Can you recommend a classic bike specialist who provides excellent service, time after time? RealClassic readers share their experiences about the good ...

*******

Like Stepping Back in Time

I visited a Brit bike dealer this last week, and bought over the counter new valves, guides, springs piston, and ring set, gasket set and a valve guide removal / replacement tool. It happened to be between Christmas and New Year, and they were open.

The parts were available straight over the counter; no 'with you in twenty-four hours', no 'you should have ordered before you came.' The price was realistic too. All these parts were for a 54 year old British bike (a 1953 Royal Enfield 350): what a great bike to own with back-up like that!

It took me back to my teen years when you could walk into any motor bike dealer and ask for your parts. All the above came with a wonderful smile and feeling of camaraderie. Hitchcocks: you made my day!

Dennis

Hitchcocks Motorcycles: 01564 783192

********

Jeff Smith: Superstar!

I certainly cannot recommend highly enough the service I have just received from Jeff Smith Classic Lubricants Ltd. I have extreme difficulty using the phone and needed to obtain a few gallons of decent Classic Lubricant (I am talking about oil).

After checking the RealClassic pages I turned to the internet and the Jeff Smith site but for whatever reason, no matter what I did, I could not get my order through to the check out.

I emailed Jeff Smith who promptly replied and thanked me for letting him know of a possible fault. He added that as he didn't want to lose my custom he had despatched my order and would trust me for the £73 payment.

Now that is real 'super star service'. Not only that, my order arrived the following day. Absolutely first class and you don't have to pay through the nose either!

Matt Embleton

J S Oils: 01430 828453

******

Fast Cams

Five days ago I dropped off a pair of camshafts to Newman Cams to have mastered, and two standard cams to have ground to one of those master profiles.

I was working from home today, doing some machining for a work project when low and behold a parcel turns up containing the reground cams. That's a fast turnaround!

EV Guru

Newman Cams: 01689 857109

******

Brilliant Bullet Blokes

Two Enfield suppliers deserve credit, one a well known mail-order parts specialist, the other an Essex main dealer.

My 1988 Bullet had its front indicators attached to the side of the headlight. I wanted to fit an Avon handlebar fairing that I'd been given, so the indicators needed to be moved down to the lower fork yoke like on more modern Bullets.

I called Hitchcocks and asked for a pair of brackets, which (as usual with Hitchcocks) arrived the very next morning. However, they are 'side specific' and I had been sent two left-sided brackets. A call established that the factory is listing only a single part number, but they agreed that, logically, there needed to be two sided brackets. I later got a call to say that they'd been through the entire box and all were left sided, so I could have my money back. Much later still I got another call on my voicemail to say that they'd found some secondhand ones that I could have for free, to get me out of trouble. They even phoned me from home on Saturday to make sure I'd got the message - all this for a couple of brackets that cost 71p each!

Before I'd got the second call I'd been to Southend to see Stephen Parker at John Parker Motorcycles, famous local Enfield dealer and all-round top bloke. I asked about the brackets, expecting a negative answer, but instead he sent me into his storeroom with instructions to search certain parts boxes! Sure enough his box of 'miscellaneous chassis spares' soon yielded a set, for which he charged me almost nothing.

Fantastic service, and both well deserving of our custom I'd say.

Dave

John Parker Motorcycles: 01702 612859

******

Hotel de France

On trips to and through France we stay in hotels run by a group called Premiere Classe. These hotels are well organised and provide a handbook of the locations of their hotels, showing maps of the immediate area around each hotel, which are usually located close to main roads. The price of the rooms is about £28 per room for 2/3 people, and breakfast is an extra 5 euros per person. The total was approximately £35 for the two of us. The rooms are basic but clean and include a small shower/toilet unit. This is a very good set up for a stay of one or two nights.

Roy & Chris Workman

[After reading this, I've booked myself a couple of nights in a Premiere Classe hotel for the Le Mans 24H; great recommendation Roy and Chris! RM]

********

Top Holiday

Just returned from a great holiday with Classic Bike Provence to see the Verdon Gorges; a super three-day relaxing ride with the most wonderful views. Liz my wife rode pillion with me on the Triumph Tiger and we will both be returning to CBP. Neil and Sarah really pull out all the stops to make sure everybody has a super time. The scenery food and the company really make it a great relaxing holiday.

Steve B

Classic Bike Provence: 02078 710471

******

Bikes Bits in Cambs

I would like to compliment Phil, Tom and the others at Cambridge bike breakers. I have been using them for about a year or so now, and found them to give a service that is definitely above and beyond.

I have a number of bikes, from BSA to Honda to BMW, and these guys have always been there for me when I needed them. Nothing is too much trouble, and they have always been courteous and helpful, and if they haven't got the parts when I needed them, they have even phoned around other bike breakers on my behalf. I recently walked in with a wheel and a flat tyre. A new tyre was fitted and done in less than 20 mins -- and £30 cheaper than the local dealers!

In all I'm well impressed. They always have a smile, a bad joke or two, and the kettle is always on!

John Rothwell

Cambridge Motorcycle Breakers: 01223 360176

*******

More Service Stars Wanted!

Have you enjoyed excellent service from your local bike shop or a national specialist? Don't be shy in sharing the details - your report will help other classic bike riders choose who to use, and will reward good performance with more business.

So send reports to the fabulously delicious Typing Person who will knock them into shape - don't worry about writing great literature because she'll sort out full stops and such as she goes. But do include contact details and plenty of info about what your products or assistance your Service Star can provide.