Decided to get back into the motorcycle world after looking at scramblers and then falling in love with the Triumph Bonneville Bobber Black. No dealership here in Indianapolis anymore so searched the net to see if there were any used ones out there in my price range. Came across a 2018 at Motorworks Chicago listed as new at an unbelievable price. Thought no way... called and while it took a a few hours to get a response when I did I requested an out the door price quote and they said no problem. 10 minutes later I had an unbelievable price quote in my e-mail. Took off work the next day and drove the three hours to their shop. Kept waiting for the scam to kick in but it never did... I paid the price they quoted me. I spoke to 6 different employees while closing the deal and looking around the shop. All of them were as nice as could be and I really enjoyed my time there. A service employee spent about 20 mins talking to me about my bike, familiarizing me with the controls and service needs and answering my questions. They loaded my bike into my pickup and secured it for me. Chicago traffic wasn't even that bad, either! I'm even leaving the "Motoworks" license plate surround on to let Indianapolis know where to buy their next Triumph! read more

Motoworks Chicago - My brand new 2018 Bonneville Bobber Black on the way back to Indianapolis after a great purchase experience at Motoworks! - Motorcycle Dealers Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

These filks go the Extra Mile in the Neighborhood. Supporting local business and helping clear sidewalks and driveways of snow all winter long. They recently helped my Neighbor select his first Motorcycle. He is thrilled with his experience! read more

I have been doing business with Motoworks for over a decade! Just bought a new bike and cannot be happier with it, the staff there are very knowledgeable and really work hard to make sure you have what you need. I have bought Ducati, BMW, and Triumph motorcycles from them and the level of expertise is spot on. These guys live it, and breathe it. Can't recommend them enough read more

DO NOT BUY A BIKE FROM HERE YOU'VE BEEN WARRANED! 10/31/2020 Purchased a 2021 BMW S1000RR brand new full warranty, service contract , tire and wheel, gap coverage, Winner circle -which promises 3 day turn around for schedule maintenance. At the time i though this was a respectable dealership boy was i wrong. Completed the break in period 600 miles had this done in a few days as I'm a real rider 600 miles is nothing called for my first service which took more then then 3 days fyi (also this is suppose to be a BMW certified dealer which forgot to update the service documentation for the first service they also left a bolt out of the seat on return) sure its ok i can deal with that again I'm a real rider. Now this is where things start to go side ways I've been riding the bike for a while commuting to work now has 3,000 miles. 4/14/2021on my way home all of a sudden the bike feels like I lost two cylinders no power the bike started making a weird sound as well as the quick shifter stopped working. Now again at the time it had no alerts or alarms on the display ( i also have video showing me starting the bike in this condition on the same day when i got home) . I called the shop immediately to schedule service as i had a major national Motorcycle ride to Philadelphia at which i explain to the Motoworks. I would need the bike back which i figured it was 3 weeks away so shouldn't be a problem. 1 week went by and didn't hear anything regarding the repair called in talked to John in service he explained they didn't know what was wrong with the bike and needed to contact bmw directly ok find but I'm wondering why i was never updated sure i understand its a busy time so i let it go. Now a few more days go by still no closer to figuring out the issue they open a case with BMW. Now mind you the bike was still rideable when i sent it in to the shop as i did ride it all the way home. Its a day before my National bike trip 4/28/2021 ask to deliver the bike to me for my trip it was deliver back to me on 4/28/2021 @ 9:12pm at night. I go and start the bike the next day getting ready to load it on the trailer and that's when i notice a shit ton of error messages very scary message:(serious fault in engine control onward journey possible damage possible. Have check by a workshop) So i immediately call the shop to find out they loaded some kind of update per BMW recommendation. How can i ride this in Philly completely ruined my trip so i proceeded to drop the bike off and rent a bike for my trip which completely disappointed as a president of a national bike club. Returned the bike to Motoworks on 4/29/2021 (bike was no longer ridable with the error message and John also recommended to bring the bike back which if i would have know about the errors i wouldn't have had them keep it in the first place.) terrible communication. So now I've called several time to check the status of the bike and have been told its still under diagnostics and it takes time to work with the BMW directly. I called the very next day and the person who answered the phone checked on my bike and said it was waiting for brake parts to come in to fix a recall but no work was being done. So again still no update on the original issue the bike went to the shop for. I talked to John about this and sounds like the bike was put in line for service again and a new BMW case needed to be open, once again terrible service. 5/7/2021 i send a message directly to bob to have him and or the GM of Motoworks call me directly because I'm not getting the service that was implied when i purchased the bike and now i have a brand new bike i haven't been able to ride sense 4/14/2021. (Bob did get back to me the following week to let me know a manager would reach out). Now its been a month I'm at the point of no return i took time off of work after talking with JT to go to Motoworks to return the bike as which he knew i was coming. Now before this i already contacted BMW via the Customer service department and was told i need to work through the dealer to start the return process. To my surprise when i arrive the Motoworks is providing me with the same contact number to reach back out to BMW directly. So again i did as they insisted trying to wash my hands of a non ridable machine and the frustrations of BMW and Motoworks as a business with terrible service and horrible commutation on all fronts. Its 5/25/2021 and the last update came from Chris - the guy who buys used bikes says he talked with the service team which is now saying i need to pay for labor in order for them to check if some kind of flapper part is missing on the bike that's still under warranty, DO NOT BUY A MOTORCYCLE HERE BIG MISTAKE, Its not worth the hassle time and frustration you will experience! This situation and experience could have been much different with better communication and better support from the service team and BMW. read more

I just picked up my Ducati from its yearly service. Jordan and the boys at Motoworks do a fantastic job. They communicate well and I had my bike back in 48 hours. I've purchased 3 bikes from them over the years and I won't go anywhere else. Best shop in chicago area. read more

My experience is from selling my bike. Went back and forth with Chris for several days. Described the bike as accurately as possible, pointed out flaws, sent pictures. Sent pics of VIN, matched up with title, gave all my personal info. We agreed on a price and scheduled an appointment. Chris tells me he'll prepare all the paperwork beforehand and I should be gone in 15 minutes. Show up for the appointment, check in an am told to wait outside while Chris finishes up. No problem, I get it. After he finishes up with another guy, Chris tests my bike and all of a sudden, he's pointing out some ridiculous flaws, chain needs to be cleaned, oil supposedly leaking, clutch apparently needs replacement. Now he's not offering me even HALF of what we agreed on. What? In the 5+ years I've had it, I haven't had one issue. Never been abused, always stored in my garage. I get you have to check out the bike but unless I was blatantly lying about the condition of the bike or my description was inaccurate (which it wasn't), I'm expecting what we agreed on. I mean, we're talking about a USED bike, it's not going to be in pristine condition. Not once did Chris indicate he'd deviate from what we agreed on. It should have been a smooth, in-and-out transaction. All told I sat outside for about an hour on a brisk March day in Chicago for nothing. Oh wait, Chris did let me use the bathroom for a couple minutes before I had to go back outside so thanks. And I did ride my bike back home without any issues. There's a newer shop on the north side of the city (won't name it out of respect), guys up there are great. They don't specialize in Triumphs which is why I didn't take it there, but I can't recommend dealing with Motoworks. Their tactics keep would-be riders off bikes and definitely out of dealerships. read more

Inquired about a Ducati ST3 that had been on their website for some time. A $300 price reduction was given, only to be added back for Illinois processing fees, along with $35 Illinois licensing. Once I agreed to that; almost $700 inspection and cleaning fee was to be tacked on in order to get the Ducati out the door. It's no wonder the bike's been offered for some time, and the previous potential buyer backed out. Guess what? I backed out as well. GLWTS- read more

I would haul my ride across half of the USA just to get to this shop if I couldn't figure out what was wrong with it. Nobody has a better service team and deeper knowledge base when it comes to anything with a motor and two wheels. I've been riding since 1996 and can fix a lot of common problems myself at this point, but when I'm up a creek and about to lose my $&@! these folks are always willing to help me figure it out and fix it if I can't. I wouldn't trust anyone else to handle my bikes. read more

I've always been interested in learning more about bikes after I did finance work in the industry, but was overwhelmed with all of the choices. A Motoworks worker gave me the lay of the land and really helped me understand what might be the best fit for me. I'm excited to visit the shop again and pull the trigger on my first purchase - thanks MotoWorks! read more

Best place ever. Service is phenomenal, and the staff is extremely knowledgeable. Jordan is a real pleasure to deal with. I would recommend MotoWorks for anyone and everyone read more

MotoWorks crew!! What more can I say than you have been nothing but welcoming to me and my new hobby! From sales to service there's been no hiccups and nothing but love all around. Thank you so much for introducing me to this world and helping me support this new hobby of mine! read more

I had been wanting to ditch my Ducati for the past few years and get something a little more comfortable to ride. All of my long commutes were doing a number on my back and elbows and a crotch rocket wasn't making me look cool, it was making me feel old. I had had my eye on the Triumph brand for quite some time but was not looking for another expense. However, a perfectly-timed email advertising crazy deals on Triumphs motivated me to go take a look. I reached out online initially to set up a time to stop in so I wouldn't miss out. After submitting an inquiry I was contacted by Mariya via text (which, by the way, was genius and very efficient). We spoke for a couple days and set up a time to stop in. When I got there and met her in person she was super friendly and showed me what they had to offer in the price range that I was looking to stay within. I let them know that I had just bought a condo and was looking for something super sexy but also reasonable :-D Though my heart was initially set on getting a Triumph Scrambler, a Cranberry Red Triumph Street Twin at the top of my budget caught my eye. I sat on both bikes and could tell from the get-go that the Street Twin was much more comfortable for someone my height (5'9") and the Scrambler would not allow me to be flatfooted and upright at stops. Since I over-analyze everything, I wanted to do a little more research on the bikes and set an appointment to come in that Saturday for a test ride, and a couple days later committed to test riding the Street Twin. Even before arriving at Motoworks, I concluded that if I took the Street Twin out for a test ride and enjoyed it there was no way I was going to walk away empty-handed. It was no surprise that while on my ride I instantly fell in love and had to have it. Here's my check and my old bike, hand me the key and I'll be a happy man! Of course, one hiccup in the process was that my trade in was not worth nearly as much as I had anticipated. Turned out that there was a bit more maintenance that was needed to get it into saleable condition. Thankfully, I reconciled this with myself and built it into my budget. I was able to negotiate a little bit off the selling price, which I appreciated, and thanks to awesome credit (!) was able to secure 0% financing. Although I ended up spending a bit more than I originally planned to, I am extremely happy with my purchase! Throughout the day I feel like I met nearly everyone on the staff and everyone was extremely friendly. I was there a bit longer than I anticipated as it was a busy day in the shop, so if you are in a hurry or want to save time I recommend filling out the financing application prior to your visit (especially if you know you'll be buying something). Keep an eye out for special promotions on bikes and on financing because it is going to be very difficult to walk in without riding away on something new. My bike looks amazing and I look even better on it. Happy customer here! read more

Can't thank Chris and AL enough, bought an older Kawasaki H1 from them they were honest on the description and I was extremely satisfied with the motorcycle when it arrived. Motoworks was great to deal with from start to finish Thanks Alot Joe T. read more

I don't do this often,Leave a review that is... apparently I'm very hard to please. Let's start this off, I have never stepped foot inside this store/shop. The hassle of dropping of my Ducati was not an option,so I called to set up transport. Ding! An epic score of 11 out of 10! A few e-mails..a few brief discussions with Natalie in the service dept/I have to say I tried pretty hard to piss her off and she knew it. Held her composure with an extreme level of professionalism. Thanks Natalie. 10 out of 10. The turnaround time and quality of work for what needed to be done...they killed it! Nice fuckin job. Now Again I'm not available to pick the bike up. Transport not only delivered in the middle of the night...Just Epic all around. A special thanks to all involved in my project. And I never even walked in the front door. This is and forever will be the shop that provides me with all of my Motorcycle needs! read more

Motorworks is by far the BEST luxury bike shop in the Midwest. Johnny, the owner, was really nice, down-to-earth, and knowledgeable in answering all my questions. His team is reliable and efficient with any repairs or upgrades. They've done such an excellent job over the years, which is why I'm a Motoworks customer for life! Highly recommend. Thank you Motoworks! read more

I've been searching locally in the NY/NJ/CT tristate area for a Ducati Streetfighter 848 for a few months now. And the few that I found locally would have anywhere from 400-700 miles on them as they were used as a demo. I was an avid believer of breaking a bike in for the first 600 miles, so I was not willing to risk it. I decided to try my luck nationally and came across one that Motoworks Chicago had as a center piece in their showroom floor with only 3 miles and listed it below MSRP. I thought to myself that I couldn't have gotten this lucky on the first try, so I called the dealership to confirm. I spoke with Blaise Lehmann, a new and upcoming salesman at Motoworks Chicago. He verified that everything on the ad was correct and confirmed that the bike was still available. We negotiated and closed the deal over the phone. He assisted me with all the logistics, but due to the Memorial Day holiday, the shipping companies were unable to deliver the bike until after June 6th. For personal preference, I made a decision to fly out to Chicago for a day to take delivery of it instead. I think it was the best idea I made as I was able to meet everyone at the dealership; from sales to service to parts - everyone was great! Blaise gave me a grand tour of the facility and I was really impressed. The building had so much character and history; it was truly an awesome experience. I wish I lived close-by so I would have a great place to service my bike. When everything was set and done, they gave me a free Motoworks Chicago t-shirt to remember them by. (Of course I naturally purchased another one for my girlfriend because I wouldn't leave her out). They helped me load and secure the bike in the back of a pickup truck and it was off to Lou Malnati's and Millennium Park before the long trek back home. In conclusion, I had a very positive and memorable experience with Motoworks Chicago and look forward to do business with them again! read more

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I have been getting parts from here for a bit. Most times I come in I'd be ignored till they finally recognized me, after my 5th or 6th visit. I'm part of the riding community here in my home town of Chicago and parts of California. I recently heard some alarming news about this place as well. Please stay away read more

I've been here multiple times and just cannot continue giving them my business. The hourly rate for service has been increased to $180 (from $160, which ain't much better) which is offensive as well as expensive. I understand that the owner (Johnny, who now solicits customers with emails to partner with Goldman Sachs - this somehow makes sense) is pursuing his vampire capitalist fantasy. Does something take 5 minutes to quickly correct? It will show up as a $160 line item for an hour of service. Is your headlight out? They'll charge you $300 plus for a full system diagnostic when the fuse was the issue - the fuse being the thing that should be checked first, and likely was. This is like a PC tech charging you to take apart your PC, when they well know that you simply forgot to turn on your monitor. I had to return the day after picking up my bike and have a careless mistake on their part corrected - "this one's on the house". No kidding - you messed it up. I had to ride an hour there and back - what's my time worth? $180 an hour? This place practices predatory capitalism under the guise of being cool with their hollow punk references. Stay clear. They rip you off. Is this a somewhat clumsy review that could have been worded much better resulting in a more effective criticism of Motoworks? Absolutely, but I'm angry, and me not write so good angry. read more

Started off on the wrong foot with Motoworks. They had just the bike I was looking for advertised on their great web site (it's really easy to use--check it). I called to make an appointment, but when I got there they were having a tough day. A salesperson had been unable to come to work, and they were already shorthanded. Ended up going home disappointed, having inspected the bike, but without making a deal. The sales person (Jose) and Jim contacted me the next day to follow up and really made an effort to make it up to me. We were able to make a deal over the phone contingent on a test ride, saving me another trip. I picked up the bike the next week. When I got there, the bike was ready to go for the test ride. Jim and Jose really made it a pleasant experience and went to great lengths to be sure everything went smoothly. Al, the closing guy, was efficient and pleasant to talk with, and I was out of there with the the bike at the deal I wanted as quickly as I could've imagined. To cap it all off, Jim went to a special effort to order a missing owner's manual for me from Ducati and had it overnighted to my house. An experience like this is a testament to the depth of Motoworks' commitment to customer satisfaction. It would have been easy for them to just say "well, we'll get 'em next time" about my disappointing contact. Instead they really went out of their way and expressed genuine concern for me as a customer. I recommend Motoworks wholeheartedly! read more

I really love this shop. It's a really cool space and the staff is knowledgeable, courteous, and did an excellent job handling Covid. It's a fun atmosphere and an excellent selection of bikes. Very excited they now have BMW! read more

The place is a joke... I was visiting family in Chicago and I was looking for a place to buy some gear (I do that every time I visit different states) the guy at the door asked me if I had an appointment... an appointment to browse around? I was trying to buy some merchandise I.e shirts, riding boots and even a helmet. Chicago customer service can be really bad in some places, this is one of them. Spend your money somewhere else. read more

One of the last full service Motorcycle shops in Chicago and they don't take that lightly. Great service! Frank and all the mechanics take great care in providing service! read more

They will sell you a overpriced bike that they are not even sure works properl. No test drives which is insane. A the sales people working there will leave you waiting on them to show you a bike all day as if you don't have other things to do. If I could give them a negative star I'd give them 5 read more

I've bought 3 bikes from motoworks and each time was an awesome pickup. Plus the service department knows their stuff! And, the best part of service has been them coming to you to pickup your bike for service. read more

These guys are the best. Super friendly customer service. Best repair shop in Chicagoland. Motoworks knows all things bikes, scooters, etc. This is where The Who's who of Chicago take their toys. Buying a bike, fixing a bike, or just drooling, check out Motoworks, you'll thank me. read more

This place was great -- was in a hurry to buy a full face helmet for my motorcycle and the guy that was working (forgot his name) was super great! I told him I was pressed and he accommodated, ended up buying a BELL helmet. Still late for work, but totally worth it! Also, free coffee and water! OH -- and first-time customers get 10% off! read more

Went in looking to buy 2 scooters. Asked for a quote post taxes/fees/etc. the salesman could not provide that in writing. Was paying in cash and wanted to have a cashiers check to hand them. They said they couldn't give a price in writing. read more

I'm not one to write reviews, but I felt compelled to write this. Potential customers should be aware. I brought my bike in for a brake recall and a routine oil change three weeks ago. I picked my bike up from the shop two weeks later and rode it home 8 miles. A mile into the trip I noticed that the bolt that secures the clutch lever was backing out of its perch. This lever and bolt were in perfect working order before bringing it into the shop. The bike is less than one year old and has never been serviced in any other shop. Upon further inspection, the clutch lever bolt had been replaced and was not original to the bike. I also noticed that a swing arm cap was missing. I thoroughly inspected the bike before transport and all caps were in place. These are minor issues, but the clutch bolt continued to back out as I rode. I decided to report the issue to Jordan in service. He said he checked the paperwork and with a patronizing tone claimed that the clutch was loose when it arrived here "my friend". He also informed me that swing arm caps "almost always" fall off. He said the shop would not cover the small price it would be to replace these parts. I asked to get a copy of the paperwork he noted. And sure enough, in the customer concerns section, there was a quote from me stating that I was having a problem with the lever and I would like the shop to "please" tighten the clutch lever bolt. All communications I had with the shop were made via email or text. I have them recorded. I never mentioned the clutch lever bolt at all. I only authorized the brake recall work and the oil change. I have no idea where this fictitious customer concern came from. Whether the document was changed after the fact, my bike was being scavenged for small parts, or it was shoddy work, I am not certain. But the dishonest practice of altering paperwork and the arrogant nature of communication lead me to lose my trust in this service department. I'll be finding another place for service and furture motorbike purchases. If you do take your bike to this shop for convenience sake, please be sure to inspect the bike thoroughly before and after service. And be prepared for the condenscending tone your likely to receive if you have any questions. read more

The day I bought a white Vespa Prima Vera, everyone could not have been nicer or more helpful. Awesome experience. Paid in full and I know it would be 2-4 weeks. THEN, things broke down after I left. After 4 weeks, I started calling, emailing etc...not much response and not one call to me to learn the original bike was "dropped. or maybe back over" and another one had to be ordered--after another 2 weeks they delivered...the wrong bike!!! Luckily I saw it was a sprint and not a Prima Vera and refused delivery. When I called for explanation, the sales manager Jim said if I wanted white I had to take the sprint...what? No one said that PRIOR to the delivery of a bike I did not purchase. I said how about a refund then, he agreed and then he hung up on me! HE was able to do the refund and BYW Al the finance guy was great. But hey--I wanted a Vespa and no one went to the trouble to communicate with me so I ended up with one. My sales person Jose never reached out through this sad six-week process of my summer 2021 Vespa dream dying....and never offered any solutions. Motoworks seemed great but they didn't come through. read more

I first came to motowerks Chicago 7 years ago. Mybrother had bought his first triumph street there. He also purchased four or five other bikes and one of them being the most rad t-100 Bonnie that was used in the company's local Chicago competition. I loved that bike. I admired it from afar and definitely super jealous.. ha i finally gave in last year '2021' and I went and purchased my own T-100. To be fair I wanted the 2020 they had as it was 500 bucks less but was able to get a 2022 for a 100 bucks more since the 2020 sold. Could the website have been updated?? I suppose but then again it sold a few hours before so I think a pass is warranted. i will say In the end I got a bike that was 2 years newer during the height of the pandemic with inventory at an all time low. I can get past this as they quickly pivoted and help me get into a bike that day.. I would say 9 out of 10 times you don't always get what you want but you get what you need and in this case I was stoked to grab a brand new bike for a 100 bucks more... No complaints with sales department, parts Or delivery. Yes, It's my first bike so my shop experience is limited but as a new customer I have felt serviced and taken care of.. Thank you motowerks for getting me on two wheels Quickly and for taking such good care of my bike this past winter. yes, I'll be back for another. Grey read more

Motoworks seems like the last shop left run by true enthusiasts. On my fifth new bike and countless used ones....and it's always the experience I'd wanted. Old school analog dudes in a digital world. Ten stars. read more

This place was recommended by my father-in-law. I usually don't take his advice but maybe I will a little bit more! These people were super helpful. Helped me get my first bike and walked me through the process. They are super knowledgeable and have a great inventory. read more

I bought a Vespa here. I was nervous coming in to the dealership as a woman not knowing anything, but everyone was super helpful and nice. And special shout-out to Jose and Margaret who were great! read more

There is no denying the place has cool bikes. Chris the salesperson is great. Everyone else is a clown. I stored my bike there for the winter. Apparently you must give them 48 hours before picking it up. I took a taxi there and with no ride home they'd make no exception. So I sat in the showroom for an hour and half and luckily someone else took a taxi there that I was able to take. Otherwise, they would have closed the store and had me sit on Western rather than take 20 min to give me my bike. So the message is, don't expect them to go above and beyond. If you want truly excellent service go to Chewies Motorbikes. Chewies is great and they DO care about their customers. read more

Should have known after my horrible sales experience not to go here for service but the convenience got the better of me. These guys are flat out dangerous when it comes to service. I found out about the ABS recall this summer and called Motorworks instead of MCC which is the dealer I usually deal with. Anyways I call these guys up, I read the VIN off to them and then they ask me to come in for an inspection on the bike. I told them I never had to go through an inspection for a recall such as this but alas went along with it. So I show up at the dealer and go through the bogus inspection, they order the ABS modulator for me. I mentioned I would like the bike back the same day if at all possible, they told me it was back ordered anyways and call me when it came in then they could arrange it. Please bear in mind that this is a 2-3 hour job at the most. Fast forward 2 weeks, I get a call and make an appointment and I mention that I'd like the bike back the same day if at all possible as my busy schedule pretty much prevents me from picking it back up from them for the rest of the week. They told me it was only possible if I brought the bike at 9 am this morning, I figure that's a fair enough deal and take it. I dropped off the bike and then later went to pick it up around 3:30, I get my keys back get on the bike and then feel that the rear brake has almost no bite to it. I have to literally stomp on the pedal to its stop to get any sort of friction, turn right around in the alley back to the service department we go. I mention that the back brake feels spongy and there might be some air in the system; they apologize and take it back from me.(What I don't understand is this tech supposedly went on a test ride and didn't notice the back brake failing to operate properly at all.) I figure stuff happens, people make mistakes no biggie they just need to bleed the brakes properly, properly being the operative word. At first I see him kneel down next to the bike with some brake cleaner spraying the disc, must have figured that some grease must have gotten on the disc while it was in the shop. Gets done goes into the alley for a test ride back he comes obviously not pleased with the results...Even f this was the case the pads would have been ruined at this point as they would have soaked up the grease. He adjusts the master cylinder on the rear brake goes out for a test ride; nope that didn't fix it. Then proceeds to open the back brake reservoir to top off the fluid pumps the brake a few times to push the pads out; nope still not happy with the result...So turns off the ABS on the bike to go into the alley to do a few skid stops hoping that's going to fix the issue...Nope that fails as well, so back into the shop bike goes... Takes out the mighty vac next, and I finally think to myself, "He finally figured it out and stopped trying to cut corners" he does what I'd call the dodgiest brake bleed I have ever seen in my life within 2 minutes. Tests the brakes seems satisfied goes out for a test ride comes back and says its all fixed. I ask him to walk out with me, and point out that he just needed to bleed the brakes. He says "It's the ABS unit unlike other manufacturers Triumph(he means Nissin but I let this one go) does not install bleed valves on their modulators and the only way to work the air out of the system is to just cycle the system. I mention that I thought there was a program where you can plug the bike in to open up the modulator valves to bleed out the system properly. He says "Nope that just fixes the code about the ABS malfunction and does nothing for the bleeding." He adds that mine was the 3rd one he had already done and a previous one had the same issue but in the front...So there is a poor soul out there riding one of these with possible air in the front brake system. This guy is blatantly lying to my face. At this point I am so fed up with this that I know I'm calling Triumph North America when I get home to complain and to get a proper brake bleed done. Then on the way home I notice the brake fluid is already pretty dark to begin with meaning he just put some old fluid in there that has been sitting around for a while. Triumph NA apologizes profusely, calls Motorworks to set things straight. They tow my bike on their own coin(which is the only positive experience of this whole fiasco). They bled the brakes properly as instructed by Triumph NA using the computer which should have been used to begin with rather than attempting to cut corners and using dirty fluid. After I posted my sales experience on Yelp the owner called and apologized and promised something would be sent in the mail to make up for it. It never showed up but I deleted my negative sales review due to him trying set things right. read more

This place came highly recommended by another mechanic. Brought my bike in there a couple months ago. I just picked up an airhead and wanted to have the oil changed before a 1200 mile trip I was planning. They got the bike in and changed the oil. The price was in line. The people were nice. I had a great convo with one of the owners. But this is why I'm giving this place 2 stars. While I was there, I spoke to the mechanic that worked on the bike. I asked him if I should adjust the idle on the bike. When at normal temp it will idle around 800 rpm (very low in my experience). The mechanic said, "yea they idle really low these old air heads." Ok cool. I know a lot about jap bikes, but never owned a BMW before. Well, I come to find out that 800 rpm is very low for my bike. I've checked a couple of manuals and forums and the consensus seems to be correct. Ok so big deal, right? The guy gave me the wrong spec. Well hold on here...this low idle has lead to other problems and just pains with owning this thing...one being it takes forever for this bike warm up and now it hard to get it to start because the valves need to be adjusted because the bike has bee running like crap. Idle on these things is everything. I'm a hands on kind of guy. I've worked on all my cars and motorcycles. But I wanted to build a relationship with a shop, so I don't really have to deal with some issues and just pay a little more for the convenience now that I can. Forget it. A mechanic that can't even get an idle spec right on an air head (the bike that built BMW's rep) and knows what a poor idle can lead to as far as the condition of the over all engine is not worth it. Sorry guys....I'm sure all the yuppie scooter idiots will love this place (I witnessed plenty while I was there). I will never recommend this place for anyone that knows how to work on a bike, but wants to pay someone to do it. read more

My friend got his bike serviced, dunno what he had done and I can't report how it turned out for him however he swore up and down I'd lose it if I visited, so I did. Owner and one mechanic were there closing, however they kept it open and invited me to the warehouse in back full of fucking beautiful bikes including a couple unidentifiable drag projects I nearly kissed. The vintage bimmers are priced for the chicago bike market and I can't complain about a shop selling its bikes, didn't ask for prices on the warehouse bikes as I'm set for now, but I wouldn't shy from going back to check their inventory if I wanted a new project. Absolutely courteous staff, both in my experiences and from what my friend explained. read more

UPDATE 2/17/09: This place is the bomb!!! I've been looking for a rebound Vespa since totaling my LX50 months ago and pestering Johnny with questions (via email). He totally hooked me up with the most BEAUTIFUL, perfect Vespa, and for a much better price than anywhere else. Everyone here has been great to deal with, and I cannot say enough great things about Johnny (the owner) & his staff. p.s. now is SUCH a great time to buy a scooter. and no, i don't work for motoworks. (old review) this place is great for many reasons, i could list a ton but here are the main ones: 1. SERVICE: the guys here realize that waiting 3 weeks in the summer for a parts to arrive isn't cool (that's a serious chunk of the good vespa weather we have in this city) and they took a part off a new bike so i wouldn't have to wait. 2. PRICE: the employees here all seem to be nice, decent people. thanks to a stupid vandal, i needed a new seat and tires ...unlike the other places i called (piss off scooterworks and chicago cycle), they didn't quote an extra $300 simply b/c i'm a girl/vespa parts are scarce/they can/etc.. 3. HOURS: i wanted to drop my vespa off after work and no one seemed to mind that the only convenient time for me was 1/2 hour after their closing time. Al stayed late and was all smiles when i finally arrived. read more

Update: Motoworks reached out to me after my initial review, which appears below. Their service department has instituted protocols to avoid customer experiences like mine. During phone conversations their staff was honest, forthright and apologetic. Judging by the other reviews on this site, my experience was atypical. Motoworks is, unfortunately, the only motorcycle garage in Chicago with Triumph and BMW - trained mechanics. The dearth of choice for repairs would be less hard to live with if Motoworks were a decently-run operation. I've had two repairs done to my Triumph - once to replace a handlebar and later to have the water pump and temperature sensor replaced. Each time the bike was laid up in the shop for around 3 months. The shop seems to take on so many bikes that their service department is constantly backed up - resulting in frustratingly long wait times. Also, they performed repairs without informing me - once charging $99.95 for a battery without letting me know that it needed replacing. If it's broken it's broken but who wants to see unknown extras on their final bill? read more

Satisfying place to do business. Great stock of new and used rides. Staff helpful, and friendly. No pushy sales. Just honest folks who love motorcycles and enjoy riding, and want you to be able to do so too. read more

Motoworks Chicago - Ride! - Motorcycle Dealers Near Me - Chicago, Illinois