I was meeting a buddy at National City Motorcycle and on the way back home I noticed this shop out the corner of my eye. Has anyone had an experience with them? It looks like an Old Mom and Pop shop and I like those kinda spots. Anyhow, bueller?
http://sonnyangelmotorcycles.com/ (http://sonnyangelmotorcycles.com/)
ive never bought anything, but ive heard nothing but good things about the place. ive called once about tires but they didnt have what i wanted.
Must be fairly new. Only dealer I knew about in San Diego was GP Cycles in downtown...
Quote from: NAKID on October 21, 2008, 07:40:02 PM
Must be fairly new. Only dealer I knew about in San Diego was GP Cycles in downtown...
QuoteSonny Angel Motorcycles has been in the same location since 1953
someone hasnt been paying much attention [laugh]
I'm gonna stop by today and see what the haps is. Hey, maybe his labor is cheaper than $95/hour shops are charging now.
if i have my history correct, geoff (sp?) and paul at GP bought the ducati franchise
from sonny angel.
Hey! National City! My company designed a high school out there. I have nothing related to this thread though. [cheeky]
Quote from: kingmoochr on October 21, 2008, 11:33:48 PM
someone hasnt been paying much attention [laugh]
Fairly new Ducati dealer, not necessarily new dealership.
Also, it doesn't appear that they are a Ducati dealership, only hat they service Ducatis...
Allright here's the lineup:
I just met Sonny, Don, and shhizz forgot his name, but this is the spot for me. This guy is a living legend. He showed me Cycle World articles, photos people took of him at the Isle of Man TT, told me his history (word source his-story) regarding Ducati's from the first 98 cc single, Nortons, Guzzi's, and motorcycles in general. He showed me much of his custom metallurgy and CAD drawing he's created, information about the growth of his shop throughout the years as well as general knowledge of the roads and tracks of San Diego and California. This dude is the man. An older gent with knowledge and history. Hats off to him as he's getting my business. I recommend you stop by his shop. Sources like hisself are rare these days. My S4 will be there right after my track day!
Back in my Navy days I used to stop in Sonny's place (that would be the 1980's) to check out the Ducatis (with "Cagiva" written all over their gas tanks). He was a dealer then. At the time he had a Vincent Black Shadow up on a platform and allowed that he would sell it to me for $10,000.00. I thought that was a bit steep, considering that I was and E-5 and the bike didn't have any carbs on it. ;-) He had some Bonneville time slips for the Vincent in one of the glass parts cases. I think one was even a metal plate with the date and times stamped in it. Very cool stuff.
I was strickly a Harley dude back then. He told me he would never ride Harleys after experiencing speed wobbles on one at Bonneville in excess of 100mph. I think he said it was an old rigid frame Knucklehead with a springer front end. I was amazed that he could get one to even go that fast and wouldn't have believed him at all if I hadn't seen the Vincent timing slips.
Sonny was no youngster even then. Glad to hear he's still around. I did see a magazine article on him and his shop in the past year or so. Back then there were a number of very cool old school Mom and Pop type moto-shops in San Diego. Most are gone now. The H-D ones are all now relocated and expanded into Mega-Boutiques (it breaks one's heart). GP was like that then; don't know about now. Hope Sonny Angel's place has kept the spirit.
Quote from: ghostface on October 22, 2008, 06:05:01 PM
Allright here's the lineup:
I just met Sonny, Don, and shhizz forgot his name, but this is the spot for me. This guy is a living legend. He showed me Cycle World articles, photos people took of him at the Isle of Man TT, told me his history (word source his-story) regarding Ducati's from the first 98 cc single, Nortons, Guzzi's, and motorcycles in general. He showed me much of his custom metallurgy and CAD drawing he's created, information about the growth of his shop throughout the years as well as general knowledge of the roads and tracks of San Diego and California. This dude is the man. An older gent with knowledge and history. Hats off to him as he's getting my business. I recommend you stop by his shop. Sources like hisself are rare these days. My S4 will be there right after my track day!
It is on the other coast, but if you're ever in the neighborhood, stop by Syd's cycles in St. Petersburg Fl. Some of the guys on here that are around my age (I doubt there's anyone much older) might have heard the name Sydney Tunstall. Ledgendary Ducati tuner in the 60's and 70's. Last I heard it was being run by his son Malcom.
Syd helped (stood over me and told me what to do) build my track record holding 250 in 1967.