Help name my bike shop!

[davelisowski]

Okay guys and gals,

I need some help in picking a business name. I have many ideas, but I want something catchy and something that would attract the attention of fellow bikers/riders.

Of course, you can always recommend your own, but don't expect money from me, lol. Seriously though, I appreciate your input and help in this matter.

:edit:
So the bike shop is a DIY shop for folks to rent tools and space to work on their bikes. I will have space for short-term and long-term projects, storage for winterization or for keeping, and offer classes to teach folks how to do things on their bikes. The plan is to have an on-staff mechanic to guide folks through things if they are unsure about what to do, and for things that turn out to be more than what the customer expected (i.e. thinks it's spark plugs, but is really a blown gasket)

I figure that regular maintenance will be the majority of business; things like oil changes, tire changes, etc. But I want it to be the go-to place for working on the bike rather than your parking lot or buddy's garage (and of course, rather than a dealer or full-service shop). I want people to enjoy the experience and satisfaction of turning a wrench on their own, and not have to pay lots for a dealer to do it.

I figure in the off-season, I will try to flip bikes to pay the bills (i.e. buy inexpensive bikes and get them working and sell for a modest profit)

There are so many other things to mention and talk about, but that's the short version.

[lazyboy]

Whats your plan? Selling bikes,repairing bikes,customizing bikes,bike parts,etc?

[davelisowski]

lol... i'll edit the original post

[CrazyDave]

In view of your edit I think the first one works just fine Dave.. get some cooking skills and it could be Daves DIY Garage and Rib Joint!

[-AJ]

the first one "Dave's DIY Garage" is the only name that tells what your tryin' to do. all the other names seem somewhat miss leading.

"Motorcycle Maintenance and Customization" --kinda boring and miss leading since you are not trying to accomplish a full blown motorcycle shop in the traditional setting, for example.. like the family owned and operated independent shop i am a part of.

"Motorcycle Lounge" --kinda sounds like a hang out. hanging out is cool and all.. but not the best for a business. it'll end up as a cool place to be.. but not much profit. i don't think you'll want it to just be a hang out for people.. it's fun when people come and hang out at our shop sometimes but it's really difficult to get anything done. might be different with the kind of shop your trying to run though.

"Motorcycle Cafe" --miss leading.. just sounds like their will be coffee and food.

the first one sounds the best to me.

[Dcocch]

You could get a HUGE market if you get some auto lifts and make it auto AND bikes. I know lots of people who are jealous of me when I use a "Auto Skills Center" on an army base.

Charge like $5/hr for the lift/bay and then rent out specialty tools like impact wrenches for $0.50/hour etc. I've spent $40 spending a day replacing a rear main seal on my jeep.


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[Big B]

I hope you've checked w/ your insurance company for liability issues if someone damages something/someone elses bike/property or injures themselves.

[davelisowski]

I appreciate the advice. Please don't worry about insurance or logistics or how the place will operate... like I said there is way more involved.

I just needed help with the name so I can write the business plan (which is already underway).

So what if I add "DIY" to the other names? Like 'DIY Motorcycle Maintenance and Customization.' Or 'DIY Motorcycle Lounge.'

Thanks again!

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[Bowie-]

Love the idea and the first name is great. I would have used something like that when I lived in an apartment. But, most DIYers are that way because they are cheap (me being one of them) and you may have a hard time getting DIYers to pay for something like this. Or, even worse, that they may not know how to use the tools. But, I'll bet that you could get some freelance auto-body guys in there.

Also, something you may run into with DIY guys is that they often let projects sit. Get a few deadbeats in there (which can happen very easily) and you have no space for paying customers, coupled with the issue of non-payment on bikes that are sitting around. I still love the idea though and think it would be a great opportunity for many people. Just be sure to get some hard rules established and cover your a**.

[Bowie-]

Originally Posted by davelisowski

So what if I add "DIY" to the other names? Like 'DIY Motorcycle Maintenance and Customization.' Or 'DIY Motorcycle Lounge.'

Thanks again!

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"Lounge" and "Cafe" send the wrong impression to me. Unless you're selling food or something that is conducive to lounging, then you're attracting people to hang-out. DIY is a popular term now and implies work. If I lived in an apartment and wanted to chop some pipes, I would call the guy that has the DIY place, not the Lounge.