Chicago Cycle

This place has shady sales people and shady mechanics. I bought a bike here and as a gift they gave the 75 dollars in store credit. I looked at it and it had same day expiration!!! WTF??? when I tried to redeem it they gave me hell saying that it was a mistake blah blah… A few months later I lost some paperwork so I went back to get a copy from the guy that sold me my bike and when I talked to him he says «I don’t know you, I didn’t sell you anything!» luckly I had some paperwork with HIS name on it and he was like ohhh. F THIS PLACE I HOPE NO ONE EVER BUYS A BIKE FROM HERE… CHECK CRAIGSLIST FIRST AND LOCAL FAMILY OWNED DEALERSHIPS

This place is closed. LOL good riddance. You don’t last long when you cater to morons.

I’m not really sure what happened, but over time I just stopped coming here. Customer service is non-​existent, sales are all high pressure tactics. The whole staff just doesn’t seem to care. I am not surprised if they closed.

Drove by Saturday night (1÷15÷11), They look closed for business. Talked to the car salesman down the road and he said they’d been closed for a few months. FYI. Looks like the operations is now in Decatur, IL based on following the website link.

The showroom is clean and spacious, but the bikes are here are very overpriced. I think the sales reps are nice, but not exactly sincere. A bit aggressive if you asked me.
I come here mainly for the protective gear. They don’t have everything, but they stock my favorite jacket of all time, the Alpinestars RC-​1. Makes me feel like a superhero every time I put it on.

I don’t ride a pink chopper, my bike doesn’t have smoking skulls on it and I don’t get my kicks revving my sportbike at intersections to impress the ladies so I probably will never buy a bike here.
What I am interested in is accessories and parts. The problem is that this place acts as if the Internet just doesn’t exist. You see, I can order that part/​helmet/​clothing from a myriad of online sources in a manner that is FAR more convenient than having to make my way up to Lincolnwood during business hours and Saturday. That being said, it would be nice if they made up for that fact in other ways like service or promotions or sales or whatever. Instead, they act as if they desperately DON’T WANT YOU to buy something as if you’re the one causing the hassle of stepping in the store.
I’m lead to feel this way after purchasing a helmet for less than retail. It was only after the dude stamped my receipt with a red notice that there would be no refunds or exchanges on anything less than MSRP, that I realized that if I wasn’t happy, they wouldn’t be helping me out. It’s too bad it was after the fact that I realized that a part of a helmet was missing. I could only imagine how little they would care if I would call and explain this let alone get out of work early in order to waltz in there.
Generally, when I presented by circumstances like this, I treat it as it treats me. I walk in, try stuff on, leave and then order it on the internet where there is a lack of hassle, market-​driven price structures and an ability to return items if not pleased.
And so, that’s what I did. I ordered the part that was missing online and accepted the fact that in the future, I won’t even buy items at reduced prices there. It’s just not worth it.

I guess I can see what people mean about the customer service here. My hubby recently purchased a motorcycle and he wanted proper protection for my noggin. From the time we walked in the place, we weren’t acknowledged by a single employee.
However, once my husband tracked down a sales associate to help me find the right helmet, things turned around. Jeremy (I think that’s what his name was) was very attentive to what I was looking for. There is a huge stock of helmets, however the styles and colors leave a bit to be desired. He offered to special order something for me, but I just decided to pick one that was in stock.
You can definitely find a better deal online than in this store. They seem to price everything at MSRP, with the exception of a few sale/​clearance items.

I bought a jacket from them.
It was marked down from 180 to 130 and then marked down again to 100.
So I thought, hey what a great deal — only to go home and realize the lining is missing !!
It’s a mesh jacket — without the lining, it’s nigh useless (in anything but hot weather).
I called them to see if we can work something out, the person on the phone was extremely combative with «WELL THAT’S WHY YOU GOT A HUNDRED AND EIGHTY BUCK JACKET FOR A HUNDRED !!» etc.
I know it’s my fault for not inspecting the product thoroughly before buying it but let me posit this question:
Would you sell a motorcycle for ½ price but the engine isn’t really working?
But hey, you got a motorcycle for ½ off right?
And the jacket wasn’t marked as missing the liner.
As everyone else has said here, a bunch of crooks, and RUDE crooks at that.
Never again.

Few words can describe such a place. Crooks, lies and cheaters would work best. The location was decent as well as the apparel and gear selections, though that does not make up for the fact that nearly every employee attempts to ignore you at all cost.
Very few choices in bikes as well as very few employees. The employees are shameless about squeezing every dime out of customers as possible and I can say from personable experience they ARE crooked. I won’t go into details but I will warn you to think twice about buying from this store. Reader Beware.

Mamma got a new set of wheels and she’s ready to ride!
I might be lying when I say «ready to ride». Ok… I’m full of it… I have no license, my bike isn’t registered, I don’t know how to ride, I have no helmet or jacket, its the middle of winter and apparently I have to kick start the thing.
Well…I have to start somewhere and for the time being, we’ll shop around for a helmet and jacket. I walked into Chicago Cycle and was greeted by no one. I walked around for a while and was still greeted by no one. Tried on a few jackets and… well. greeted by no one. Finally I headed over to the helmets and acted like I had no clue what was going on. Eventually, I was approached by a rather bland employee after I stared at him for about 5 miinutes. He asked if I was buying for someone else and I told him I was looking for myself, at which time he chuckled a little. Not so cool in my book, man. He’s lucky I didn’t start swearing at him… because I wanted to.
After chatting with him a little, he ended being helpful and I decided on a helmet. I had done my research prior to going in there so I knew what I was looking for and about how much it would cost me. Thier prices are pretty much MSRP, so I knew I wouldn’t be getting any deals.
When I was about to walk out, he let me know that they were having a special where you buy one thing and get the second half off. That caught my attention. I ended getting a jacket and my helmet there, but only because of the deal… I basically ended up ahead of what I had priced out online due to shipping costs.
Aside from their hot and sexy selection of Ducatis, there wasn’t much special about this place and the service lacked luster. I wasn’t looking to purchase a bike from them, but after reading other reviews, it sounds they aren’t too competetive in that arena, either. I got my one time deal there and probably won’t be returning.

I have a 2008 Ducati Monster 695 which I dropped off for maintenance on Monday Sept. 14, 2009. The «promised by» date was the 18^th. The date I got it was Sept. 23. They did a total of 2 hours of work. So it took them 9 days to find the time for 2 hours of work. There were no status updates, no returned phone calls, and a complete lack of communication. I’m really happy I called on the 19^th otherwise I’d have spent $ 50 in cab fares for naught.
But if you’re thinking that’s not enough for a 1 star review — I totally agree — read on…
I bought a «Priority Maintenance Agreement» on Aug. 29, 2009 for $ 864.00 from a salesman named Stuart Rabeneck. No big deal there but when I went in to pick up my bike on Sept. 23 I wanted my money back. I was told numerous times by Stuart that it was pro-​rated. This means that if I don’t get all 4 services done I get a partial refund according to how much I paid for each service. My total for the 600 mile Initial Service was $ 270.79 so I’m expecting a refund of $ 593.21. Easy math and straight forward.
And here’s where they plunge off the credibility cliff… Stuart’s not there but Ed Hanson the F & I Director is and he explains to me they don’t do refunds for Maintenance Agreement. WHAT? Now think about this for two seconds. If I’m going to spend $ 864 I’m going ask some simple questions — and here’s what I asked:
1. If I crash the bike what happens?
2. If I sell the bike what happens?
3. If I move what happens?
4. If it gets stolen what happens?
Stuart answered all these questions the exact same — You get a pro-​rated refund. If any of those things meant I would automatically lose my investment in the plan I wouldn’t have purchased it.
So Ed tells me that since Stuart’s not there he won’t give me a refund. He did offer two $ 50 gift certificates and to pick the bike up for its next maintenance. Which brings me to another point.
I was told when I bought the agreement they would pick the bike up or give me a ride home. Ha ha. When I talked to the service dept they patently dismissed that idea.
So here’s where I am now. Ed is going to talk to Stuart when he gets back from vacation next Tuesday. I have a meeting with Stuart and Ed at 6pm that day. I will update this post accordingly. If they refund the money I will take it down.
The Service dept has serious organizational and communication issues. The Sales dept is lacking a basic human sense of ethics. One star is generous.
As of Saturday Oct. 3, 2009… My meeting with Stuart, Ed, and Tony from Service happened on Tuesday at 6pm. It ended with Ed telling me he’d follow up with «Corporate» in Ohio to try and get my refund done. He took my credit card info, expiration date, etc… He was supposed to follow up with me on Wednesday at noon. He didn’t. I called on Thursday. He didn’t call me back. I called on Friday and he didn’t call me back. Now it’s Saturday and this issue is still unresolved.
Checking the history in the call log of my phone I’ve called Chicago Cycle 9 times since Sept. 19^th without as much as one returned call. The run-​around continues…
FYI Chicago Cycle is one of many stores owned by Giant Motorsports, Inc. Apparently I’m not the only one with a bad experience involving contracts…
Plaintiff: LANGSAM BORENSTEIN CORPORATION
Defendant: GIANT MOTORSPORTS, INC., ANDREWS CYCLES, CHICAGO CYCLES, W.W. CYCLES, INC., KING’S MOTORSPORTS, INC., CHICAGO CYCLES, INC., RUSSELL HAEHN and GREG HAEHN
Cause: 28:1332 Breach of Contract

STAY AWAY IF YOU VALUE CUSTOMER SERVICE
These guys are good for one thing and one thing only, ordering parts to do the repairs yourself. Every time I’ve gone in to spend my hard earned money, they never ask if you need help, their selection is terrible and they just plain have bad customer service. I asked the manager to get a discount on a floor model as it was the only one in my size (a very common practice). First he replied that ‘they are all floor models’. When I explained to him that this one was out of it’s box on a shelf not like the rest of the same model he barked bark back ‘NO DISCOUNTS’. At least offer to order me a brand new item that I can pick up later like your sales associate, not make it seem like I’m wasting your time. I would have paid full price for a brand new item that I could pick up later, but not with your attitude.
On top off that, when I called later to complain the store manager they hung-​up on me. Wow.

I would give them zero stars if I could… Two stories.
1. A girlfriend of mine takes her class and is ready to buy a bike this spring. We go there so she can sit and try out a variety of styles, heights, etc. Their large stocked showroom is about the only plus for this place. She decides on a bike, and puts a down payment down while they do a credit check. While they said they wouldn’t deposit the check, they do anyway, and then take TWO WEEKS to return it, even after the sale fell through.
2. My bike was purchased from Cycle center in ’99 when they were still a smaller shop at the old location. The sale went through OK, but then immediately they had no Ducati mechanics. Once the bike was sold to me, they were uninterested in keeping a customer relation.

…Update as promised…
After 15 days of telling me «It should be ready by tomorrow,» I finally got my bike back. No, they will not return your calls or update you on status — call to check and check often! My bike sat for a week before they ordered parts — make sure they order parts BEFORE they put you in the waiting line for service.
I left the shop and the speedometer said I was going 94 mph on Touhy Ave. I don’t think so. I took it back and asked if they test rode it after their repairs. They admitted they did not. Kind of dangerous, eh? Surprisingly, they did not offer to pay me for risking my life to test their repairs.
Employee Reviews:
Mike/​Michael
This guy is a pile of broken promises. Says he will call you «right back» and does not. This happened 4 times. I would wait 5 hours and cave in and call back. Also promised multiple false it-should-be-done-tomorrow’s.
Ray/​Raymond
This might be their only good guy. Actually apologized for all the hassle even tho he wasn’t my original service contact. He called me back when he said he would and got a part overnighted for me. Very impressed with Ray.
Tony/​Service Mgr.
He’s ok but he also will not return your calls. He does not get involved with issues until they are at like defcon 5. He said he got my voicemail but didn’t call me back. When the speedo had to be replaced for the 3^rd time, he said he would call me as soooooon as it got in. Monday went by, Tuesday went by. I called at end of day Tuesday and he said it was already there. What was he waiting on to let me know? lol
Hope this helps folks.

My head was too small for the normal helmets (XS was too big) and the women specific helmets were all too small (the designs were atrocious anyways.) However they have a sick selection of DOT and SNELL approved helmets by all the leading helmet makers.
They have a decent jacket collection but their leather jackets are not the best. They have a lot more sporty gear than anything else. They’ve got bikes 3&4 wheelers in their showroom but everything is pricey. No discounts here man. Shop around at a dealer… Their staff isn’t very helpful either.
Try stuff on here. ESPECIALLY helmets, then buy em’ online.

Great big store with lots to see.
Customer service and sales are a joke, rude and time wasters. Bikes are over priced. Good place to check out bikes and get a feeling for what your looking for, then buy elsewhere.

It’s good to go and drool. They have a lot of f**king bikes — it’s like going to the annual motorcycle show without having to pay all those fees to the Shitty of Rosemont. I can’t say I would never buy a bike from them, since I’ve already figured my next bike will be the Bandit 1250S and no one else nearby seems to have one.
But really, the only good reason to go here is to try on helmets and jackets before going to
and buying it online. I’d really like to support a local brick-​and-​mortar business more, but it’s not my fault they’re more expensive than sin.
That said, I do buy things like air filters, spark plugs, etc here.

The problem is that they do have a big store but that doesnt come with good service. Only 2 of the salesmen that I have met are actually worth talking too. Everything is overpriced and for sure you’re better off trying things on and then getting them online.
As far as their service dept goes, let me tell you, I have dealt with the most shady mechanics in my life, in many cities. All I can safely say is to prepare yourself to pay money that you dont have to if you decide to leave your bike there.
There’s not alot of mechanics in the city but consider leaving it somewhere else, or finding somebody from craigslist…

Utter shit from everyone I’ve talked to. Way overpriced and the service my friend received was abysmal.
He had some basic work done on the bike and had it returned with a dented tank, which they refused to acknowledge was their fault. He happened to have photos of him with the bike before he dropped it off and after A FEW MONTHS of fighting they agreed to fix it, which they promptly forgot about, only shipping it outsourced to another shop a few weeks later.
The tank was eventually fixed, however it tooks ages and to top it all off his original service was a total scam for bike newcomers in the first place.
I was going on a road trip a few years ago and stopped in as I heard they had big bungie nets and some cheap bags, stepping foot in their «showroom» was horrifying. The only thing I’ve purchased there was an oversize bungie net as their bag selection was marked up from all my sources I’ve found online.
Even the used hardly cleaned bike section tucked away in the back was disgustingly overpriced. Chicago’s bike market is well inflated but not THAT bad.
Their little sales team is notorious for spamming up motorcycle review boards and dogging out bad reviews claiming its all bullshit, only clamming up when scanned pages of ripoff service invoices are posted.
SKIP IT.