Ace Motorcycle & Scooter

Would love to write a review about their service… but I can’t because they will not call me back. I’ve left maybe 5 voicemails in the last few weeks, wrote an email via contact form on their site, and nothing. I get it, they’re busy, it’s summer. But why even have a phone if you’re not going to use it. Annoying.

I’m going to miss this place. When Chad and Bee were here, the place was Awesome. When they left the Service went downhill. Not surprised they closed up for good. There aren’t many Indie Scooter Shops left standing anymore. This was the best Scooter Shop in Illinois. RIP ACE. You were the Best.

I’d give them a 2.5 star rating but I can’t. I don’t really think that customer service is very good with the new management. I’d been taking my bike here for years and always had top notch service and communication. Under the new ownership, the Ace part of their sign is painted over outside on the awning, and that’s just the first foreboding piece of information that this is not the same place that it used to be.
I took my bike in to have the front shocks rebuilt and front brakes bled. My bike sat there for about a week before anyone even started to look at it. I was told it’d be a few days to be completed. I never got a quote. I called after a week or so and he said that they’d be getting the parts tomorrow.
I called to ask when it’d be done a few days later, and he said it was done and ready. No call to let me know that it was ready and it’s my primary mode of transportation. During the call I said that I’d be picking it up during my lunch break and to please have it out front waiting for me. Guess what? It was buried in back and not ready.
Upon checking over the bike they had adjusted the clutch which was not something that I had asked them to do and it was not good. They fixed that issue on the spot but upon trying to start my bike to head back to work for some reason the battery was dead. I had just put a new battery in the day before I dropped the bike off so I was puzzled to say the least.
After paying $ 500 for the repairs (which I didn’t know till I had to ask on the phone that day) I just wanted to get back to work. So, the work done was acceptable even though maybe a bit expensive, that’s why they get any stars from me, but when I got back to work I noticed a new small chip on the gas tank. I would have taken it back but the tank already had a dent and another larger chip (not that it makes it any better). I also saw some new marks on the shock tower where they used some tool to get the dust caps off. It was kinda on the backside so I didn’t see it at the shop. It wasn’t too bad but it’s just really annoying to say the least and I figured my resolution was just to never go there again.
So in summary, the work is pricey but just ok, like getting a C– on your math test at Harvard. The customer service and communication was lackluster at best. Only go here if you know what you are getting into and you are ok with that.

Unreliable and poor customer service. — I’ve been calling for over a week and can’t get a hold of anyone, and that’s not the worst part. They adjusted the chain, change the oil, said they looked at the plugs and did an overall inspection. When I brought the bike back home I saw that the left side plastic had 2 bolts missing and also one from the plastic above my chain. Not only where parts left off the bike but my chain was adjusted unevenly and I’m worried about riding the bike… regardless of whether the parts were missing before they should have caught it. These guys are unprofessional and do not specialize in sports bikes. I have an r6 and now will have to spend the money to get the extra parts and do all the maintenance on my own… so much for service.

Great service and always fair. I’ve had my bike serviced there a number of times. Glad it’s under new management as they now work on newer types of bikes!

This guy is an amateur I brought my Suzuki Vstrom 1000 because it head electricity problem.
Armndo the owner promised me that they can fix it and the only reason he cannot do it right now its because they don’t have the part in stock .
make a long story short I gave him the motorcycle for 7 days and he didn’t even look at him. .
I will never go there again what a waste of time

These guys came through again fixing a loose fender mount, tightening chain and adjusting rear brake. I see why these guys are the BEST in the Chicago area, great guys down to earth and friendly. Not to mention top notch work. Cheers to you ACE!

We had a broken down Malaguti 2-​stroke scooter sitting behind the house for years until we took it to ACE and they fixed it up. They did great job in replacing coil from the starter, found missing parts, changed tires, and fixed breaks for this rare scooter for a very reasonable price. This was a year ago. Last week I brought a BMW with a screw in the rear tire and they fixed it perfect, for less than they quoted me on the phone. Brendan was very friendly and did as he said he would.
I sincerely wish that their business survives despite slow economy. They seem to have the hall full of projects to do over the winter time. Ride scooters! They will help you maintain and fix them when needed.

Ironically I found Ace Scooter shop through a Craigslist ad that they posted about mobile scooter repair… even though their shop is only 2 blocks from my work (and I never even knew it!.)
I really don’t have enough good words to say about Armando. The shop is under new management and now only does scooters (not motorcycles anymore) so they really can focus in on their craft. Armando is one of the two new owners and is one stand up guy. He 150% stands by his work and if something isn’t right, he will make it right, no questions asked.
As a female I always get worried about taking my car or bike into a shop because since I have no clue about anything mechanical I feel like I might get taken for a ride… however Armando is completely honest. He’ll let you know what’s wrong with your bike, and why, and take the time to explain it to you in an honest and simple way. He also goes out of his way to make sure that you’re a happy customer and would like to come back, and well that goes a long way! They’re always able to get your bike in right away and get it back to you fairly quickly (or at least a lot quicker than all the other shops I’ve been to.) I’d highly recommend them!
I think they might not have the mobile service available at the moment, but if they do again in the future it’s a complete lifesaver. For $ 50 extra bucks you can get them to come to you and fix your scooter… which saves a TON of hasel when you need your carbs cleaned from a Winter of sitting.
Just overall a really great shop. Make sure to ask for Armando! He deserves a 5 star reputation for sure!

I brought a 3 wheel Chinese 150 scooter that looks cool as hell, I knew I was taking a leap buying a Chinese product but I said what the hell… in winter layup I filled the tank and started it on warmer days and let it run no problem. Weather got warm im riding my bike it dies at red lights and stop signs. Took it to ACE they cleaned my carburetor and tranny. On my way home it stops on me, I had it towed back to the shop they found a gas leak, repaired it and did not charge me. Armando explained everything to me including winter layup, he is very knowledgeable, put some fat on my head. They are my Chinese scooter repair shop, U don’t find many that are willing to work on them and they have reasonable pricing. Gotta tell ya B (Brendan) and Armando are Kool ‚
I wish them well.
Hollywood (Michael B)

Just wanted to show some love for Ace Motorcycle and Scooter for fixing up my ’75 CB360. I had called about the wait time before dropping it off, so I knew that it would be at least a week turnaround due to the fact that I wanted to leave it over a holiday weekend. Waiting for service is inevitable when it’s motorcycle season, a.k.a. their busiest part of the year; I’m fairly okay with that as long as my precious comes back to me in excellent condition.
When I dropped it off, I gave them a vague description of my issue: «It just… hesitates on acceleration, backfires once in a while, doesn’t idle happily, and my dad told me to check the points on it.» Due to a few ‘problem bikes’ ahead of me, it took a few days for them to dig into my ‘lil Honda, but the culprit (s) were found and taken care of at an extremely reasonable price within the time frame they quoted me.
(FYI, labor is $ 100/​hour. This is a good labor price for Chicago; many other shops charge up to $ 120/​hour.)
Thank you, guys! My precious is SO MUCH BETTER!
The only reason that this isn’t a 5-​star review is because their communication is terrible– every time they said they’d call, they didn’t. I ended up having to call them a few days in a row to find out the status of my motorcycle. I’m okay with that because I know how busy they are right now, and they had told me about the wait in advance.

My sincere thanks to Armando for helping me out twice within a week! Apparently, he & Brendan have become the new management at Ace, with plans to really spruce the place up.
I work in the Loop & called ahead the other day about getting new brake pads on the front wheel of my bike. Understanding that I only had an hour for lunch, Armando dropped what he was doing, set me up, and only charged me for 30 minutes when I know other places charge for a minimum of one hour.
Days later, when I stupidly found myself with a dead battery on the north side, these were the first guys I thought to call. They got right back to me & arranged a time for a jump the next morning. I got two confirming text messages that morning. Armando was waiting & had me set up in less than 5 minutes.
Friendly, professional, fairly priced. Thanks again, guys!

I will be going back. Parting ways with my Buddy Blackjack makes me cranky, so I want fast and quality service… these guys provided it. I asked for a simple oil change and needed a new battery. Unfortunately the new battery was not in stock so it took a few days to come in, but when it did my scoots was in tip top shape! I wish the price would have been a little less (but its certainly market value), but they made up for it with service. My scooter had tightened brake cables, changed gear oil, and had been cleaned! So that was nice…
My only rub, they never called to let me know the battery was on order, so I showed up when it was supposed to be finished and I was told to come back, that they would call me and let me know when it would be ready. A few days later I called them, they said they would check and call me back… nothing. I stopped by and it had been done for a while they said, so– just get your communications straight. Your work is AWESOME! Like I said, I will be back… but I will stay on them to give me answers– cant have my scoots in the ‘hospital’ without hearing progress for too long!

I really have to 2^nd the great work /​terrible customer service review below. My wife bought me a vintage bike as a gift from a private party. The guys at Ace were nice enough to help her out by calling a couple people she had bikes she was looking at and they picked told her to pick one in particular that she bought and had directly to Ace for them to check it out. They said it needed the brake cable moved and a tune up and it should run about $ 500
That’s where all the good stuff ended. My wife told them she had a budget of $ 500 for mechanical and $ 1000 for paint before giving it to me. They had it for about a month telling her they were under $ 500 the whole time and waiting on parts. Until we went to pick it up and had a $ 1500 bill for a tune up, replace valve gasket and brake job. They had to rebuild the rear caliper that was seized and since it was vintage couldn’t get a replacement.
The guys couldn’t be nicer and they do good work. My wife wasn’t talking to the service tech of manager yet someone else at the shop the whole time and I think that’s where the communication broke down. I have no doubt they put a lot of work into the bike but they never once mentioned the $ 1500 bill until we got there to pick it up. They were nice enough to knock $ 100 off the ridiculous price when we complained for an hour when the person my wife was talking to the whole time that was telling her $ 500 admitted that is what he told her. The bike was running horribly (I have no idea what it was running like when it was brought in) when I picked it up. Ended up taking to another shop that fixed it on budget and running perfect.
Like I said nice guys that do good work but I wouldn’t let them touch your bike without a written estimate.

Dear Bea,
Just a quick note to say THANK YOU!
Last Friday night I found myself at 7:45 with a flat tire on my Buddy Italia. Your whole staff appeared to be engaged in an awesome party. Nevertheless, Milan took the time to not only fix my flat but also tighten my brakes. I would have been totally stuck without such awesomeness from your staff. You could have really stuck it to me on the cost too, but didn’t. Next time I need service or a new motorbike I will certainly head your way. I always tell people I love Chicago because of the terrific people I continue to meet over the 8 years of living here. Last Friday night proved that point once again.
Thanks again for your generosity and help when I reaaaally needed it!
Have a great summer, hope to see you again soon,
Garret

I really can’t say enough good things about this place. I’ve had so many issues with my beloved scooter and this place has never let me down. My first experience was walking my broken-​down scooter 1.2 miles to Ace. When I got there, sweaty and cranky, Bee showed up at the door wearing her adorable baby on her front. It made me smile immediately.
They took my scooter in even though it was the start of the season, and put me on a pretty short waiting list. In a week it was crankin’, good as new, and for a very reasonable price. Another time someone tried to siphon gas from its tank (I know right??) and messed up the gas cap. I rode it there and almost immediately they fixed it — charging me nothing because they recognized me as a frequent customer ;)
What a great place! Loyal customer for as long as I live in Chicago.

Chad and Bee are the very best. Fair prices, high-​quality work on your «interesting» bike. The guys there take their time and do it right, and are very passionate about bikes.
Chad fixed a charging problem on my Parilla 250, got it running very well and gave me the confidence to ride it much further than just around the neighborhood.
Great gear, too. Modest confidence and fair prices. I wish I had a third thumb to raise.

Want an estimate? They will give you a verbal one before they see your bike and it will end up being 40% more.
This shop was the worst experience of my life. They fixed my bike without giving me the estimate and when I asked questions on what I was being charged for and not just paying it, they took my bike and broke it on purpose. They made every problem I brought it in there for worst. My right brakes don’t work at all, the bike won’t even run anymore!
They even had the nerve to let the air out of the back tire.
The craziest part about this entire experience… there is NOTHING you can do. Yes, I called the police but they said it was a he said/​she said situation.
I am a level headed guy and I looked at the owner in the eye and simply asked him in a calm voice, «why are you doing this?» And he went and got his lawyers card, said «Call him if you have any questions.»
I see these reviews but what happens the second you need to ask a question about your bike or what THEY want to charge you?

The people at Ace (especially Chad and Bee) are extremely helpful, nice and polite. I went with flaiz to drop off his scooter for some minor repairs and stayed for a bit to talk with Chad about my interest in buying an old bike (which has since happened!).
I stopped by again yesterday to pick up a batter charger which the offered for a reasonable price. Bee was very knowledgeable and took the time to explain what was good about the charger and how best to use it.
They stock Fulmer helmets as well. I had to order the color/​size combo that I wanted, but i feel confident that they will take care of me once it arrives.
I have every intention of bringing my motorcycle here for service the next time it is required.
I can’t say enough nice things about these people. I encourage you to visit them for all your scooter and motorcycle needs.

Brought the wife’s damaged and neglected Yamaha Vino in for service and repair. Have to say that Bee and crew wowed me with their excellent communication and service.
The work was done ahead of schedule and under estimated cost. What do you think about that?
A nice place to check out all the classic bikes and scoots and hang with some incredibly nice folks.
Yeah Ace.