Trusting your motorcycle to a repair shop is no easy feat. Firstly, far less motorcycle repair shops even exist compared to car repair shops. Then out of this small pool, you're supposed to find the most skilled mechanics who don't treat you like a tool for not knowing how to adjust your own valves. Secondly, if they f*ck up, it could mean your death. Yes, motorcycles are essentially engines strapped to wheels and not much else. They have to be in the best shape possible or you could DIE. Lastly, your relationship to your bike is exquisitely unique. You feel every turn, stop, acceleration, and bump with your motorcycle. And you accept your bike's every oddity, quirk and personality issue. Because when you straddle your bike, no enclosed compartment, bucket seats, and climate control separate you from the unique pleasure of becoming one with your fast moving death machine. This is why, when you take your baby in for maintenance or a simple wrench job, you want your bike to be in the best hands possible. I have a 2012 Triumph Bonneville. I love my bike. I love pulling up on the throttle and feeling the two tires underneath move the earth behind me at many many many miles per hour per hour. When I park it. I always look back for an admiring stare. When I come back to it, I pause to take in its beauty. When possible, I do my own work. But for the more involved mods, I had to take it in to the original dealership. The first strike: they charged me way more than the initial estimate. I get it. Sometimes you run into issues that make the process last longer. I wasn't happy. But I sucked it up. But then on another visit, they forgot to bolt one of my side covers back. I found out it had been hanging on the side of my bike the entire 45-minute ride home. And then had to ride back because they had the bolt. Strike two. And then strike three, whenever I went there, I never felt like I was a welcome part of the shop. I tried to have conversations about bikes. But I really felt like I was at some lower level of motorcycle geekdom. I decided never to go back. So I decided to try SUB based on Yelp reviews. And after doing some Internet digging, I found that the owner of SUB used to own Ducati Seattle. When I mentioned that to a Monster-owning friend of mine, he urged me to check them out because he had fond memories of Dave (the SUB owner) and dealing with that shop in the past. I called SUB and call itself was a positive experience. I wasn't transferred to some other department or put on hold and forgotten. I talked directly to one of the mechanics. He quoted me a price and assured me that they have a ton of Trumpet experience. When you enter, you immediately feel the mom and pop vibe of the shop. It isn't full of plastic or sleek thousand-dollar displays. It's simply four walls with a lot of used motorcycles, used gear, and super friendly staff. Dave greets you as soon as you walk in, and the mechanics greet you too. This is no mega-shop dealer with overeager gangs of otherwise bored looking employees. What you see is what you get. And you get something that has long been missing from the motorcycle scene in Seattle, a small shop where you can lounge around, have some real talk about bikes, and never feel like you're a nuisance or annoying. They even invited me into the repair area, so they could show me the process. Dave doesn't even mind going through Craigslist with you to show you bikes that he thinks are good deals, from sellers who aren't SUB! My experience was unforgettable. I felt at home with the staff there. And other people who dropped by had similar comments. Then when the time came to pay, no surprises at the register. They charged me just as they had promised and even fixed another slight issue that they caught. I left with a smile on my face, and a promise to write this review. This is where I'll be taking my bike from now on. I unequivocally recommend SUB for all your bike repair needs. They may not have the bike you are looking for. But that's ok. You can drop by and Dave will help you find the best bike for you somewhere else! If you want a simple shop that's a cross between a neighborhood bar and your bike geek friend's garage and that reminds you why you started riding motorcycles in the first place, then go to SUB and go nowhere else. tl;dr SUB treated me with respect, never talked down to me, had great rates, charged me what they quoted, and made me feel like family. Go here! read more

Seattle Used Bikes is amazing. David is so professional and knowledgeable. I would absolutely recommend SUB if you're looking to buy or sell a used motorcycle. Truly a first-class operation who understands exceptional customer service. read more

I have gone to SUB ever since I bought my first motorcycle five years ago. I have been through about a dozen bikes by now and for each one I have either been here to have their mechanics work on the bike or to help me order parts and even walk me through how to repair the parts I already had - to not throw more money down into the motorcycle pit. My best memory, of coming to SUB, was having the owner Dave help take the carburetors off of my Gixxer and take me back into the shop. Take them all apart with me, clean them and even help rebuild them. The whole thing took less than half an hour when his crack of a mechanic went to work on it! As long as I am in Washington I will be bringing my motorcycle problems to SUB. read more

My bike had been sitting in my garage with a dead battery and other minor issues, so needed a tow. I was running behind, but Dave stayed after hours and waited for me to drop off my bike. I also did not have a tip for the tow truck driver and Dave took care of that for me--how embarrassing on my part! Dropped off bike on a Tuesday night and bike was quoted for being done by weekend. I ended up getting it back by the end of the next day. Great customer service all around! read more

WOW!!!! I'm a fan for life! Extremely proactive, I gave them a laundry list of repairs and they fixed them all and noticed some things I missed. Having a mechanic that is proactive and identifies issues, takes action to repair them is a mechanic worth their weight in gold plus the weight of the bike they fix. They are cost conscious and sensitive to their customer's needs. I ride a Suzuki SV650 and am new to the motorcycle scene. They repaired my bike as requested, gave suggestions and recommendations per my questions and smiled the whole time! The work is solid. I double checked it. I'm impressed that I could provide parts I wanted used and they used them. I've purchased some of the used gear they sale there (pants and jacket). They've great advice, know their stuff, have the experience. I always receive a warm and friendly welcome when I arrive. I've recommend them to friends and coworkers and will continue to use them. THANK YOU, DAVE AND ROB!!!!!! read more

This shop may be capable of doing good work, but they certainly did not do it for me. I created a Yelp account just so I could tell this story. In their defense, they had problems getting parts from a supplier, and this added to the delay. But it doesn't excuse the incredible pattern of non-communication, broken promises, and outright lies I was told over the course of months. Here are the highlights. On June 17, I call SUB to set up an appointment to fix a broken speedometer and to do a servicing. Owner Dave schedules me for Friday June 27, and says that in the meantime he will order a new speedometer cable so that it will be on hand when I bring in the bike. (In fact, the cable isn't ordered at this time, and nobody does any work on the speedometer until September 2.) During the servicing, SUB found two problems that actually did need attention, involving the rear wheel and the variator fan. On July 10, I get scheduled to bring in the bike on Tuesday July 22, once again with the promise that the parts would be ordered in advance. When I bring in the bike on the scheduled day, Dave does not tell me that the parts have not arrived, and instead he promises the work will be done by the end of the week. Having heard nothing by Friday July 25, I call Dave, who tells me they never got the parts and they haven't started work. (I wonder when he was planning to tell me.) On Friday August 1, I call Dave, who says that the parts have arrived, that my repair is their first priority, and the work will be done on Saturday or Monday at the very latest. In fact, they do nothing until Thursday, when they start work and discover they were sent the wrong parts. A week later, I call Dave for status; he says he will call the supplier that day and call me back with news - he never calls back. On Tuesday August 19, I call Dave who tells me "I have the parts in my hand." He promises the work will be done Friday at the latest. I hear nothing that week; when I call the next Tuesday August 26, he says that he is still waiting on the variator fan (turns out it wasn't in his hand after all). He says all the other work is done (not true), and when the fan arrives, my bike will be the top priority. On Thursday August 28, Dave calls me to say that the variator fan has been obtained, and that the bike will be ready to pick up the next day at noon. When I show up on Friday at 1:30, I learn that the work is not done (and they didn't call to spare me the unnecessary trip). Nothing has been done on the speedometer or on a simple fender repair I had asked them to fix months previously, and now they can't get the bike to start - even though there had never been any ignition problems before. Dave suggests I call back at 5:30, and I tell him it's his job to call me (which he doesn't do until the next Wednesday). It takes them several days to diagnose the ignition problem, which arose only while the bike was at their shop. On the plus side, they don't charge me for the labor involved in fixing the problem they caused. On Wednesday September 2, I get a call explaining that the bike runs now, but that when they finally looked at the speedometer they realized the problem is actually not in the cable; it will take at least another hour of labor to fix. I tell them not to bother. They seem like nice guys, but you can't believe a word they say. I won't be going back. read more

amazing staff. while other shops had me waiting weeks for a small ask/request these guys not only emailed me options but when I stopped by they fixed the problem in 10 minutes. excellent mechanics, excellent experience, definitely going back! read more

I saw a triumph Daytona 675 on craigslist and went to check it out at the shop. Dave, the owner, was very helpful and set me up with a test ride right away. I loved the bike and decided to take it that day. Dave gave me a great deal and we had all the paperwork signed in about 15 mins! He also threw in free t-shirts and leather key chains for me and my girlfriend. The whole staff is great and down to earth, really easy to talk to and work with. We'll definitely be taking the bike back for any maintenance we need. Would definitely recommend this place to anyone read more

I came to Dave (who owns the shop and does the sales end of things) looking for my first bike, and Dave was right there alongside me throughout the process. He talked me through his recommendations, and answered my questions thoughtfully and thoroughly. I wound up buying the cheapest bike in the shop (a consigned 2004 SV650S), which he sold me for another ~$250 dollars off the already low sticker price. Dave never tried to upsell me, push me toward a bigger or smaller bike, or anything you expect from a salesman. Even things that were out of my price range (ducati monsters, CBR1000RR, GSX-R, etc) were fair game, knowing that I wasn't shopping for that level of price/bike. The SV had a few upcoming maintenance issues (brake rotors/pads), which Dave warned me about in advance. Everything else had been changed or checked, and the bike has run fantastically from the start. I brought the bike in for maintenance/service a few different times- had heated grips installed, brake rotors/pads checked (turned out my front rotors were warped), etc. Repairs/checks were always quick and for minor adjustments, often free. I brought the bike in after my first time removing wheels/setting wheel alignments, and Dave had their mechanics check them on the spot, for free. Amazing follow-up customer care. I would absolutely recommend this shop and Dave to my friends, family, and strangers on Yelp. I usually do, when someone mentions hunting for a bike. read more

Dave seems like a nice guy up front. Good team of mechanics working there, too. Little did I know, Dave has the temperament of a 12 year old. I signed a contract for 1-hour of work, Dave went ahead and did 4 hours. At $135 an hour, that ain't cheap. I complained, as any person would, and he fought back tooth and nail. In the end, he said he never wanted to see me again and threatened to have his mechanics UNDO some of the work they had done. Remember the 12 year old thing? Yeah. read more

I will not go to another place to get work done on my bike. Dave, Bardsley, and Robert at SUB are top notch! Great customer service and great workmanship on the repairs. I highly recommend them. read more

I took my Ducati 998 to SUB today to get some adjustments made and I was very impressed! Robert was my tech. He did a great job and was extremely informative about the bike. I appreciated how passionate he was about bikes and I felt very welcome the whole time I was in the shop. I will be back for my service needs in the future. read more

Great shop! They scheduled my bike for service as soon as they could, did all the repairs quicker than I expected and even let me pick it the keys after hours from the shop next door. My bike came back to me spotless and running great. Hopefully I can buy a bike from them too when I am ready to upgrade :D read more

Great bike shop! Thought i had an expensive issue but they figured out a way to save me big time. Cool mellow crew not out to make a buck. Yelp git me there and like other reviewers, i was super happy. read more

One of the best MOTO SHOPS around! Dave and his band of merry me are excellent at what they do! I recommend that you read more reviews and don't take my word for it about how good the shop really is. It's in a very very small space but don't let that fool you they have a great staff of people who understand bikes inside and out! read more

It's a great little shop, tucked away on the highway. They really do a great job with service, their techs are incredibly knowledgeable, and comfortable with any bike. They can get backed up in the summer time, so do book your service in advance before any big road trips. Their inventory is also really interesting, their Ducati selection in solid, some old super sports and newer Monsters. They have amazing prices. It certainly beats driving all over town to negotiate some sport bike with an owner who won't budge a dollar when the bike doesn't even start. read more

Good people. I brought in my 74' honda cb200 that needed carb work. They took a look at my bike and called me to report serious problems with the front end of my bike. They involved me in the decision making process and kept me updated. This is where the SKILZ factor came in. They basically problem solved a serious issue without costing me a million $$$. So I'm happy. read more

I brought my motorcycle into Dave's shop for a major servicing and Dave's team did an amazing job at turning it around quickly. He mentioned that he was a man short in the shop, but that he'd push to have it done by end of day. Not only did I get an "all done!" call 2 hours earlier than I thought, he also knocked off a part from the quote they'd discovered didn't need replacing. The bike's running and sounding great now. Thanks Dave & Co.! read more

Dave Roosevelt has always done a good job working on my bikes when I needed something I couldnt do myself, and especially since Ducati Seattle packed up and left Seattle for Lake City. SUB specializes in Ducati bikes and vintage cafe bikes, so you can usually find what you are looking for with service at SUB. read more

Well let me just start by saying my first experience was a delight and that is hard to get me to say. Very fast and friendly and I really like the set up. I was only going in for an oil top off and curious because I never had seen this location before. They had me in and done in about thirty seconds and I could tell right away they were professional and not your'e average bike shop experience. After explaining my excitement for finding a shop that is so close the owner seemed to get excited for me as well and didn't charge me...Like I said a delight. I am up to date on repairs and tune ups however when I am in need of work I will look forward to return to this shop and will recommend my friends. read more

Good service. Generous with knowledge. Community builders.

Guys are good, know their bikes. They keep on the schedule and budget. Taken a couple bikes there, they take the time to understand the issue and even give you advice to solve problems on your own. read more

Dave (S.U.B. owner/operator) has always gone above and beyond for my husband and I. We have purchased motorcycles, gear, and accessories plus had major services done at the shop. Quality service with a smile every time! Dave's knowledge, low pressure attitude and willingness to go the extra mile keep us coming back. read more

Wheels!! Three thousand miles later, including a lot of pavement (some hardly qualifying as pavement) and some off-road including uncomfortable ruts I probably should have avoided, my wheels are still round and true thanks to the expertise of BARD the Wheel Man. I won't trust anyone else - especially after another well-known and not inexpensive shop charged me just to (I learned later) "eyeball" them during the 600 mile tune and after I told them about a known and measurable wobble. Here's to SUB and Bard! It's good to feel secure on a great bike. read more

Brought two bikes in for work...Aprilia for repairs and new tires, and BMW for some crash damage. Dave was super communicative with frequent email updates and always available to talk, and the work was top notch and done quickly. Nice guys too. Highly recommend! read more

Great experience at Seattle Used Bikes. I had Dave sell my Ducati Monster 1100evo on consignment. He sold some riding gear for me also. Dave took good care of my bike while it was in his store and kept me well informed anytime someone showed interest. My bike was sold in a few short weeks and I couldn't be happier with the whole experience. Thanks Dave. read more

Seattle used bikes is a fantastic motorcycle shop. I found myself with a snapped chain on my Yamaha wr250r just off of aurora ave and 39th street on my way to Fremont this morning. I needed a new master link for my chain, and while walking up north on aurora I decided to stop into SUB. They didn't have a space master link in my size (I was informed that they just opened shop 3 months ago and are working on stocking more parts) but they went the extra mile by calling a few local shops for me to help me locate the part. To top it off, the owner, Dave, drove me to aurora Suzuki to pick the part up, an back down to my bike to replace it. These are the kind of folks who live and create motorcycles, and are as much about the riding community as they are about running a stellar business. I'm forever grateful for their help and hospitality, that they have made a new customer in a major way for myself, my referrals, and my 2 motorcycle garage which is continually growing. read more

A couple weeks ago I took my 1999 Ducati Monster dark into his shop to get carbs cleaned, which he said was going to cost $300 dollars, which is steep in itself for a carb cleaning, but being local I couldn't help but feel obligated to support my local green lake shop. Fast forward AN ENTIRE THREE WEEKS they tell me I have a faulty trigger coil which is going to cost me another $300... Being the nice guy that I am, I gave them the green light to do the work on the coil, which took them another two weeks! So now I'm almost 800-900 dollars into this project and have been inconvenienced with not having transportation for an entire month and it's costing me an arm and a leg. So I get my bike back and shake hands with Dave the manager, take my bike home and on the way home it failed TWICE. I call them back, Dave comes and picks up my bike in his truck, which I must say was very nice of him, but after a day of them test driving my bike and then doing absolutely nothing and told me there was nothing keeping it from running, charges me another $100 dollars for labor charges... And then after I decide not giving them 150$ to do extra work, they ask me if I'm going to "ride my bike into the ground". Really professional. In conclusion, my bike hardly starts. When it runs it tends to fail. I have had absolutely no luck with this shop and if you're smart you will avoid this business. Later I was speaking with a friend of mine who was saying the shop has a go-fund me to keep this place open. If that doesn't tell you something about this place, I don't know what does. If you want your Ducati actually fixed, take it to Ducati Seattle and see Jason. This shop is an absolute joke. Disclaimer: Just because I gave this place two star doesn't mean I'm blind with rage. I'm just being real and wanting to steer riders in the right direction and not have to go through what I went through. read more

Dave was very helpful in giving me advice on buying a bike and even gave me a reference for a person at another shop (Sunny at Triumph Seattle) for getting fitted for a helmet. Dave took time to give me options for bike types and good dealerships to check out. He did all of this after he told me he didn't have any used bikes I was interested in so there was no financial gain for him. I'd definitely trust him to perform bike inspections and repairs. read more

Had my Ducati towed here instead of Ducati Seattle on a recommendation. (not on a warranty bike). Absolutely pleased with the service i got. The Mechanics are all former Ducati mechanics and i'm sure they are just as knowledgeable about any type of bike. In the end, i bet i saved at least 50% on services because not only do they allow you to bring your own new or used parts in, but they encourage it to an extent. I needed a new caliper and rotor and Rob even found some on ebay and suggested them to me when he called me. read more

Thanks for the great service Dave and crew. Not only did they quote me a lower price than any online motorcycle tire supplier and a fair price for installation. They made an appointment for me to come in during my lunch time to get them installed. The technician who did my work did a test ride to make sure the bike was right and everyone there was personable and professional. I will go there again for any work I need done. Finally a shop who cares! Oh, and they sell motorcycles too! read more

Dave and Seattle Used Bikes went above and beyond in helping me buy a used Harley-Davidson. The bike was better than advertised. They had flushed and replaced the old fuel, and detailed the motorcycle to perfection. A block away from their shop I ran over a spike in the road, flattening a tire on my pickup. They changed the tire for me, and loaded the 700lb bike on the truck for me. I would not hesitate to recommend these guys. I look forward to doing business again. read more

Had heard and read good things and finally got a chance to stop by. Small selection of interesting used motorcycles and clothing. Saw some things I liked. Thought I was having a friendly conversation with the guy at the counter (owner?) until I realized he was trying to steer me out the front door. Not sure why, the place was empty and I showered that morning. Maybe I did not fit the customer profile? read more

Wonderful place. I had to take in my motorcycle for a hydraulic bleed. Seattle used bikes accommodated me on the weekend and did a great job with the service. They even lubed the chain and checked the bike out as part of the service. I would definitely recommend this place. read more

This is the worst experience I've had with mechanics of any kind. I Took my '73 Honda CB 450 in for shift & fork adjustment on May 1. I wanted to get it ready for summer. The owner called me and said my carbs needed cleaning & syncing. My bike hadn't been running particularly bad but I trusted his professional judgement. Spent a total of $600. Afterwards bike ran very rough. Took it back & Owner assured me it would get fixed. I called 2 weeks later & they hadn't even looked at my bike. Called again a week later, they still hadn't looked at it. I finally got it back after a month! It still ran badly & Owner blamed my gas tank & even questioned my statement that bike ran fine before they worked on carbs. I asked for full or partial refund & he refused. I took it to Seattle Cycle Center & they fixed it to its previous performance. Runs great now! I honestly think the mechanics at Seattle Used Bikes were over their head on this one. And I am very disappointed they didn't stand behind their work & try to come to an agreement with me. I filed a complaint with the BBB. The response from the owner was that he wouldn't work on my bike again. No need to worry on that point! read more