MPH Cycles - Houston

MPH Cycles in West Houston off I-10 is a shop I highly recommend and trust. They sell Moto Guzzi primarily and service the MG, BMW and other Euro cycle makes. Mike Haven is an EFI whiz and the whole staff is pure business and no B.S. Mike and crew are also certified BMW and Mercedes auto mechanics and have a solid reputation to where people will go no-where else. Their motto is "Service Without Excuses" and from my experience with them, that is exactly what you get. www.mphcycles.com 281.647.6557 16510 Park Row, Houston , TX 77084

Re: MPH Cycles - Houston (Home of the Bad Attitude and $100 tire change!)

Well, maybe I caught them on a bad day. Twice. In three years.

I just called to see how much they wanted to mount some tires if I brought in my rims and tires, since the shop is pretty close to me. He told me $100 each. I laughed, and said 'seriously now' because I KNEW he was just joking with me, and I like jokes. He wasn't joking. He said that is how much it was worth to him to do it.

The only other time I ever stopped by that shop was when I was in the market for a new bike three years ago. The guy seemed more interested in picking his nose than he did trying to talk to me about bikes.

Maybe it was just me. I mean, maybe I was wrong in assuming a motorcycle shop would be interested in selling bikes or mounting tires.

Bottom line is this - in my experience, limited as it may be, the man is very unprofessional and has a bad attitude. Either that, or not the sharpest tool in the shed when it comes to customer service.

Re: MPH Cycles - Houston (Home of the Bad Attitude and $100 tire change!)

Judge Dredd said:

He said that is how much it was worth to him to do it.

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Don't know him. Don't do business with him. I'm not defending him. But if he says that's what it's worth to him to change tires it could be that he has much higher priorities for other customer's bikes and if he has to stop that work to change a tire then he wants to be well compensated for it. Just a guess.

I suppose it would have been simpler for him to just say "we don't do that".

Re: MPH Cycles - Houston (Home of the Bad Attitude and $100 tire change!)

Texas T said:

I suppose it would have been simpler for him to just say "we don't do that".

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Which is what my dealer said to me when I asked for prices on tires and mounting from him, after agreeing 2-3 times in 2-3 weeks to give me an estimate on that work...

My sister-in-law, whom we visit fairly often, lives fairly close to MPH. I've been trying to get over there just to on the Guzzis, but haven't been able to show up when they're open (on a weekend).

I chatted with an MPH guy at the Heritage Classic in Luckenbach a while back, and he was nice enough.

Oh, and Judge Dredd: Where you been? How's the track day video biz going?

Exactly so. I sent them an email about all this just now, and his response was basically we aren't interested in that. My response was, if that's the case, why didn't you just tell me than from the first when I asked if you'd do it?

Very unprofessional attitude. I know they're all about the Moto Guzzis and BMWs and all that. That's fine. Just don't waste my time and act so rudely. That's all.

Hey Paul!

I just got done reading your post about the race fairings on your 650! The business is slow, but that's okay. It's more of a hobby anyway. I did rent out the system to a guy who took it to ride the Dragon, and produced a video for him.

You know, a buddy of mine rides a Futura just like yours. He's got some sweet aftermarket cans for it.

Maybe he only had hand tools. After doing it myself a few times, I'd be tempted to charge $100 bucks to change a tire too. You're right though; the professional, civil thing to do would be to just politely say that they don't offer that service.

There's a theory that says you never turn down difficult work or work that's not suited to your capabilities, but instead, quote the price you need to make it worth your while. Personal experience has taught me that people will often take insult with a high quote or you will get yourself into a jam trying to do work that you should have declined. It's best to tell the customer that you can't fulfill their request and give them a good referral if you know of another business that can help them. I've done that many times and eventually got some work out of it because a customer remembered how helpful I was when the time came that they actually did need what I have, or got a reciprocal referral.

I met the Houston Eurocycle crowd over there on Monday, December 26, 2005 for a ride. (A holiday - they were just there to facilitate the ride and not really open)

I went in and asked about an inspection and they inspected my bike on the spot before the ride started.

I was pretty impressed.

-

I notice they have Hyosung. Someone was asking about the Hyosung 650 on another thead. Not too Euro, but might be the wave of the future.

Attitude is a very subjective thing to ascertain.Often a reflection.
MPH is not interested in attemtping to entice carry in tire business. As succinctly stated by a prior post we are very busy taking care of our real customers. The price given was what it would cost at that time. Take it or leave it. One would be advised that if one wishes to establish a business relationship, there should be an enticement for both parties to begin.
MPH Cycles does not service japanese sport bikes,japanese cruisers or USA made bikes. We spend our time and resources on a narrow part of the market. By virtue of this focus, we can do a better job for the customer who needs our special services. And its not doing carry in tires. Or talking about R1's.There are plenty of shops that know and care about those bikes.
We have a state of the art tire machine, its not done by hand.This machine is operated by a technician with over 30 years experience as a motorcycle tech.
Not some punk kid with his hat on backwards.
After so many years of this business,one learns that some people dont understand what it means to be in business.Or how the limited number of hours in a day can best be utilised.

Or how to be extra pissy on a Friday.

Then simply say, "We don't do that". Don't try to extort $200.00 and then back it up months later with a lot of psychobabble BS about Focus. And before you say I don't know anything about keeping customers happy, my average price tag for a sale is about $250-500,000.00 or above, and my customers are some of the most tempremental people on earth.

How do you ever expect to entice a non-customer to spend $17,000.00 with you when you talk down to people like you did in this post. And this is from someone who believes in the Guzzi brand enough to have gone after the rep position after Aprilia bought them!

And if I told any of my current customers anything like what you just spewed, I'd probably end a 17 year career once they informed management.

Have a nice day. You make Mototek look customer centric. That's a feat!

Guess they have to pay for that machine and experience!

Chirpy said:

Then simply say, "We don't do that". Don't try to extort $200.00 ...

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I gotta come to MPH's defense here. I've bought two Guzzis from them and have known the owner for years. No one was trying to "extort" money. They named a price and had you been willing to pay it, they would have done the work. You weren't willing to pay it so they didn't have to do work they didn't want to do.

MPH is not in the cycle tire business. They have all the work they need doing the specialized and hard stuff without trying to compete in a saturated tire sales market. Most shops, you can walk in and fondle 30-50 tires sitting on the rack. But walk into MPH and there aren't cycle tires visible anywhere. Money on tires for most shops is hardly worth the effort... what with customers coming in all the time comparing your prices to internet and mail order and bellyaching if you want $10 more than SW Moto Tires, or whoever. So MPH made the wise decision to stay out of that fray.

If you have a waiting list to get customers bikes in for service that is better than anyone else in the USA can offer, why waste time in a piddly little headache like tires? There are about three places in the US to get good Guzzi service, there are ten times that many places in Houston alone to get tires. So get tires at one of those places and let the Guzzi place do Guzzi stuff. I suspect many of us would not do many jobs unless the pay was really high. Does anyone here vacuum out septic tanks or clean porta-potties for a living?

I stopped by the shop a few months back to show off the dusty old Coats tire machine I had just bought before going back to Austin. They were none too impressed because it wasn't automatic. So yeah... I guess they also have to pay for that fancy new tire machine!

I've probably got a half dozen other Guzzi dealers closer to me now that I'm in NM but I'll still go to MPH for parts and if it wasn't logistically impossible, I would still go there for service too. This thread was started by someone who was impressed with the service. I'm impressed as well. Just because one tire inquiry was handled casually doesn't mean the shop is no good. It just means you don't understand the owner's dry sense of humor and you don't understand he is telling you in his own way, "We don't do tires here."

I know them, I like them, I trust them! I bring my 2 Guzzis there my BMW there I also take my cars there. I don't do it because I get a price break, I do it because I trust them. Mike may not be the most friendly guy around but the most friendy are usually only looking at your wallet isn't that why people hate used car salesmen? I don't buy tires on the internet and take them to MPH to mount, they mount the tires that I buy there and with 75,000 miles on 4 motorcycles over the last 4 years I've bought a lot of them. Cycle Gear will mount and balance any tire, if you want to buy tires on the internet, take them to Cycle Gear they are great guys. However I'm not too sure that anyone from the internet or Cycle Gear will come out and rescue you from a dark road in a blinding rain storm, Mike has.

Chirpy said:

Or how to be extra pissy on a Friday.

Then simply say, "We don't do that". Don't try to extort $200.00 and then back it up months later with a lot of psychobabble BS about Focus. And before you say I don't know anything about keeping customers happy, my average price tag for a sale is about $250-500,000.00 or above, and my customers are some of the most tempremental people on earth.

How do you ever expect to entice a non-customer to spend $17,000.00 with you when you talk down to people like you did in this post. And this is from someone who believes in the Guzzi brand enough to have gone after the rep position after Aprilia bought them!

And if I told any of my current customers anything like what you just spewed, I'd probably end a 17 year career once they informed management.

Have a nice day. You make Mototek look customer centric. That's a feat!

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Pissy? maybe.
Extort? Please explain. He called us, I didnt grab his bike and say if you dont pay, were going to do X to you.
The reason for the time delay is that I simply dont follow this board closely.
As for tires;we will "do that", if you want it bad enough. He didnt.
Psychobabble about focus? That comment sounds pissy to me.
Perhaps a sales rep perceives things differently than a business owner.
These big sales you mention. Is that inventory owned by you?
That creates a different perspective.
We do quite well with the brands we carry and service because we understand the brand and the customer for those bikes and concentrate our efforts on them. Focus, even. The only comments from customers are good ones. We take care of our customers.And potential customers. I am aware of the small niche MPH operates in and the fact that 99% of the riding world doesnt care about a good Guzzi shop. I do care.
The complainer is someone who has never and likely will never do business here because his needs are not something we can provide.There are places that provide what he is looking for.

The only person talked down to may have been anyone with their hat on backwards. Was that you? Sorry.
You have attacked me in your post,with no info but to read one post from a non customer. rather judgemental isnt it?

I have no experience with Mototek. Is this another insult?

Okay, we've heard from both sides so let's let it go now. This is not likely to go anywhere but down hill. Otherwise I will lock the thread.

Well, to tell you the truth, "Judge", I've been going to MPH for over 10 years.
They do most all of my maintainence, and, when I buy my tires FROM THEM, the mounting is most reasonable. They've got, in my opinion, the only BMW, Guzzi mechanics in Houston that I will let TOUCH my bike. For that matter, they're the only ones that I'll let work on my autos as well. I know it's easy to go online and save a few bucks buying tires. But, as you probably know, most dealers make a modest profit selling tires as well as mounting them. Over the years, I seen Mike and great folks at MPH go out of their way to help the typical "biker in need". However, there is such a thing as dealer loyalty. In the long run, you get back more than you give. (If you catch my drift). I've seen Mike drive 70 miles on a Sunday morning not only to pick up a customer's bike who was down on the side of the road, but, BROUGHT HIM ANOTHER ONE TO RIDE so he could finish his ride! (And, he didn't even charge him for a tow!) How's that for customer service?

No flames here. I messed up my bike last Sunday while trying to perform a D.I.Y. tps adjustment and tb synch. After I was "finished" it idled smoothly at 3500 rpm!

I trailered it to MPH on Monday. They took it in, called me a few days later to let me know they were done and that my throttle cables were shot (which I knew). After the parts came in they replaced them and charged me much less than I anticipated. And my bike runs better than ever. I don't think I could ask for more.

They ordered me a new right mirror too since they damaged mine. It's hardly noticible but they did the right thing because that's how they do business. There went their profit on this repair. I'm impressed.

Nice folks who love to hang around and talk bikes too.

I remember calling Mike after taking my new to me LeMans III to work and having it die on me there. He immediately came over and picked it up in his truck, took it back to his shop, and breathed new life into it, all for an extremely reasonable price. I remember picking it up and mentioning that perhaps some restoration and detail work might be in order in the near future and he laughed and told me to just ride it and enjoy it.

A few years later when i decided to sell it, he was the only person in town interested, taking it in on consignment and finding a buyer for me.

I'm a big fan of Mike and his business. It's not your typical dealer experience, that should be obvious as soon as you roll in. But if you want a nationally recognized Guzzi master mechanic to work on a 25 year old bike, he's your man.

Dave.

Just got my R1150RT back from these folks, having my 12K and annual service done. I plan on going back for any other services required.

mphcycles said:

Pissy? maybe.
Extort? Please explain. He called us, I didnt grab his bike and say if you dont pay, were going to do X to you.
The reason for the time delay is that I simply dont follow this board closely.
As for tires;we will "do that", if you want it bad enough. He didnt.
Psychobabble about focus? That comment sounds pissy to me.
Perhaps a sales rep perceives things differently than a business owner.
These big sales you mention. Is that inventory owned by you?
That creates a different perspective.
We do quite well with the brands we carry and service because we understand the brand and the customer for those bikes and concentrate our efforts on them. Focus, even. The only comments from customers are good ones. We take care of our customers.And potential customers. I am aware of the small niche MPH operates in and the fact that 99% of the riding world doesnt care about a good Guzzi shop. I do care.
The complainer is someone who has never and likely will never do business here because his needs are not something we can provide.There are places that provide what he is looking for.

The only person talked down to may have been anyone with their hat on backwards. Was that you? Sorry.
You have attacked me in your post,with no info but to read one post from a non customer. rather judgemental isnt it?

I have no experience with Mototek. Is this another insult?

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I like Mike and his crew.

I would let him work on my bike if I wasn't so stingy.

And the distance thing.