J L Detail Cycle in Astoria
- Monday:Closed
- Tuesday:10AM–6PM
- Wednesday:10AM–6PM
- Thursday:10AM–6PM
- Friday:10AM–5:30PM
- Saturday:1:30–3PM
- Sunday:Closed
I took my bike to Jays shop for routine maintenance and he did a very good job in a timely manner and at a reasonable price. Jay is a very positive and eloquent individual which makes the customer service experience even better. I will definitely go back to Jays shop and I would highly recommend it to anyone who cares for his/her bike.
As a new bike owner, I trusted the Honda/Yamaha dealerships referral when they recommended I take it to J.L. Cycle up the street. The oil drain plug was stripped on my 1975 CL360 and replacing it with a new one, that I provided, along with changing the oil was my main concern. J called me the next day (out of breathe and in a hurry) and explained a list of things that needed to be replaced. I told him okay, call me when you have more time and let me know the estimate of those costs. He ended up calling me later that day with more things wrong with my bike and had already started on some of the work, claiming I had given him permission on the previous call, which was completely untrue. He also said he doesnt do oil changes on this call but gladly took the new oil I provided for the job the day before? After paying too much for what I came here for, I just wanted to get my bike out of his hands and ended up just biting the bullet.J constantly contradicts himself and thinks he tells you details when he doesnt. Im not sure if hes a scam artist or just has a horrible memory. His communication skills are poor and its hard to understand him, as well as read his handwriting. Its an uncomfortable shop to hang out in and I was lectured on how much patience it takes to work on older bikes each time I walked in.Ultimately, I would sell my bike if I had to before ever going back here. Perhaps they take care of regulars but dont seem to care about new customers so beware.
After a very difficult time trying to find parts for my 86 Yamaha. JAY stuck it.out.and finally found the parts and finished replacing all my seals on.my engine and getting the bike back in good running order. He also fixed other.things he saw.wrong like my stop light and brakes and made sure the bike was safe .
I got a rear flat on Sunday night in Brooklyn on my way home to Queens. Talked to Jay Monday morning and he agreed to go with me to pick up my bike at 8 that night (two hours after he closed) since I couldnt get out of work early. We were back at the garage in an hour. Did I mention it was a FREE pick-up?!The next day he called me several times to update me on what the damage was and what work they wanted to do to make sure I was aware and ok with everything. Costs were very reasonable. They finished the work in a matter of hours and Jay stayed late again for me so I could pick the bike up after work!Great guy, great service, great experience. Thanks, Jay!
My mechanic referred J to fix my bearings on the rear wheel on my dyna low rider.I dropped the bike, he gave me the estimate and I agreed. Next day the bike was ready and he charged me 2 times less than I would have spent at HD shop.J is an old school. Don’t come with stupid questions and disrespect if you don’t want a rude reply. I strongly recommend this bike shop.
I was fed up with other bike shops and got a recommendation from my landlord who had been going to JL for years. Jay was very professional and took my bike in same-day. The repair was done the next evening. Jay did a great job on all of the repairs that I asked him to do (cleaning carbs, replacing chain and front brakes). I also asked him to give the whole bike a safety check. He found that the wheel bearings were badly worn. He replaced them only charging me for the parts. He also got the bike inspected for me!The whole process was very transparent. Jay called me to confirm any work that we hadnt initially agreed on (wheel bearings). The bike is running great. I used to have to start it with at least a half-choke but now it fires right up no choke. No lag on the acceleration. Everything is running really smoothly.What is somewhat unfortunate is that the city is doing construction on his street so the entrance to shop is almost completely hidden. You could drive by and not even notice a motorcycle garage. But the shop is there and doing great work. Hidden gem. You owe it to yourself (and your bike) to check in with Jay at JL Motorcycle. 100% recommended.
Jay towed my bike from Manhattan for free after it was overheating and stalling. I spent $1700 on repairs he said were necessary to sort it out. Unfortunately nothing changed in terms of my motorcycles reliability after that. I think Jay really did believe he had repaired the bike, and Im sure he fixed a lot of things that werent up to par. My low rating is simply that he wasnt skilled enough to see the problem. I have since taken it to another mechanic who identified the problem (cylinder leak losing pressure on compression) and told me it wasnt worth the money, (fixing it would be a major engine overhaul or engine replacement worth more than the bike) which I really appreciated.I believe JL is a good place for minor things such as oil changes and maintenance, and dont get me wrong Jay was a lovely guy, but look for a place more knowledgeable for more complex issues.
I recently moved to Astoria and went here a few weeks ago with my Kawasaki KLR that needed repairs ASAP: I use my bike daily to commute to work. I refused to bring it to the original dealership where I purchased the bike in Brooklyn because from past experiences, it would be there for weeks. I decided to give J&L Cycle a try and Im so glad I did. J picked my bike up from my apartment on a Sunday morning and had it ready for me when I returned from work that evening. He even picked me up and gave me a ride to his shop once it was ready. Not only was I impressed with speedy work on a Sunday nonetheless, but the quality of the work was exceptional at a very reasonable price. On top of everything, J is one of the nicest, genuine guys around. He truly cares about his customers. The experience I had at J&L compared to other repair shops/dealerships is like night and day. J&L is the only shop I will go to from here on out. Thank you!
Disclaimer: Rating is based on my personal experience (so YMMV, no pun) when I got a flat, I was too far from home to push the bike all the way back and had a dead cellphone. Yes when it rains, it pours! I couldve easily been taken advantage of, but wasnt. In addition, when settling the bill I paid $20 more than requested. As I was leaving Jay got our of the shop calling me to tell me I gave him more than I was supposed to. After counting the bills in front of me, he gave me back the extra $20. Im not sure many places Ive been would have done the same. The mistake was mine and likely Id have realized it too late.What happened: After barely 500ft since leaving where I had parked, I felt the rear tire sway. Got off and saw I had a @#%! flat. Tried a quick repair (got tubes), but was no go. The small portable compressor I carry was no match for the large nail so I knew I would not make it back to Brooklyn on a over pumped tire.I stopped at 8 different places including a bicycle shop. They were all sympathetic, but none when out of their way offering to help me patch the tube so I could at least get back home, despite being fully equipped and despite I said I would take full responsibility, do the job myself knowing they were doing me a favor. I understand, sadly in US too many lawsuits led to this. Each place let me use their compressor to re-inflate and be able to go a couple more miles. All for free but one (bicycle shop on Roosevelt Ave).Eventually came across the Harley dealer on Northern Blvd. No help there! Wont go into details, but if I ever considered a Harley after this experience I am set to never buy anything remotely connected to that brand. Not only they didnt mention Jays shop, but not even the Honda/Yamaha shop/repair located literally 3 blocks away! My karma repay them for that.By sheer chance a mechanic who was waiting for a part and heard me asking for help, happened to work at Jays. Once outside I explained my predicament and he offered to help. Since I had no options I followed him to the shop. Obviously I was skeptic as I knew nothing about it nor could check reviews. Fortunately for me I ended up meeting honest people who were willing to help not take advantage of the situation. I couldve been easily turned away since its not like I was there with an issue which could potentially mean working for a few hours and hence make a few hundreds from servicing my bike. Also closing time was approaching being past 4PM. Jay didnt turn me away. He started right away. Since he had no tubes that could fit he called the nearby Honda/Yamaha to check stock. They had it so I headed over to get buy it and bring it back to the shop while Jay took worked on prepping the wheel to replacement the tube.As Jay went onto completing the repair, he sent me on a coffee run to a nearby diner. I initially found it a bit odd, but I guess thats part of being treated like family! ;P). I actually looked for a pizzeria the get a pie back when I went to the Honda dealer, but the only one I came across (Donatello) was closed. So was happy to go get the coffee and muffin for Jay and grab quick bite myself (he offered to buy by the way!)I cant speak to the degree of know-how which others complained about, though it would surprise me that someone who stayed in business for over 25 years would survive this long if each bike that went in didnt get fixed. That said I work on my bike myself and I am always humbled by it. I know my KLR inside out and even then I keep learning. Through the years I learned that 1) the perfect mechanic can never exist, 2) one can only find more or less experienced ones, 3) relationships cant exist without honesty, 4) some fixes can be very elusive and at times the main cause can be being very difficult to find, 5) we all make mistakes.With all that said I am very confident I am not making a mistake in saying that Jay is one of the most honest people Ive met so far and I am very thankful we crossed paths when we did. Couldnt recommend him enough. Thanks again Jay and crew!
Well my story is not like yours, I took my bike for service, I guess the price he asked was the right price for the service he was supposed to do, but the job was done poorly i had to return the next day so he can diagnose the issue again and he told me to leave my bike since he was closing up at 5pm, other shops stay a bit late special in summer i guess is how much you love the job you do. Anyways I was told that the first time they used the same parts and they needed to replace it and get a new Jet kit. i dont understand is how a professional business does this kind of practice but he keep my bike for few days. I keep calling for status on my bike and the only i got is a answer machine and bad attitude. I wont recommend this shop to any of by ride buddies.
I have been coming to Jays shop since 2008, and hes done great things with my Virago. When I bring it in for service, he takes care of it quickly and honestly, and the price is the lowest Ive found in the city. The staff is friendly and does great work,and Jay has gone out of his way to help when I had a flat tire, and the leaking gaskets. The roadside service kept me from being stranded, and there is no charge. Not bad for a cowboy from the south who likes to talk, but who cant write legibly to save his life (this is my only complaint about the shop)
Professional and friendly. I went here just to get my front tire replaced but i did not expect them to be a mostly cruiser bike shop so they were refererring me to another shop which was 15 minutes away. I was about to leave when they took a quick look at my front tire and said something was wrong, the front forks were leaking oil and it is unsafe to ride it the way it is. They took another look at their inventory and saw that they had my front tire in stock. So they fixed the fork and replaced the front tire. I brought the bike in around 2pm and they were done by 430pm on a Saturday. The bike was amazing after the repairs. Lets just say i will be bringing my bike and all my friends bikes to this shop. Very awesome shop.!!
Stay away!All negative reviews here are true!This place IS NOT an authorized place to perform bike repairs(that is what DMV told me)!I came there to install new 10 inches rise handlebar on my bike this June.Labor costs me $450 and all necessary parts - $500. $950 total.Jay stole my bar ends, never did his job and did not install parts that I payed for. He just installed handlebar. After he performed his job, my bike was unsafe to be on the road(see inspection report in attachment). Jay told me that bike is completely fine after I complained.I went to small claims court and filed a sue. Also I filed a claim to DMV against his business. DMV officer was able to refund me $530.If you want to get my full story about this place, just let me know. It last for 6 months from my visit to the shop till I got refund from DMV and got lots of facts.BTW - if you decided to go there, ask Jay to print the receipt for you where you can clearly see all labour and parts you ordered. Receipts he provides almost unable to read(see photo)Customer affairs does not handle complains against repair shops.File a claim to DMV. You can find complain form online.
About a week ago i brought two tires that i wanted to get installed on my Iron 883. about two days ago i caught a flat and didnt know what to do. i jumped online to look at motorcycle shops and after reading some of the reviews on this shop i was really hesitate to bring my bike to them. i took the chance not knowing what my faith would be, but Im glad i did. i called them up and the owner himself picked up i told him my situation and within the hour he was at my house ready to tow my bike. he helped my pushed the bike out of my garage and load in onto his truck which showed me his attentiveness, cause he could have simply sat in his truck and watched me struggle with a flat tired bike in 92 degree weather. i gave him the new tires with the bike and went to work concerned. before i got out of work my bike was already set to go. when i picked up my bike he explained to me everything he had done and why he charged me what he did. because i was installing white walls the price was higher, but this i had already known through the tire websites. at this point he could have taken the opportunity to hit me over the head (even though i already knew the extra cost of white walls install) but he didnt. he was really honest and true to his word. on top of the great service provided to me the best part was the fact that he charged me NOTHING FOR THE TOW. He told me youve been through enough already with the flat, i just want you to see the kind of shop i have and for you to come in future. FYI the towing alone of a bike cost at least $60 if not more. base on my experience he has reasonable rates, does good work, and i never felt he was trying to hit me over the head. he didnt try to advise me get this and that done to the bike or buy something for it etc. no bs with this man and i will be going there again.Cheers.
Dishonest. Typical salesman. Will lie to you with a straight smileI purchased my first motorcycle from one of JLs customers that I was told was well maintained. I paid jay 500 to check it out and service it. He said the engine was good and the clutch was good. My friend, who has been driving riding for 20 years told me that the clutch is garbage. Basically they lied to make money off of me. They were expecting me to come back and do the clutch.The engine was tuned up and the front brakes were replaced because of the squeaking. I could tell when I got the bike back, that the brakes were not replaced. They had applied the brakes very hard a couple of times to make the squeak go away. Within a hundred miles the squeak was back.Will sell you used tires and claims they have plenty of life. When friends tell me they are garbage.He sold me one of these used tires.When I brought my bike in for service . He called and said it needs a tire, I thought he was referring to the front tire which was ok/so so. When I pick up the bike I could not tell which tire was replaced. He says the rear tire was replaced. I could not tell because The old rear tire was in excellent condition. He tells me there was a crack... I dont think the tire was replaced. But I was charged for it. I tell him what about the front tire, he says oh I missed that . Then he puts on a used tire that was worse than the old one. ugh.To top it off he asked me write him a good review. To negate some of the bad review he has here. Yeah OK.If you complain about anything. He always has a good excuse. Or something to say about it. (he talks his way out of everything.)I dont trust his operation. Hes a smooth sly typical salesman who happens to be a mechanic. Im going to have to find another bike shop.Update: 8/22/14Had my clutch changed at a different shop. It rides like a different bike now.So either JL knew it needed a clutch and lied to me, or they are incompetent.
Fantastic service. Jay and his team have gone out of their way to help me. I ride a Triumph and found JL after the dealership closed. Even though the dealer has since reopened, I will be sticking with JL. Once, when I was broken down on a Friday night, he stayed open late just to help me get the bike into the shop so that I could get back on the road sooner. Expert service and very reasonable prices.
Avoid this place like the plague. Jay is a fast-talking conman who lies almost as much as he breathes. He will bill you for work he does not perform. He will steal parts from your bike. If he owes you money, he will dissemble, lie, mislead, and waste your time for months on end. I have no idea how this place even operates or stays above legal scrutiny. I am fortunate to have only been ripped off as much as I have. AVOID.
One of the worst experiences I have had in my life, I strongly encourage anyone NOT to do business with these people. I wrote on Yelp an account of my experience, and here is a list of the reasons why Jay was extremely unprofessional and I will never return to them:- LYING. Jay will not tell the truth and also will not remember about his own lies, so you will easily catch him on them, creating and uncomfortable and infuriating situation. Examples of lies will be:* Saying he will do something and then not do it* Tell you the bike is ready when it isnt* Tell you he paid a certain amount for a part or material he actually didnt - will also tell you about special paint, glue, materials...* Claiming the job is harder that he thought thus he needs to charge you more for it, only to drop the issue after you confront him about it- LACK OF SENSE OF TIME. He will tell you to come at a time and do NOT go by it. You will have to wait, come later or some other day, making the process as inconvenient as it can be.- EXTRA CHARGES. You will need to do something on the bike, which he says he will do. Shortly after he will find other issues that need to be fixed and he will of course do it for you paying extra.- HORRIBLE COMMUNICATION. On top of disregarding times set in advance, he will tell you one thing and then do another, change his mind on something and act upon it without telling you and make you confused with contradictory statements- POOR DELIVERY. He will say your bike is ready and then you will find out it isnt. The job will not be done and you will have to bring your bike again to try to make him finish it. He will lose your original nuts and bolts and replace then with some others he will find in his messy work area.I am currently filing a complain with the NYC Consumer Affairs office. I will do anything I can to beware anyone who considers doing business with them.
I had a great experience recently here. I have a crappy off brand moped (Linhai 50cc) that I left out over the winter. No shop wants to work on it because its hard to get parts, believe me Ive looked around. Was recommended to JL and told to ask for Jay by the Honda Dealer in LIC. Jay was very helpful and honest and gave me he pros and cons of fixing he bike and the actual value of the bike. In the end I decided it was worth it to me once I had all the information. It was fixed promptly and Im very happy with the result. It had also been spray painted by a less than kind citizen and so I had it detailed for a nominal fee by their in house guy. Both mechanically and aesthetically Im very happy!FYI: there is a lot of construction going on in front of the shop so it is hard to see and hard to get to. But dont let it deter you! There is also another entrance through the back on 45th street.
After reading the 2-3 reviews about these guys stealing parts from bikes and putting them on others, I decided to go to NY honda yamaha for my tire change. They only charge $10 more than JL Motorcycle does ($65 instead of $55), thats still $20 cheaper than Rapid Performance ($85) and Ive dealt with them before and their work is top notch. You cant go wrong with the dealership when the price difference is so small. I also refuse to fuel the business of a crook. I can imagine them swapping your brand new carb out for a faulty one...grr. I cant imagine why so many different people would be lying about them either so the rumor must have truth to it.(I cant judge first hand so I gave this 3 stars)
They are a bunch of liars. They charged me $300 to fix my scooter saying that the problem was on the engine. They said they got me a new engine and they didnt do anything. They never changed the engine. They also didnt let me see my scooter before i had payed. After three days my motorcycle was broken again. Bunch of liars and assholes. Stay away
STAY away! All the bad reviews here are true. Too bad I didnt read them beforehand and after spending over $1000. Took advantage of a new rider. Claimed carbs were cleaned but were not. I dont even know what else he didnt do or hes just really bad at what he does. I didnt didnt my research until I a neighbor of mine asked about my bike and asked me where I go, and he was like oh, THAT guy. Pretty much stole his money too. Anyone else wronged here hit me up we need to shut this guy down
Its the best motorcycle shop in Astoria,He fix everything and anything, any motorcycle from 50cc to 1600ccVery professional, responsible and friendly staff.Excellent service with great price ✌️👏They treat the customers as they friends have no difference 😊😊Like the place so much and recommend it to everyone 👏🖐️😊
Jay is a good talker .seems like a nice guy .but doesnt change the fact hes a con artist and a liar. He had a whole month telling me tomorrow it will be ready. When it was ready.The job wasnt even the job I requested done. Total waste of time . I believe people have the right to know what there getting themselves into and the experience here was horrible all around .
AVOID THIS SHOP AT ALL COSTS!!! As a former employee. I have personally witnessed the owner steal parts from customers bikes and use them to fix other bikes. If he takes too long to repair a bike he avoids the customers phone calls.AGAIN, IM A FORMER EMPLOYEE. HOW JAY TREATS HIS CUSTOMERS IS UNFAIR AND PEOPLE NEED TO KNOW THIS.
Stay away from Jake. He is a real scammer and bullshiter. His mechanics are incompetent and lazy and Jake lies. He will waste your time and money. I took my bike in for a snapped middle axle and he sat on the job for 3 months before he told me he couldnt help me. and I had to ask and raise hell for my parts money refund. I rate this guy a minus five if I could.
Love this place the owner Jake is a great guy got into a riding motorcycles a few years ago beans with three bikes started with used bikes everytime I go see him he would fix the problems prices reasonable right now hes working on a bike for me that I had an accident with would recommend them to anyone he also will come pick your bike up sometime for free if youre repeating customer but less than half the price anyone else with charger love these guys old school bikers who know their stuff would recommend to anyone at any time great jobs guys keep it up
PLEASE PLEASE STAY AWAY!!! Jay the owner is a SCAM ARTIST!! He will make up stuff to charge you extra, he will be really nice & act like a friend so he can screw you over, the list goes on and on. My friend had the same experience & I even met someone who DID WORK FOR HIM and STOPPED because it was messing with his conscience and YES, JAY SCEWED HIM OVER TOO. SOMEONE NEEDS TO INVESTIGATE THIS GUY!!! IF YOU DECIDE TO GO WITH THIS GUY DO everyone a favor and accumulate evidence SO WHEN HE SREWS YOU OVER YOU CAN TAKE HIM DOWN. I was a new rider and that made me an easy target.
IF IT WASNT FOR THIS AWSOME SHOP, I WOULD OF BEEN SCREWED.ON 7-22-15..I CAUGHT A FLAT IN QUEENS AND I LIVE IN THE BRONX, THEY CAME AND PICKED UP MY BIKE FOR FREE. AND IN LESS THAN AN HOUR MY BIKE WAS BACK UP AND RUNNING. THEY SAVED MY ASS. and like usual tow companys where u have to wait for hours, they where there in minutes. thank you, thank you, thank you.
Total reviews rating 4
76 Reviews for J L Detail Cycle 2023:
Review №1
2022-06-14One of the few good places left to fix your bike. J is the man always patients and help you to help anyone here. I definitely recommend it. Thanks J & Mike!
Review №2
2021-12-18What a great place!I own A triumph Bonneville 2013 used but in excellent condition. Eventually, my motorcycle started giving me problems.Three months ago is when I met JAY from J L detail Cycles.Before meeting Jay, I had already paid a lot of money to get my bike fixed. Come to find out, it still had many problems, Which Jay was able to Evaluate and explain to me. Jay took his time to check out my bike and provided me with helpful information about what was happening with my bike. He treated me like a human being, rare from many other places, especially as a black person who rides motorcycles. Most of the time, there is a races stereotype on us. But Jay was very respectful, and I also felt the presence of equal opportunity in his service. He treats everyone the same. Another thing that I like about Jay is his prices very reasonable and fair. Sometimes he’ll even give you a more significant discount than you need it.JAY even took the time to show me some basic tricks to tune up my bike. I am so grateful that I ran into JAY, Shop, and his services. Currently, I am back at the shop again after a bike accident getting my bike fixed, and he’s been amazing helping me get Reasonable price parts for my bike to get it up and running for the spring.Thank you so much, Jay, for all your excellent service, kindness, and generosity
Review №3
2021-08-26Ive been to quite a few shops around the city and this is THE place to go. Honest, fast, and reliable service every time Ive been in. Cant recommend this shop enough. Owner is knowledgeable and staff are friendly.Took my Triumph Street Twin in for some new shoes and was able to walk out not a couple hours later.
Review №4
2021-07-06I recently went to JL shop for my 1999 Kawasaki Vulcan. I had it parked on the street and someone hit it and messed up the alignment. There were also issues with turning it on but the guys at JL fixed it with no issues. Great transparency and great work. Also they fixed it super fast. Will definitely be recommending them and they gained a loyal customer.
Review №5
2022-08-08Excellent work Got my bike in-and-out fast and took care of everything I needed to be done
Review №6
2020-10-30Excellent service, reasonably priced for the work done. Jay is an excellent guy to talk to about your bike. He is friendly, courteous and a big help.I will continue to use his shop for all my bike needs.
Review №7
2021-04-10Great shop. The owner and employee got right to my bike and fixed everything at a great and reasonable price. They made me fell like good to be there and treated me like family. Everyone was real polite and made sure they explained everything to me before they did anything.
Review №8
2019-07-17Ive been coming to Jays shop for years and he and his mechanics are always ready and willing to help me get my bike back up and running. Theyre particularly helpful compared to other shops when it comes to older bikes with less accessible parts that require a lot more TLC. I have a relatively old bike at this point (a 2003 Kawasaki Vulcan 500), and they always do good work for me at a reasonable rate. Jay is also great about towing bikes (for free) when they break down, and I take comfort in knowing that hes always a phone call away if my bike breaks down.
Review №9
2021-05-13Great shop! Great people very friendly and honest! J & mike excellent service, quick repairs, affordable prices, i always came here with my crew to fix our bikes and keep them in top shape 👍
Review №10
2012-12-08Best shop around. Its always intimidating to go to a new mechanic. You never know what you are going to get. A neighbor of mine recommended Jay and I am very glad he did. Super nice guy and friendly staff. I bought a used bike that needed some work and he gave me a great quote and had the bike looking and running like new. A short time later I was hit by a jerk in a minivan. Bike needed some serious work and Jay came through like a champ! Found affordable used replacement parts in amazing condition to keep the costs down and had my bike ready for me the very next day! Needless to say, he has my business for life. Great, great shop.