Decent shops in the Seattle-Tacoma area?

As much as I would love to ride with one and all on here, I'm leaving to support my country and wont have time to work on or service my bike. Although, my girl has said she will take care of my bike while I'm gone. Neither of us know much about bikes let alone any good places to take a bike for service and things.

So I was just wondering if anybody knew of any local places to get parts or even to have a pro's opinion on that weird sound/smell coming from the bike.

 

I usually just buy parts from Chacal/XJ4ever. Tires I buy from bikebandit.com. Not familiar with Seattle area shops, but if you can attend a Backfire Moto event in Ballard before you leave, someone there may be able to give you a reference. There are a lot of old bikes in Seattle, so someone must be fixing them.

 

There are quite a few online places...

I wanted to go to a Backfire event, but their website doesnt give much/any info on the next one at all. And most people I've talked to here with "vintage" bikes either uses Bent Bike in Auburn or online stores. :cry:

 

<http://www.backfiremoto.com>
The next event is this coming Wednesday 8/17, 4:00 PM. I'm going to try to make it.

 

Seattle cycle service is good.
Twinline is REAL good but they don't like bikes as new as ours (the owner sold me his YICS tool, said he didn't wanna use it anymore I told him he could borrow it back any time.) They do as much custom building as they do repair and maintenance.
Jim's Southend I hear good things about but have never interacted with them.

The trouble anywhere is prolly gonna be that dang YICS tool.

There is also a Bent bike in lynnwood. I recommend to everyone to avoid them at all costs. Bunch of sexist a-holes IMO and that coming from a male. Sometimes though for some things they are the only game in town. Also consistently WAY overpriced but that is a luxury they have, being able to hold their scrap yard inventory for as long as it takes for the right sucker to come around.

I never miss Backfire night, have been going for a few years now. Met some XJers there and a ton of great people set to gossip about any bike under the sun. The date is "Every third wednesday, except every once in a while it conflicts with something else" (this last year it was too close to St paddy's day and again in april conflicted with another certain green holiday)

 

Auburn Motorcycle
(253) 939-6666
722 40th St NE
Auburn, WA 98002

I haven't been there myself, but I was told by an XJer who's had his since 83', that that's where he goes to get good quality work at a good price,.

 

I have taken my 1982 XJ650RJ to Hinshaw's and they have done great work on it so far.