Seattle Used Bikes

Buyer’s check cost me over $ 226, not worth it. After I wrote a review, the owner had the nerve to say they undercharged me. The bike wouldn’t idle when I left, and they missed the rear cotter pin — a pin that is a major safety issue. I’ll never contact these guys again. I’d asked for an estimate to clean my tank, they went ahead and pulled my tank, and charged me $ 90 just to pull and put the tank back on — the dude even made it a line item to somehow justify 5 minutes of work! I’d clearly asked for an estimate before doing anything, but they’re the type of shop to start work and then force you to pay. The only work they did was replace spark plugs (which I didn’t ask them to do, I’d already bought plugs that were at home!) and did a poor partial carb clean (I’ll need to pull and clean the carb myself, whatever they did was not nearly enough). The idle speed was too high right when I left, the bike has trouble starting, before I brought it in the bike started fine. Not sure why I was charged $ 226, they really didn’t do anything to improve my bike, I’ve been redoing all the poor partial work they did.
I felt like this was a ripoff, they didn’t check compression, didn’t adjust the poor idle speed, and they adjusted a chain that needed to be replaced immediately (they not only wasted time on adjusting a worn chain, they forgot to put back the cotter pin on the rear nut). I ended up finding a bunch of o rings from the chain behind the sprocket cover.
$ 226 seems steep for a basic check & the minor work they did. When I picked up the bike they didn’t have a cotter pin on the back castle nut. This is something important to me since I crashed a bike because the wheel came off from a missing cotter pin. Yamaha has a warning about this in the service manual, so SUB might want to add this to their checklist since it’s a $ 0.10 part that CAN cause a crash if missing, and if I hadn’t known any better I’d be riding around without that pin now. The idle speed adjustment was way off too. I had to tweak it right after I left the shop, it was idling at like 4−5k when I picked it up. I wasn’t happy with the work I got for $ 226.
Good place if you’re in a pinch or are a dummy about bikes, but the average bike owner might want to just do things themselves to save a lot of $$$$.

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.

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!

I joined Unilocal just to write this review. These folks are amazing!
I was on a cross country road motorbike trip when my headlights stopped working. SUB got me in the next morning and had me sorted out in a day! They fixed the lights, topped off my fluids, replaced a missing screw, aired up my tires, and even cleaned my bike up!
This shop makes me want to move to Seattle!
THANK YOU!!!

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

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.

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.

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!

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!

Good service. Generous with knowledge. Community builders.

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.

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.

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!

Hey Dave Roosevelt Owner of Seattle Used Bikes,
I didn’t realize when I stopped by and asked if you could change my dual sport tires to my off-​road tires that you would be «doing a favor» for me.
At $ 100.80 I felt like I was paying a premium for your promise of 1 hour turn-​a-​round time which was unexpected but rad. I leave, take care of a few things and come back. It was an hour to do one tire, that’s cool, I can wait. Your tech punctures my front tube on installation. O.K. mistakes happen. I’m good with purchasing a new tube. Oh, you don’t have one in stock? O.K. you send your tech down to Aurora Suzuki to buy a new tube, that’s fine. My problem is you also told your tech to «stop by the radiator shop too» so I ask how long do you estimate before you finish my tire? «Oh, sorry it’s going to another 40 minutes or so. O.K. I can come back. We are now at 2 plus hours for a 1 hour job. I return an hour later and the tech is still not back yet. O.K. I can wait. Another ½ hour goes by and so you guys start calling the tech. «Oh he’s way up north and it’s his lunch time». What happened to my 1 hour Job? I would have been happy to drop it off and pick it up the next day but you kept telling me «just another 40 minutes», «Just another … whenever he get’s back.» I finally go home, 4 hours wasted.
This is a clear example of over-​promise and under-​deliver. I get it, shit happens.
So I come back this morning and there they are, my tires are ready, 24 hours later. You are so cheerful and say «They’re ready, Thanks!» I load them in my car and come back in. You are busy with some customers so I wait. «Hey Dave, I am pretty unhappy with the whole process yesterday and wondering what you can do for an unhappy customer?» You say «well I apologize for it taking longer than an hour but your tube was old and I did you a favor because we don’t do dirt bike tires.» Perhaps you could have said this before you asked me to bring my tires in. I didn’t ask for a favor. Besides, who charges for favors?!? David, this is not a favor.
After all of your lame excuses and belittling of me, you finally ask; «what would you like me to do?» How about you refund half my money back, which would have been about $ 35.00 because I also bought a S.U.B. T-​shirt because I thought they were cool and I wanted to support my local small business. You said, «That’s not happening and there’s the door!»
Yes, I protest as I make my way to your door, turning around in the door way to say «goodbye». You feel the need to get less than one inch from my face and say «get the fuck out of my store». I stand my ground defiantly as you call your shop techs out for back-​up. I chime in loudly, c’mon guys! Dave needs some back-​up over here to deal with an unhappy customer. Your guys come over, apologize profusely for their employer and say «I told him not to charge you anything». Thanks, I appreciate that but I only asked for half back.
So, here we are at the end of my rant. Moral of the story? Think three times before you do business with Dave Roosevelt of Seattle Used Bikes. He is an angry man that would rather take your hundred bucks now than to earn a good customer for any amount back out of his pocket.
I’ll be dropping off the T-​shirt, still has the tag. It’s not worth wiping up dirty motor oil to me now.
EF You Very Much David Roosevelt.

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

My first experience with S.U.B. falls in line with the other 5-​star reviews that have been written.
Their building is small, and maybe that’s an important part of the equation. You meet everyone that works there by shaking three hands and if you’re of the disposition, watch your bike being operated on.
They will not only do the work you order, they will make sure your bike is ready for the road with a tire pressure check. This may seem like a small thing, standard at most shops, but these guys take service to a new level. I had a laundry list of problems (read: I just got done with a 5,000 mile road trip, and I kind of abuse my bike anyway), and like any mechanic with customer service at the center of their business model, put me back on the road with a smile on my face. The Ducati beneath me may have made some contribution to that feeling, but finding a great neighborhood mechanic filled in the rest.
Bravo, gentlemen! Integrity puts the rest to shame.

My Triumph needed some minor service work and I was dreading taking it back to one of the dealers. Thanks to Unilocal I found Dave and Seattle Used Bikes. Very close, very convenient, and very quick service! They even installed the charger cable on my battery for free!
I finally have a neighborhood mechanic!

Motorcycles. I love them so much.
Like a lot of kids in smaller towns, I rode little 125 cc dirt bikes growing up. We made our own wooden ramps and carefully sculpted jumps out of mud from hand with neighborhood kids. What a life.
Fast forward and I’m in a mid-​size city, with my motorcycle license… and still no motorcycle of my own after all these years. I had heard that insurance references multiple matrices that target the lifespan of a regular rider in Seattle to about 7 years. What Debbie Downers!
After talking at length with one of my colleagues about Seattle Used Bikes (affectionately called «Sub») I decided to check them out and see what kind of inventory they kept and if there was anything in both my price range as well as my asethetics requirements. (Orange is my favorite color, it just so happens.)
Dave was the most informative, non-​pressure guy on EARTH to talk bikes with! I had a great time learning more about my fave manufacturer (Ducati) since he spent years running Ducati of Seattle (I met him there before LOL.) I seriously have to offer him a huge fist pump to the fact that he didn’t treat me like a «girl» (guys; it’s hard to explain) while talking machinery. I can talk about cars and bikes tirelessly. And because I carry a purse doesn’t mean I can’t whack you pretty hard with it, if needed.
The 2008 MV Agusta 910R was pretty much the eptiome of the perfect bike for me. The [Italian] pedals are small for my feet, the height/​weight was perfect, and it was still under the 1000cc-​size. Did I mention it was ORANGE? Fack. But $ 12K is just too rich for me for a get-​around bike in SeaTown.
I told him my *actual* price range. He encouraged me to keep stopping by and to like their Facebook page to keep up on the small inventory. They service, sell, and even consign bikes AND gear including helmets, boots, gloves – at a fraction of the cost.
Check SUB out. You’ll probably catch me there every other Saturday through Summer LOL

I had a great experience at Seattle Used Bikes. I have some mechanical aptitude, but adjusting Ducatis’ desmodromic valve operation is currently above my comfort level.
I brought my wife’s Monster in for a major service and am VERY pleased. It runs like a champ! Service on these bikes isn’t cheap, but I feel like it’s money well spent after feeling the results on the ride home.
Dave’s shop is a great resource for service, used bikes and consignment riding gear. Check it out!
Thanks Dave. :)

Former owner of Ducati Seattle, Dave Roosevelt, is back as SUB (Seattle Used Bikes) at the southeast border of the Woodland Park Zoo just south of Greenlake on the west side of Aurora Ave N. They have consignment of motorcycles, scooters, riding gear (jackets, pants, etc.) and motorcycle repair. They provide motorcycle storage and trailer storage too. They also have comparable financing.
Dave’s customer service is stellar and unsurpassed and he goes out of his way to accommodate the customer and he’s a really nice guy!
Shop rate $ 89/​hour.