Sonny Angel Motorcycles

Wow, I just read some angry, mean reviews and decided I had to put down a review of my own. I’ve been going to Sonny (and Donny) for service since I bought my Ducati new in 95. But I had been on a few spaghetti rides with them years before that. If you haven’t been on one of their famous Sunday rides, you’re missing out. Good people, good conversation, good food. This place is legendary and a wealth of experience and knowledge.
One thing I want to point out and make real clear. Good people! These guys are in the top 1% of good people. Business is business and nobody is perfect. So you’re gonna run into some high maintenance customers that want to bash you. But all you have to do is go down and talk bikes over a cup of coffee to know how good these people are. I really can’t stress it more in words.
I crashed my duck into one of those small dorm room fridges. I was doing about 80 at night and didn’t see it (even as I hit it). Most mortals would be dead or have a bunch of new bionic/​metal parts to deal with. But I miraculously didn’t even go down. But I needed a new rim/​tire and Donny welded my frame on both sides of the triple clamp. The used rim was $ 100 and the welding/​labor was $ 250. No totaled bike. No insurance claim. No death or broken bones (my wrists and thumbs hurt for weeks). Priceless!
If the only thing you get out of this review is that these guys are good peeps, great. But they know more about vintage Italian bikes than almost anyone on this planet. Seriously, go on one of their famous Sunday spaghetti rides.

Sonny Angel ‘rebuilt’ my 71 Moto Guzzi. It never ran right. The ‘valve job’ I paid for was either never done or it was done by a complete retard. The head gaskets that were put on the bike were not only incorrect for that bike, they were two different gaskets! The holes for the push rods didn’t line up correctly and as a result, they wore grooves into the push rods.
I finally gave up on the bike and sold it. Later I heard that it blew up on the freeway on the new owner.
Sonny Angel is a crook, and his dim witted brother Don (the «mechanic») is no better.

I agree with KC, above, who says that the place is a neat place to shoot the breeze with guys who have ridden at bonneville. But, Arnold B hits it RIGHT ON THE HEAD.
This shop would be a neat subject for a short film or a magazine profile piece. If you want to go to a nifty place to look at old bikes and drink coffee, this is the place to go. If you want to buy a motorcycle or get yours serviced, go somewhere else.
I walked into this place with my 2002 Moto Guzzi California Titanium. Simple problem — the low fuel indicator didn’t work. Of course, I had been getting along just fine by using the trip odometer, and could have just continued doing that. In fact, when I asked them if they could fix the low fuel indicator, they suggested that I just use the odometer.
I liked the idea of supporting the shop, given its old school nostalgia. So, I said «nah, you guys will do it right. I don’t mind paying to get it done right.» Besides, I have three motorcycles, and figured if they were good with this repair, I would have my new shop to have all my bikes serviced at.
And there began my nightmare.
Weeks after dropping it off, I stopped by to check on it. There was my bike, disassembled. Half of it outside. The gas tank was upside down on a work bench with nothing protecting the paint. The service guy spent all this time telling me about how he took out the indicator sensor and tried to solder the old one, but it didn’t work, so he had to order a new one.
OK, fair enough.
So now I give them $ 200 to order a new one. During that visit, they spent about 20 minutes explaining how parts for this bike had to come all the way from Italy, that it would take a while, and you gotta be patient with an Italian bike. I agreed, and I told them «no sweat. I won’t bother you until I hear from you.»
Never hear from them again.
In fact, after a few months, I called them and asked «what’s up with my bike?» They told me, that it was ready. So, that weekend, I ran over to get it and they tell me it is another $ 276 for the repairs, and $ 100 for «storage,» because the bike had been ready for two weeks.
I asked them why they didn’t call me. They claimed they did. I can swear under penalty of perjury that they did not — because I would have a voicemail if they did. No call. No way. In fact, they couldn’t tell me when they called, or even if they were sure that they did. But, Sonny insisted that I pay $ 100 for «storage.»
I refused to pay that, and crossed the $ 100 off the credit card slip — authorizing a $ 276 charge.
Then, the repair guy comes out and tells me «you ought to take the gas cap off and look down in there once and a while to make sure you got gas.» I asked him, «why would I do that, if you just fixed the low fuel indicator? Doesn’t it work?»
He very evasively said «well, it oughta.»
I should have known…
10 miles later, I run out of gas — no indicator light ever comes on. I look down, notice that the tank has been reinstalled crooked. I also notice that the previously pristine mirror rods are rusted — this «storage» must have been outside.
There is no way in hell that they didn’t know it wasn’t working when they charged me all that money. They knew the first time they tried fixing it. I refuse to believe they didn’t test it a single time — and if they didn’t, what business did they have charging me?
To make matters worse, they fraudulently added the $ 100 to my credit card charge, even though I only authorized $ 276, they charged $ 376.
So, if I’m being charged for storage, since the bike was «ready,» even though I was supposed to figure that out by just having it come to me in a dream, what balls do they have charging me when the damn thing wasn’t even fixed?
Overpriced. Bad service. Dishonest. Go anywhere else. Don’t ever go here.
I’m signing my real name, because this is my wife’s account, and I don’t believe in bashing a place anonymously.
Marc J. Randazza
San Diego, CA

Going to the shop and talking about their history and background has very little to with service and shouldn’t even quantify as a review! This ain’t a museum…
To put a review based on a conversation is 100% rhetorical. Remember the SERVICE aspect part which is essentially what a «shop» is responsible for!
BTW, I own a Ducati and since they specialize in Italian bikes I figured they had the expertise and would take care of my bike. It was not a «yamazukinda» even though Sonny was the first Yamaha dealer in the US and raced a Yamaha @ Isle of Mann so I’ll pardon your ignorance. TPS is not the same thing as GPS but according to Don it is! He told me he knew what to do but when I asked for numbers he didn’t do anything b/​c it «sounded» good.
Sounded good… how half ass is that! How does a lean running bike sound good!?!
If a shop doesn’t have the capability of doing the job on a specific bike and doesn’t have the correct tools AND KNOWLEDGE… be honest with yourself and don’t accept the job… PLAIN AND SIMPLE!
Vintage or not, the trust is in your mechanic especially when they are working on your prized possession!
I was extremely disappointed with Don and Sonny Angel Motorcycles.

man– how could anyone write a negative review of this place? they sell vintage bikes, repair vintage bikes, and even have vintage bikers hanging out there every day.
Bringing a brand new yamazukinda into the shop would be a mistake, and i would question the reasoning behind doing so, as nothing about their shop says modern.
Everyday, one can come into the shop and shoot the sh*t with a guy who has raced Bonneville during the time of legends, and who does not have a mean or condescending bone in his body.
Sonny is always friendly and helpful, and if he doesn’t have a part in stock, is not afraid to point you to another shop to get the part.
If you have any like or leaning towards vintage bikes, do yourself a favor and go to this guy’s shop.

Fun place to hang out and chat with a true legend of Motorsports. They specialize in the older European bikes. The service is not as fast as other shops, but the outcome Is worth the wait. Donny is a first class mechanic. Saturdays are the best for hanging out and chatting with the guys.