replaced. I supplied the tire, came back in an hour and it was done. However, they put it on in the wrong direction. Came all the way back after realizing this at my house, and they re-installed the rear tire. I get back home and notice they never re-tightened the exhaust clamp that they had to loosen to get the wheel off the bike, so my exhaust was just held up in by the rearset bracket. Overall sub-par experience for a simple procedure. read more

Now, many shops in the city have a great reputation for quality work and service but few come close to KC engineering when you need your bike running yesterday and that hard to find part is out of stock or on backorder. A big plus is that they're open on Mondays whereas most shops are closed Sunday and Monday. If you need any parts, this shop should be your first phone call as they have a gigantic inventory of nearly everything you could ever want. I'd go so far as to say they might actually have more Motion-Pro cables than motion-pro themselves (Motion pro usually makes cables to order while KC has them all on hand). Need velocity stacks for your vintage bike? They probably have a few colours for you to choose from. What about that carburetor rebuild kit for your 73 Honda CL350? oh they have 4 of those in stock. You see where I'm going with this... And the tires... They just might have every single tire in existence. And they even have a computerized balancer that is much more accurate than balancing by hand. The rates are reasonable and to be expected in San Francisco. Help support a family business that's been around for a long time! I know that many other people have had bad experiences in the past and to be quite honest, so have I. But I can guarantee that almost all those problems have had to do with two of their past mechanics instead of the management or the other techs. Thankfully for the rest of us, those two mechanics are no longer working at KC engineering. Big ups to Steph and the crew. read more

I've been taking my bikes here since 1999, it's worth the trip across the Bridge from Berkeley. The shop doesn't make too much money off me, as I take my wheels off out in front, on the street, and roll them in, to save on the costs, but they still smile and turn my tires around quickly. Ken is a gruff old cooter, but an honest guy, and I've never had a problem with quality on the work. My GS has big front wheels, and I ride street tires, so I've learned to call ahead to be sure my sizes are in stock. When they're not, it's usually not more than a few days before I can get them. They also have parts and tools and patch kits, all of which I've needed at times, but the main reason I go here is for tires. Probably thirty tires over the last 12 years. Ken's crew is also outstanding - friendly, helpful, and chatty, besides knowing their tires. Discounts on weekend mornings are especially appreciated. read more

Went in today for service and I was out of there very quickly thanks to the prompt quality service done here at KC Engineering. The work was done perfectly and I'll definitely be back for repeat business. read more

I ride a Ducati Monster and when it had some electrical issues on day I stumbled upon this place and pushed my bike on in. I have been taking my bike here for various repairs since. Prompt communication, and solid work. I haven't had any issues with the repairs done and it has been a few years since I started going in. I went in today to get my clutch bled and they checked my fluids and topped those off for me as well. I would definitely recommend them. read more

Great place! I called at noon today with a leaking tire story on my dual sport 650. The guy said bring it in. I got there 25 minutes later, and left 35 minutes after that with a newly installed tube in my rear tire. All for $66.00, including tube and labor. Fantastic!!! Thanks KC Engineering. Larry read more

I stopped in this afternoon for a break and lamp check for the DMV. Even though I didn't pass (long story), everyone there was super helpful and friendly. I'll definitely come back for other things in the future. read more

So, have a bike that you love, but the cash runs a bit low at this time of the year or in any year. Where do you go to get the following? Battery Tires Lights / blinkers there are far too many shops that have these, but most only keep the most common (if any) and charge through the nose. Example: i needed a battery for my 1988 K75s BMW which i got quoted for at Cyclegear for $125 and BMW of SF for $135 and both of them had to order it. and as you know waiting for a battery is about as torturous as having your fingernails with dull rusty clippers. Anyway, when looking for the common parts, as listed above, why go to a shop who will charge you through the nose when a local shop will have it in stock and at a great price. It is a simple decision, but a smart one. OK, so you have read more

Overall, I'm really loving this place. I had a tire go out on me on a Tuesday night, with a tight schedule on the rest of the week. I brought it in Wednesday at noon - they had the tire I needed in stock, and nobody ahead of me(call to make sure). Epicenter Cafe is just a block away, if you need coffee/beer/wine/food/internet. About an hour later, I was back on the road - I love it! They were actually nicer than I expected, too. This girl in front of me was having a conversation on her cellphone(in french, of course lol), *and* trying to explain some issue with her helmet to the guy at the counter, all at once. The guy at the counter didn't seem to mind! Taking one star away because their prices are pretty high, but I can't fault them too much for this. It's called "opportunity cost", and in my situation I was glad to pay it to get back on the road. They also seem to nickel-and-dime you, but I expect it from shops like this one. All told, the cost for buying/installing/balancing new front/rear street tires/tubes on an '89 xt600 came to around $340. If you do have the time to run around, and really want cheap same-day service, do this: call MotoTireGuy, have him tell you which tire(/tube) to get at Cycle Gear in Soma(or online if you can wait a few days), then go pick it all up and head to MotoTireGuy's place in Sunset for cheap installation. If you're in a pinch, however, as I was, I believe this place will take care of you. read more

I have taken my scooter into KC Engineering for a handful of repairs and tune ups. They have always provided excellent service and fair + transparent prices. Their employees are solid communicators and they genuinely try to help you identify and solve the issue you happen to be facing with your bike. read more

I'm a big fan of KC engineering. They straight forward, to the point and I have yet to walk in and them not have a part that I needed on hand. I needed acid for a battery -No charge.. I needed a battery -They had it in stock.. This type of shop is a dyeing breed. I'll be supporting them for as long as I'm in the area. Chad read more

You want it when?! KC Engineering is THE PLACE to go to in SF for tire and wheel service. Robert & Jose are straight-up, fast ,and efficient. Most of my friends are motorcycle techs themselves and they all use KC. They offer full-service and parts upstairs as well. Jose the tech is a freakin wizard. He looked at my bent rim said "no way", when I came back he said try to find where it was bent, and you know what? I COULDN'T and my rim was powder-coated!!! TWO-THUMBS WAY UP for KC ENGINEERING. read more

If you are like me and work on your own bike.... it can be hard to find parts immediately. I have been to KC Engineering a few times, and yesterday and they had all the parts I needed and more for my SV. I called a bunch of shops and they have such a huge inventory, they had exactly what I needed. Also Stephanie was crazy cool and knowledgeable!! read more

I've been riding in SF since 2002 and I've been going to KC Engineering since 2005. I am always happy when I pick up my bike as the quality of work is consistently great! The mechanics have always been nice to me, explained which repairs are priority and respected my decisions to delay repairs when I needed. The management is friendly, helpful and prompt in returning calls. KC Engineering is great! Thanks for all the great service over the years. read more

I am a huge fan of the work that K.C. Engineering does and the people who do it. When I first got to San Francisco I stumbled across this shop when I was in dire need of an ultra-quick tire replacement and they went out of their way to make things happen. They have an amazing stock and selection of tires for almost all makes and models. After the stellar service provided by Stephanie and the team of mechanics who worked on my bike I vowed to make K.C. my shop in "The City." I have used them now for a few years and can't speak highly enough of what they do. They have all the right connections to get all the right parts and the right people there to do the work. Use K.C. You won't be disappointed. read more

This place rocks, saved my @ss with a clutch cable and took 20 mins out of their busy schedule to find the right one.

Good job diagnosing a difficult electrical problem. Great pricing and good customer service. They are backlogged quite a bit so don't be in a rush to get the bike back read more

I signed up for yelp just so I can leave this review. On Friday on my way home from work I noticed there was a nail in my motorcycle tire and I have an hour commute home. I went there 10 mins before closing in a panic, and the gentlemen and woman who greeted me went above an beyond to accommodate me and offered to stay LATE just to help me so I can get home safely. The amazing customer service was something I never experienced before and I feel should be recognized. I hope the best for this business and will go here for any work in the future I need done. I highly recommend. read more

So I signed up to Yelp specifically to make this review. I had my 09 Aprilia Shiver 750 get some work done. Primarily I had a fat nail in my tire with still tons of tread on the tire. I called and asked if they could patch it. I had called a couple other places, and alas, no one would do a proper patch. But this place told me to come right in. So besides having an incredible interaction and FRIENDLY staff, everything was done promptly and the conversations were excellent. Ive been bouncing around different mechanics in The City for a while, and I finally say I have a safe place to bring my bike to. This isnt some corporate, hardcore, clean place. This is a shop run by the owner, with a great and very communicative staff. They seem to have a few people who just come and chat and hangout which I thought was also really cool. My bike was taken good care of, completed the job in a very timely manner, great communicators, and very fun to talk to. There are some well known mechanics there who are well known throughout the city. Im happy to vouch for them and hope they continue to provide me with good service and interactions. Best wishes to all those that drop their bikes there... they treated me well, and I dont doubt for a second they will treat you well too. PS- I was talking to the owner, and told him I was going to write this review and sign up to yelp just because the interaction I had with them. He told me about some inter- mechanic shop issues and slowing business and said its unfortunate that some shops sneak attack bad reviews onto yelp to put a bad name on them... and how some of the reviews reference names of mechanics who have never worked there, and discuss bike incidents that have never occurred and he said hed be very grateful If I posted my honest opinion. This is me doing just that. THUMBS UP!! read more

I usually don't take time to write a review but had to for these folks. My 3 visits have been for tires every year or so. They have impressed me every time ........ No one else stocked what I needed....they did....all 3 times. Today at 4 pm I walk in with with my wheel........20 minutes later I was on my way a new tire and clean wheel! Not a great time to go to the city......or get a tire mounted.....but they saved me a second trip and my Saturday morning......time now to get an early ride in. The staff is awesome,friendly,knowledgeable and take care of business! read more

I've only dealt with the parts department, but they're great. I find most everything I've needed for my bikes, new and old. The first time coming in here was pretty intense though. The parts department is upstairs and it was one of those places that'd be like, the gauntlet of death during an earthquake. It's since been organized a bit. It's just astounding the amount of stuff in there. I really love it. For some reason, I didn't know that they were open on Sunday. I'm not imagining that right? Anyway, they stock EBC brake pads and Motion Pro cables. Good stuff. My only misgiving is that when I walk in there, I instantly turn into a total moron. I suppose that's my fault though. read more

Copycatting somebody else's review: "If you need hugs and kisses from a motorcycle shop - This isn't your place. If you're looking for good prices, availability (they're open on Sundays!) and a helpful staff, this is it." They saved the rear tire on my Triumph 675 earning $30 bucks instead of about $200. And that's in 2 hours without an appointment. read more

Went in a couple months ago to have two tires installed on a HD XR1200 and they were able to complete the job in less than hour on a Saturday morning. I carried the tires in and they charged an extremely fair amount for the R&R. Most independent shops will not touch a HD for various reasons but KC had no issues. I would definitely go to them again if needed. read more

Based solely on my personal experiences, this place seems to be getting a bad rap in the reviews. They have great hours for a bike shop -- they're open on Sundays, and open late on weeknights. I've mostly had them to simple repairs or maintenance on my simple bike (Kawasaki KLR 650), and they've always been fast, and honest. I had them put on my new plastic gas tank, and they tried to talk me into doing it myself to save money. I'm sure part of it was that it's not a fun job and it was late in the day, but when I decided to still have them do it, they were very good about it. Also, the last time I took it in I gave them a list of things I wanted checked and replaced if needed. They could have easily done more work than was necessary and charging me extra, but they actually ended up doing more work than they charged me for. (They adjusted my chain for free while they had my rear wheel off, even though there's a big sign saying that's $25 extra.) I can see how it might make some people nervous -- the place looks a little sketchy, and they do *seem* kind of unprofessional. But I've been in and around mechanic's bays all my life, and I know that some of the most casual, grungy shops still do honest, top notch work. So far, that's been my experience with KC Engineering. read more

After calling 4 places looking for a part, I realized this place was within walking distance from my office and gave them a call. They didn't have the part either but they said they're ordering it and would have it in by the following day. COOL! Because every other place said they wouldn't have it until next week. Of course this made me a little suspicious but worst case scenario, I'd just have to wait until next week from another shop. Following day, I give them a call to confirm and yup! They had the part in, I figured I could just walk over during lunch, buy the part and try out "What's Up Dog!" located next door. Lunch time I get to the shop, my first question is... "Where's the main entrance/front desk" since all I saw was a small garage entrance. I ask a mechanic rolling a bike in and he points out a guy saying "he's the front desk", "wherever he is, that's the counter". Alright, so I head over to the guy and ask him for the part. He pulls it out from behind the counter and lets me know he's the guy I talked to yesterday. He totals up the price on a pocket calculator and asks if I can pay cash since otherwise he'd have to run upstairs to run it through Uh... ok So I hand him the cash and the guy starts digging around to give me exact change, including his own pockets. Eventually I let him know that I'll manage without the $0.15 and I'm on my way. I had to skip my attempt at trying "What's Up Dog" because the cash I used to pay for the part was actually meant to go to my lunch. But at least I got my part and all is well! read more

Great little store. They have a wide selection of tires, and have always had what I needed in stock, even when bigger stores haven't. Their prices are much better than other places around here. I just saved 15% on a battery, and they were willing to start charging it before I got there (unlike Cycle Gear). They'll also tell you that something doesn't need replacing yet if it doesn't. And they're open on Sundays! read more

I have a 1983 Yamaha Riva. I want to take care of it as best as I can and these guys are great at helping me achieve my goal. I brought my scoot in and Francisco listened to me start her up. He had a few ideas so I decided to leave my scoot with him. He called me back in about a day and diagnosed my problem. He was really fair with pricing and told me everything up front. No BS. Francisco is also a bit of a Riva expert so that helps. I totally trust these guys. Thanks, fellas! read more

I decided to go to a Sunday Doc Wong ride (150+ miles) and the tires on my KTM were in bad condition. I never have time to change them during the week, so I needed a place that would help me on a Saturday. KC Engineering was the only place open, so I rode over and asked them for a sport-touring tire recommendation. They had a special on BT-023's and I am always down to try a new tire, so I had them swap them on. I think I showed up at around 11AM and they finished by 1PM. The shop is really small and cluttered, but the service was good. The prices were a bit high, even on the discounted tires, but you can't expect much if you are going to bring the wheels in on the bike, and they are the only ones open Saturday so it's not like I had a choice. I am glad they exist and wish them well. The more motorcycle shops in SF, the better! read more