First off, before I begin, I would like to let it be known to all that Google maps (and the map here on Yelp) are actually wrong--it's close, but it's on the opposite side of the street. You won't see a sign either, some weird legal stuff they're still trying to work out, but just look on the opposite side of the road, and you'll see some of the tell-tale signs of a mechanic's shop. Edit: one of the pictures here shows the storefront well, take a gander at it so you know what to look for. I was recommended to QZ cycles for an engine rebuild by two other locations I called, one of them saying he used to work with John--and had nothing but good things to say. This Yelp page definitely speaks for itself, so I honestly don't even feel the need to write, except to say they're all correct. I'd say the big deal is that John has integrity and humility, and it's just difficult to find that so readily evident in mechanics. It's impressive, and it sticks with you. You can hear it in his voice. I left my scooter there for way too long, and when I finally had the money to come do what I had been meaning to all along, he didn't give me any trouble, even though I had my tail between my legs. His pricing is reasonable. I'm still waiting to get my bike back, but I have full confidence it will be better than it was when new when he's done with it. If there is a negative, in my particular case, the repair is coming along a little slowly, but there was a line, and I certainly took my time, so I don't fault him for it. What's more, he's working on my scooter, and I know he prefers motorcycles. Yamaha Riva 2001, for the record. Anyways, I will definitely be recommended him to people I know, and certainly be returning. Update: Not only did he perform the repair within the budget he promised, even though his hours ended up going over, in order to tune the scooter properly he serviced the carb. When it got back to me, the scooter idled so quietly that coming up to a stoplight, one would swear that it had just died. It just became silent. Unbelievable. The man is like the horse whisperer of horsepower. Zach's pretty cool as well, his personal assistant. I've since had many interaction with Jon and Zach, and they have all been positive--including giving me some studs for an exhaust for a motorcycle I later owned when I had some break off, giving free advice, and just being helpful guys. I had them do a general service on another bike I got. And they hosted a motorcycle co-op at their garage free of charge. If you want to buy the guy a beer, know that he only drinks Dos Equis. Also, don't be put off by Jon's quiet nature. He doesn't like people talking too much or sitting over his shoulder. It's just his way; but he's an honest man who does good work. Zach will make a much better conversation companion if you need someone to talk over what's going on. Anyways, steller service. I do most of my own work now, but they are the only shop in town I'd consider going to. read more

John did some great work on my 2003 Concours last week. First, I thought I had a major issue when my shifter petal ended up 3-4 inches below the normal position and was hard locked in that position. John had prepared me that this could involve pulling the engine from the frame and tearing it down if the break was internal which would be about 15 hours of labor according to his unseen estimate. I trailered the bike to John after getting referred to him by a riding buddy of mine. I called John after leaving the bike before the shop opened and he already had the shifter issue fixed...turned out it had disconnected and he had already rejoined it. I then went over to the shop to discuss the other repairs I wanted: 1) a medium service 2) fix the persistent, slow engine oil leak the bike had had for about 5 years and which taking to both the main Kawa shops locally resulting in money paid and no resolution When I got to the shop, he showed me what he had done to the shift linkage and said it was a freebie! Wow! So I discussed the rest of what I wanted. He said he would need till possibly Thursday but most likely Friday (this was a Tuesday), not a bad wait at all. I spoke to him about the oil leak and the service I wanted and all was good. I followed up with John on Thursday and he needed another day from that point (still maybe Friday late or Saturday afternoon)...as he had found that my rear brakes were about 10% and fronts about 40 and suggesting change all way around. I approved that work and the estimate was very fair. We spoke on Friday and set up plan for me to get the bike Saturday. When I got the bike and rode it, I was immensely pleased and excited. He had told me he also adjusted the carbs and had dealt with some OEM plugs and adjusted the idle in the process. As I began riding, I immediately I noticed the idle was about 250-300 rpm lower and the bike was running smooth....suuuuper smooth. The engine note and volume was sooo much calmer and less labored than when I last rode. The bike now feels like it is handling its paces with much less effort. Shifter is great and the leak? NO LEAK! John did a wonderful de-greasing of the bike in the course of tracing that issue, found a couple of hose joint bolts where there were leaks and tightened them down. It will take time and miles to know if he resolved that which 2 other mechanics had no clue about, but it looks so much more positive at this point. He also told me if I were to find any subsequent leak, to bring it by and let him look at it. I agree with lots that's been said on here about John and Q.Z.: he's a pro that knows is stuff, he treats his customers fairly from a pricing perspective. In my first experience with him, it appears that John's concern with doing the job right and having his customers rides performing to the utmost is very evident. read more

To begin let me tell you that John is a professional in every sense of the word. He knows anything on 2 wheels like the back of his hand. He is reasonable and as honest as they come. When he calls you to discuss your problems, he has his facts correct. There are no hidden suprises when you go to pick your bike up. I own a 1986 GSXR 1100 with 5,000 original miles on it. It had sat in a collectors living room for years and as expected it had carb issues, and other minor age related items. After dealing with almost every single bike shop in Waco and getting ripped off for hundreds of dollars, I started calling Austin based shops. Threee out of the four shops I called gave me John's name and said he was the man based on the age of the bike. He is factory trained and knows his business. I found John and got put on his waiting list. I rode the bike to him and basically told him to start at the front and work his way to the back and check out everything on the bike. I asked that he work on it in between other jobs since it was very time consuming. He kept in touch and relayed every single little find to me as he progressed. He rebuilt the forks since the seals were leaking from sitting for years and he totally rebuilt the entire fuel system where it had been gummed up from sitting all that time. He redid the brake pads and checked them out and he checked and adjusted everything on the bike. When he got into the carbs he informed me that the previous idiot working on it to install a jet kit had basically mangled the carb job. Idiot is what I called the guy not John. It was fouling plugs every 500 miles. He ordered all the parts from Suzuki and somehow managed to put back what was missing or damaged. When I picked it up it was perfect. He had put new tires on it and a new chain and sprocket and honestly the bike was in nice shape to begin with but it looked factory new now and ran awesome. I kept the bike about 3 weeks and he needed it back to check the plugs. He adjusted the carbs once more to match the pipe and that was over 2,000 miles ago. The bike runs as smooth as new and it starts without even touching the choke. I don't have much faith in people but I have to say I will never take my bike anywhere else for anything to include oil changes. John is polite, honest, he's a bike fanatic and he is as good as gold. If he ever decides to quit this or moves on, I am not sure of what I will do. It is such a pleasure meeting someone who turned an almost "sold" nightmare into a dream from the past. John thanks a ton for fixing this and making this bike factory fresh. I cannot say enough good things! read more

I have a 1982 Honda Goldwing GL 1100 Interstate. I had picked it up from my sister who was no longer using it, which is totally irrelevant to this discussion, except when they stored it they didn't store it properly. I was fouling the plug in cylinder 3. After doing what little I could do myself I took it to Woods Fun Center. That is where they graciously informed me it was way to old for them to sully their mitts on, but that is a different story. They did do one thing that was great though they sent me to John. John is a wonderful guy, particularly to those of us with just enough understanding of motorcycles to get us in trouble. I took my load of issues to John, along with my pitiful story of troubleshooting to no avail. He took the bike that day, and I got it back 2 weeks later. Like new it runs! He rebuilt the carbs, cleaned the micro rust particles out of the tank, and spent quite a bit of time slowly working out the stuck jet in carb three that was causing the problem. Rather than breaking the jet off, as it had corroded and glued itself in, and charging me for a new carb body he soaked it long enough so that he was able to remove it properly and saved me a ton of cash right there. He do quite a bit of other things to it as well, little adjustments, inspections and general stuff that no one does any more, and did them for free. When I went to pick up the bike we spent a good 20 or 30 minutes going over what he did, what he found and what he recommended to resolve a few minor issues that I didn't even have a clue about. All in all he did an amazing job for a very reasonable fee and delivered the bike in tip top condition. I highly recommend John and his shop to any one needing bike repair no matter what age. I picked the bike up on Monday and left Austin and rode to Philly over the next 9 days. My gas mileage increased from high 20's to over 40 MPG, even riding two up. It starts easier now and runs like a dream. Again, if you need bike repairs and not a bunch of double talk and large bills, go see John. I am so totally annoyed I had to move out of state right after I found this guy. Highly recommended honest businessman. Thanks John. read more

Stop looking around and take your bike to John !!! I had a problem with my kawasaki dirtbike carb leaking fuel all the time. I know lots of mechanics and had them all check out my bike but after taking off ,adjusting, and putting on the carb over 10 times( no exaggeration) I finally had to look elsewhere, I got on here and did my research and found out that john use to be the head mechanic at woods for many years, If you know woods fun center then you know that they sell and service alot of brands so I knew that my dirtbike problem wouldn't be something new to him, also I figured that since he now has his own shop it would cut out the big expensive costs of the dealer like woods First off when you show up you meet john, the proffesional who is going to actually be working on your bike, not some kid who gets paid by writing big service tickets. He was honest and straight forward which you can't put a price on anymore and he said that if he can't fix it he WOULD NOT charge me, that right there had me hooked Anyway come to figure out it was a scratch on the needle seat of my carb which on my bike happened to be permanently fixed to the carb, not replaceable, so instead of john trying to charge me 300$ for a new carb he said that he would do an experiment and see if he could put a seat from an old kawasaki carb that he had laying around, This is unheard of in a big shop and I was very pleased that he would take the time to try that for me even though it might work Of course it worked and he charged me a fantastic price of under a hundred dollars, he said because it was a frankentstein it was hard to adjust it perfect but once I got it on the bike it worked perfect. Like I said there is no price on honesty and Johns honesty alone should tell you to load your bike up and take it to him already. But you must call first because he is only by appointment read more

First visit (2010): I had previously taken my bike to Central Texas Power Sports (in Georgetown) and they had proceeded to screw up just about every aspect of the transaction/repair. What seemed like an easy fix turned in to numerous trips to the shop, ridiculous inconveniences, and an ever-growing bill (not to mention an unheard of list of excuses). Just when I had about thrown in the towel on this bike (my first, by the way), I randomly (and luckily) found John Keyser/QZ Cycle. A bike that would often stall while in first gear and had trouble dependably starting just needed some minor choke and throttle adjustments. Prepared to pay a somewhat hefty sum (as previously charged at Central Texas Power Sports), I was shocked when John only charged me $100. Somewhat skeptical at that point from my prior experiences, I was completely amazed when the 10-year old cruiser rode like a brand new bike! Second visit: (5/2011): I recently brought the bike back to John. It primarily needed an oil change and standard service. However, it had been a bit slow to start after not being driven heavily throughout the winter months and extended work weeks. Being a 2000 model bike, I thought it might just be getting older and in need of add'l repair (or possible replacement). However, I really like this bike and would hate to have to get rid of it. John took the bike in Saturday afternoon, had it serviced, and called me back with the prognosis (for the starting issue) by the end of Monday. Turned out that it needed a part replaced, and, by that point, John had my trust. Picked the bike up on Wednesday and it rode great! [And, as usual, it cost me a fraction of what any other shop would have charged.] I ended up getting to ride all weekend. Thanks again, John! read more

I was at a loss, I had moved back to Austin from Dallas and the Motorcycle Shop I used previously had gone..... Its a horrible time when you have to take that most precious of things to a new place... they just don't love her as much ... what if something goes wrong ... what if they are on e of those types of cowboy outfits where you get shoddy work and are left with a box of parts and a big bill...... I did a bunch of research and asked around read up on Yelp , and found QZ I was a little nervous, but I figured... everyone says good things. I had a full service and check done on my Honda along with a full carb balance and new tires. I asked Zack to give her a good once over Twice as I had only ridden about 3 times in the last year. My Honda is 22 yrs old and runs like a new bike .. its AMAZING it left me speechless how well it rides .. better than when i bought it. My advice would be, if you need a bike mechanic ... stop looking you found him. But here is the thing that sealed the deal for me, I took my project Ninja 250 for a carb job , it just would not run, the carbs on those are known for being fussy and truculent. I get a call to say its ready I drive to get it, Zack calls me back and says ... " I took it for another test I am not happy with it , I don't want this to represent my work , can I keep it a bit longer I want to get it right for you" Two days later my Ninja that wouldn't hold an Idle runs like dream .... it sits at 950 RPM and throttle response is instant. I have found my new Mechanic... I might suggest that you have too. it is so hard to find quality these days QZ represents great quality work and world class customer service.. and they are pretty nice guys too :-) read more

Yep, you guessed it, another amazing review for QZ cycles. My old bike shop was part of an automotive garage, but when the owner sold it, the new owner went to just servicing cars.........when I stopped by to ask who they might recommend for bike work, they didn't skip a beat and told me QZ cycles. I have two bikes, an older Suzuki Intruder 800, and a new Honda VTX 1300. When I called up there to see if John could work on both, I was told "no problem, I can take a look at both of them". Nice to know that he feels comfortable working on bikes from the 90's as well as 2010's. I told John that my old bike wasn't running, and I thought the problem was the starter and battery, he immediately began asking me questions over the phone to help diagnose the problem and see if it really was what I thought it was. I think it's amazing for someone to take the time to talk to you about your problem first before you have to bring it in for them to look at. Unfortunately, this wasn't going to be an easy fix, so I had to schedule my Suzuki for next week. My VTX just needed an oil change, so he told me to bring it in right away, and he would fit me in. I went there this morning and John stopped what he was doing and changed the oil on my VTX, but that wasn't all..........John went over the whole bike with me pointing out and lubing all the friction points, checking my tire pressure, he even topped off my coolant. He treated my bike like it was his own, and I could tell that he really loves and cares about what he does. And on top of all that, John is just a genuinely nice guy!! He's personable, friendly and knowledgeable.........What more could you possibly ask for in a mechanic? read more

After 2 weeks of calling and being told to 'call next week' by another repair shop on Burnet Road, I went on the search for Plan B, and found Q. Z. Cycle here on Yelp. I needed someone to take a look at my sluggish, backfiring Honda Shadow 750 that hasn't really seen the inside of a shop in a couple of years. (Great thing about those Honda's, right?) I called Q. Z. and was told the boss was on a test ride, so I said I'd call back. Not 10 minutes later, *I* got a call back from John himself. Whoa. He could take the bike that day. It went in Wednesday, he gave me a low-bar (minor service around $80 I think) and a worst case (carb work around $260) estimate, and said he'd give me an update in a couple of days. When I got the update it was the worst case, which I was prepared for, but the best news was that the bike would be ready Saturday for the great riding weather. Total bill for cleaning up/adjusting/syncing the carburetor, doing a major service including valves,chain adjust, parts, plugs & all fluids: right around $450. Totally fair in my book to clean up a slightly abused engine considering I'm a fair weather commuting rider that hasn't had to pay for anything other than gas and chain lube since late 2007. Today was the first time I had a chance to take it out to and from work, and my bike fired right up. It's back to feeling like it wants to get out there and run, and I feel great being out there again smelling the mountain laurel and feeling the wind. I hope I don't have to be in a shop again for a while, but if that time comes, Q Z is going to be my first choice. read more

It's tough to find a motorcycle repair shop that is trustworthy, friendly, efficient, and good at what they do. But here it is. These guys are true motorcycle enthusiasts, people that ride and take pride in their wrenching. I took my Nighthawk 750 up for a tire change due to a nail (again), and they had it changed within an hour; not only that, but he also fixed, as a courtesy, several other small but still important issues: throttle cable didn't have enough slack in it, causing it not to spring back; brake lights didn't work due to bad connection on front/rear brake lever/pedal; he also lubricated all normal pivots points, including the shift lever, clutch lever, and front and rear foot pegs. Again, this was done at no charge! Compare this to Woods Fun Center, who took days to replace my tire, only for me to get it back and find they had put the drain caps on the swingarm upside down (it has a pointing arrow that says "up" -- how obvious can you get?). The bike goes back to QZ Cycle soon to get the chain replaced (stretched). Labor is inexpensive, so I don't mind taking it here! Compared to Woods, who charged me $60/tire (not including the tire) to change the tire, QZ Cycle only charges a half hour ($37.50). The same is being charged for the chain change (plus part). It's good to know there are people out there who value craftsmanship and take pride in their work. QZ Cycle has earned my loyalty. read more

If you are looking for a motorcycle repair shop in the Austin area that you can trust to take care of your bike, don't waste anymore time searching - you've found it. My experience with John and Q. Z. Cycle is easily the best service experience I've had in recent memory. What are we looking for when we have our motorcycle (or anything else) serviced? I think everyone will agree it is 1) a shop that knows what they're doing (and isn't arrogant about it), 2) a shop that takes their work seriously and follows through thoroughly, 3) straight-shooting and no b.s. - before you drop off your motorcycle, while it's in the shop, AND after you pick it up, and 4) a fair price for a job well done at the end of your business. John delivers all the way on these important points and more. My Honda 750 is my primary mode of transportation, so I take its upkeep seriously. I know I can ride with peace of mind now that I've taken it here. Somebody already beat me at calling John "The Motorcycle Whisperer." I'll say it, too. Others have also already talked about trusting Q. Z. Cycle. I do too. Period. If "you get what you pay for," I don't even want to THINK about what I was paying for before I brought it here. Now I won't be taking my motorcycle anywhere else. Unless John takes his shop somewhere else, then maybe I'll move. Yes, it's that good. And you know how rare it is to find it. 5 STARS... easy. read more

I have an '89 Yamaha FZR600 that had been sitting for awhile. I worked on the bike several years ago and knew the bike had problems. I just ran out of time and energy for the project. The bike had run at one time so I initially just thought it just needed some carb work. It turns out the bike needed much more than just carb work, and thankfully John at Q.Z. was able to get the bike running like a champ again. The bike needed a carb rebuild (apparently they were in a pretty bad state), an engine rebuild, new fork seals, a new battery, new spark plugs, CDI change (I had a spare), coil change (again I had spares), new tires, some miscellaneous smaller parts, fluids flush, an inspection, and probably some other things I'm forgetting. Q.Z. took care of all the part ordering, which can sometimes be difficult for an older bike. John kept me apprised of his progress throughout and gave me reasonable prices for the work done. After he was done with the work, John put some mileage on the bike to make sure it was in good mechanical order. John is a straightforward and honest guy to deal with, and I highly recommend his shop. I will go to Q.Z. for my motorcycle needs in the future. I'm having a great time riding the FZR again. Keep the rubber side down. read more

I'm very glad I found John and QZ Cycle. I've had an 82 Honda XR250 for 20yrs and it runs great but the suspension is shot. I love to trail ride and love the XR. I found a real clean 2002 XR250 and bought it. It was in good shape, but had a few issues with the front brakes. I took it to John, and he did a "regular service" on it, which included changing the oil and filter, lubed all pivot points, checked and adjuster brakes, cleaned out carb bowl, and some other items. Dropped it off one Sat., picked it up the next Sat. He did all this for a very reasonable price, and it rides and runs great now. I told John about my 82, and he said he can rebuild the rear shock and re-do the front forks as well. That was great news because the dealer wouldn't touch it due to its age. I will be taking in the 82 to John in the near future, and then I'll have two great running XR's! John is a nice guy and he will take the time to explain what is needed for your bike. He won't push repairs on you that you don't need. He is the real deal. If you need work on your bike, whether it's a vintage model, or newer, John at QZ Cycle will get it done for a fair price. read more

My 2008 V-Star 1300 had a really bad clicking noise which turned out to be the valves need to be adjusted which is nothing more that just a in the butt to do. I call QZ cycles after doing a search for motorcycle repair on Google. Zac I believe was the name of the young man that answer the phone. I told him my problem and he said bring in tomorrow and we have it done by 5pm. He quoted me $225 to do the valve adjustment which I thought was very reasonable considering how difficult it is to gain access to the 4 intake valve. (3-4 hour job) Well I went ahead and asked them to replace the plugs, oil, and oil filter while they were at it. I dropped of my bike the next day and by 5pm it was done like he said. And oh my Lord does my bike run well now. No clicking noise and just runs like new. I think Richard was the name of there Master mechanic and he just did a wonderful job. Zac was very professional and friendly. The Yamaha deal in George town wanted $450 to $550 to do the same job. I will be going back to QZ cycle any time in need a motorcycle worked on!!! read more

I foolishly let my bike sit too long over the winter and of course it wouldn't start. When I looked around for a good repair shop, all the reviews were either poor or mixed for all the bike shops in town. I didn't know where to take it. And so it sat in the driveway. I finally discovered QZ Cycle on Yelp and took my bike in based on the great reviews. Today, I got my bike back and couldn't be happier. After over a year of sitting outside, it needed a carb clean, tank repair, and general servicing. John did a great job and delivered my bike on estimate and on time. He also cleaned my bike and had it inspected next door at YOS so that it was all ready to go when I picked it up. Did I mention that he met me on Thanksgiving day to deliver my bike? How's that for service? Hopefully I won't have another problem like this, but if I do I'll take it back to John at Q.Z. Highly recommended! P.S. - the shop may be a little hard to find at first. But if you see the sign for YOS Automotive, you're in the right place and Q.Z is right next door. read more

OK, here goes! Just got my GPz back from John at Q.Z......Lets make note of the first thing, I dropped it off on Saturday morning of the 8th and it was ready this morning, the 11th before noon, rock on John. Dropped off for carb work, absolutely unbelievable, All I can say is that it was running when I left it, And now its a night and day difference, The power is as good as the day it was made and its down right dangerous to ride now. The throttle response (even being carberated) is dead on, Its alive!!! Alive I tell you, remember this is almost a 25 year old bike, Thanks again John, and by the way, he did more than he was asked to do, adjusting & tuning till he was pleased, I forgot how fast something would go in a short distance, The speedo says 150, I bet it'll do 135 or better now before it tops out, and it'll do it fast to, I'll let everybody know how that turns out next time I get long enough road, till then, ride hard , ride fast, and don't go between the headlights . JOHN U DA MAN........crotchrocketrider..aka grandpa. read more

I brought my bike in to Q Z Cycle to get a new back tire on January 5, 2011. I ride every day commuting to work and take long trips between Texas and California several times a year on my motorcycle. It's important that I find a shop that A) really knows what they're doing B) charges a fair price C) completes the work on time. John at Q Z gets full marks. He got the tire in a day at minimal mark up. All he had to do was replace the tire, but as he knew that I was setting out in a few days, he called attention to details that would have affected my journey. The man is obviously a master at his trade, professional and punctual (changed the tire quickly as I waited), yet he's also very pleasant and considerate. Given the difficulty in dealing with repair shops who overcharge, perform shoddy work, and are often impersonal if not rude, Q Z Cycle is a boon from heaven. I highly recommend their shop. You will receive an excellent price for services, a high degree of professionalism, and personal attention for your motorcycle. read more

I ride a V Star 1100 and recently took it to another shop to have the carb worked on. Shortly after, I noticed that the bike was running rough and I was referred to John. I took my bike to John and he quickly diagnosed a list of possible issues. I told him that I recently paid to get my V Star worked on somewhere else and didn't have the cash to shell out for another major service. He gave me a very reasonable quote and completed the work in less than a week. During the time my bike was in the shop, he noticed that a part was actually missing in my carb, which usually requires an expensive kit. Despite this, John kept true to his original quote. In addition, he adjusted the valves and he gave the bike a complete once over to make sure that everything else was is working order. It has been over a week now and I can't believe how excellent my bike rides! If you are looking for a new mechanic and motorcycle repair shop, you should definitely give these guys a shot! read more

If you're looking for a bike shop that is honest, straight forward, and no-nonsense, then Q.Z. Cycle is the place to go. I have an '85 Honda shadow. My bike had trouble starting, it appear to only be running on one cylinder, and was a gutless wonder (obviously). I needed the cards need to be reworked... so I needed a trustworthy mechanic. I asked around and heard good things about Mr. Keyser. Took my bike to him and explain the problems I was having. He gave me an estimate, and he was true to his word. The carburetors were way more screwed up than I previously thought, and yet he still got them working like practically brand-new. Now my little Honda runs like a big Honda. I have more things to fix on it, and I will definitely take my bike back to John for anything I cannot do myself. If you are mechanically UN-inclined, or a shade tree mechanic keep John in mind for those things you cannot do youself; if you want it done right. read more