Recommended mechanics

Please post your recommendations for motor vehicle mechanics here. It will be very useful if you can;

1 In the post title, write city/area, the type of mechanic (car/bike) and his/her or the shop’s name. (See my posts below for examples.)

2 Give detailed directions, an address and maybe a phone number if possible

3 State why you think this mechanic is good. Give specific examples if possible.

[quote=“hsiadogah”]Best I met in Taiwan in 16 years is Sam Kuo, in the beitun area. Phone is 04 2322 0666. His English is good enough to get the job done and he’s about the most honest wrench I’ve met anywhere in the world.
<-- no commercial interest in this business. Opinion formed over 10 years friendship.[/quote]

Eric Lin is an certified and experienced mechanic. His certification training lasted five years. He is a Yamaha specialist, but can and will fix anything you bring to him. He speaks good English. He’s also a great guy. A biking enthusiast himself, he rides trials bikes for fun.

One of the good things about Eric is that he is honest. He’ll tell you exactly what needs to be done to your bike, and what is not a problem or at least can go another few months. You can trust that he will not do unnecessary work in order to bump up the price, and if he sees something that he thinks needs to be fixed, he’ll phone you to OK it before going ahead with the work.

Another good thing is his professionalism and thoroughness. In an area where it seems that the ‘chabuduo’ (‘more or less’ or ‘it will do’) mentality dominates, his patience and attention to quality work is exceptional.

His shop is in Taizhong city, on Jinhuabeilu (Jinhua North Road), close to the junction with Beitvn Lu (Beitun Road). After turning off Beitvn onto Jinhua going west, continue until you see a BMW motorcycle shop on your right, probably with an old BMW motorcycle parked in front. Eric’s shop is about one block after that, also on the right. It has a big Yamaha sign.

For the scooter I completely trust Mr Zhang. He’s the guy Bikefarm’s Jeremy used to work with before he got his own place. I’ll try and get the address next time I go there, but here’s some directions in the mean time. Heading South down Roosevelt, go past the roundabout intersection with Jilong Rd. Pass one road on your right, and the next intersection is on the left, with Xinglong Rd. Do a U-turn here, and head back up Roosevelt. The shop is then on your right, at the bottom of the stairs of a pedestrian over-bridge.

Brian

I can also second this recommendation (I think we’re talking about the same place).

The address I have is Roosevelt Road, Section 5, Number 27.

But, Bri, I have always called this mechanic Mr. Chen. That’s also what it says on the business card he gave me (Chen Rui Cheng). Gee, I hope I haven’t been calling him by the wrong last name all these years. :blush:

Also, not to quibble about the directions, but do you really have to make a u-turn? At the first intersection you come to (traffic light) you can just pull over like you are making a left-hand turn and then drive over to the tire shop when the light turns green. From there, you can walk your bike on the sidewalk to Lao Chen’s.

Anyway, another hearty recommendation for this mechanic and this bike shop. You will probably need some Chinese ability here, though, which is perhaps why some people prefer the Bike Farm.

You’re probably right :slight_smile: I just call him ‘laoban’.

Right again. That’s what I always do. I just thought describing it the other way would be easier to follow.

Brian

Actually, that’s what I do most of the time, too. :wink:

[quote]
Right again. That’s what I always do. I just thought describing it the other way would be easier to follow. [/quote]

I hear what you’re saying. And if you’re coming from Xindian or Jingmei up Roosevelt Road into Gongguan then the shop will be easily accessed on your right.

Thanks for the clarifications.

In CHUNG-LI I’d recommend the guys at the shop Autobike.

The shop is on the outskirts of Chung-Li just off of the #1 road that leads from Chung-Li to Tao-Yuan. It’s just down the street from a very large intersection with a BMW dealership on one corner.

They aren’t afraid of a little work and they are amazingly honest. They also have a few metal workers there so if a part isn’t available…they’ll create something that’ll work well enough. They are also very good at doing hi-performance mods to scooters and 2-stroke bikes.

Their number is 03-433-3232. The owner speaks some English, but not a lot.

Good mechanic in Kaohsiung: Go down ChengGong road, just past Minsheng, but not as far as Wufu. After the ChengGong/Minsheng insterection, about 2 or three blocks down, you’ll check a gas station on your left, and opposite the gas station, on your right, a small motorcycle shop. It has a Yamaha sign with a picture of a dirt bike on it. One of the mechanics speaks English there, and they are very honest, and always tell you excatly what needs to be done, and what options you have to fix it. If they find any other problems with your bike they will always call and ask you if you want to have it fixed or not; no hidden costs or unnecessary extra work or anything like that. They’ve worked on my RZR and FZR a lot, and I haven’t had problems with anything they’ve fixed. My roommate also bought a rebuilt scooter from them which hasn’t had any problems either. If you’re in Kaohsiung and need a good, honest mechanic, check them out.

Found an incredibly honest and competent mechanic who I must gush about.

I found them completely by accident when my car refused to start after a shopping trip. They spent two hours sorting out the problem and also flushed my brake line then charged me NT$1,000 for the whole lot. I was desperate and they could easily have charged NT$10,000 or more but didn’t. I was absolutely shocked when I heard ‘NT$1,000’. Taiwanese mechanics please take note - these guys treated me well the first time and have secured the business of my friends and I for life. I since had a whole new set of Dunlop offroad tyres fitted for NT$14,000 (bear in mind this is a 4x4 Isuzu import and these things are big and not commonly available). My back window and two side panels are now being repaired by them, again for a very reasonable price.

They’re based in the 2nd floor of the Carrefour car park off Gong Yi road (follow the signs to Carrefour near Wen-xin / Zhong-gang and ask for the lun tai dian inside). Not sure if they speak English but I wouldn’t count on it.

Location: Taipei, Roosevelt Sec. 5 #20. Kind of diagonally across Roosevelt from Mr. Chen/Zhang’s place.

Phone: 02-2931-1080

Directions: Ride south on Roosevelt from Keelung Rd. traffic circle. Keep an eye out on right side for the orange and white Maxxis sign.

Recommendation: These guys mostly work on big bikes, but they didn’t have a problem working on my Sym Wolf. The mechanic’s name is Jack, he speaks great English, and he does a really thorough job. Be aware that parts and repairs at this shop are more expensive than your average slap-it-back-together scooter joint. I take my bike to Jack because I don’t mind paying a little more to know the job’s done right, and I can communicate exactly what I want done.

Bonus: Check out some of the wild Harleys while you’re waiting.

Oooh… i forgot to mention my scooter mechanic… i feel so bad for not writing this earlier…

He’s on Wu-chuan Sth. Rd. (Taichung), just a little past Jian-Cheng Rd (heading from Wu-Chuan Rd.) on the right, there’s repsol banners outside…

i just call him ‘lao da’ (boss)… and the shop name is ‘shin-yea’

shop doesn’t look like much but he speaks ok english, is very competent and very honest too… I’ve been friends with him for about 4.5 years now… he taught me a lot of what i know about riding and fixing scooters…

he works mostly on scooters, but is handy for a bigger bike too… he rides bigger, but usually you’ll see him on a scooter as he takes some of his customers out on sunday rides occasionally (not as much now as he used to)

Here’s a warning AGAINST the scooter mod mechanics a little further along the same road as the Yamaha big bike shop in Taichung city (I completely forget the name of the road but anyone who’s been in Taichung for a while will know where I’m talking about - it’s off Wen Xin rd. near to the Lai Lai soymilk place). Put some crap oil in my bike from a gas station when I was desperate which fouled up the plug and god knows what else. You could tell it wasn’t happy just from the amount of white smoke engulfing everyone within a 3-mile radius. Their solution? ‘Oh, your poor performance is nothing to do with the oil - it’s because your spark plug isn’t powerful enough. Just purchase this NT$1800 sparkplug and all your troubles will be over’. You can probably guess what I told them. Pushed it into a safe place around the corner and got my regular mechanic over to help flush the oil, change plug + filter and we were back to normal with change from NT$350. Anyone else used this place and remember the name? As a bonus the owner is an unsociable bastard who is probably the least helpful person I’ve ever met in the world of Taichung mechanics (and that’s saying something).

they’re called “GP Dream” and it’s Xi-Tun Rd. … they are partners with TSC (on Jien-Cheng Rd.) and are what the locals call a ‘black shop’… even their oil is ridiculously expensive (1000 per bottle whereas coffee (the big-bike shop you mentioned) only charges 800)

Kymco dealer and mechanic in Banciao (Banqiao) at SanMin Rd and Jhong Shan (Zhongshan) Rd. near Carrefour. I don’t know what prompted me to try them on the first go but they have helped me out time and again - usually without charge. When I stop in I get immediate help from folks that I would not trust at first glance. However, they have never let me down. I bought a used Kymco (1986) from a dealer in HsinChu, which was in good shape but with the odometer obviously turned back. This scoot has been everywhere and in at least one major accident (me driving). Everytime it needs anything, they get the parts and make it good as new. I have replaced many items and always felt like I was undercharged when the got the work done - usually, while I wait. Last week, I decided it was time to do a complete review of all the systems. I had directins and desires all written out in Chinese and took it in. They replaced a broken cargo box, the torn seat, showed me that the clutch was well worn and needed to be replaced, fixed my weak brakes, replaced the air filter, belt, tuned the carb, repainted the grey trim, tightened and re-alligned all the plastic, washed and waxed my ride and generally made it look 2 years old instead of 10. My bill for several hours work and the parts was 4,400. My bike looks and drives like new now. A well spent 4,400. Once a year is all it takes. I figure that next year that I will have them rebuild the gofer and replace all the plastic. My ride will last another 10 years for a paltry few thou. Give 'em a try. They have done well by me.

One bike mechanic I can recommend in Jiayi is “Mingpai” on Daya Rd., right at the intersection where you turn to go to St. Martin Hospital. (not far from 228 park) I ride Kymco, but AFAIK they also do SYM and Yamaha, sometimes also “other” brands.

Don’t expect much English though, their prefered language is Taiwanese. But they should pretty quickly find out what’s wrong with your bike.

Safari Jeep Club - 4x4 Auto Parts
Bin Jiang
No. 197, Bade Rd., Sec. 2, Taipei
Tel. 2771 25 27
mobile: 09 10 081 023
safari.ben@msa.hinet.net

Bin (or Ben - which is the same in Taiwan according to him) and his wife speak enough English to get the job done and have a nice chat (and they are willing to speak English (more important)).

I just had my very old Wrangler fixed there and got the impression that he is the most honest mechanic I have ever met. While having a beer, he spent almost 2 hours with me around and under my car to check it and explain me what needs to be done and how (on a Saturday morning). Everything was done at the time we agreed on and it was even cheaper than the offer he made me when I dropped the car off!!
GREAT! :bravo:

Best of everything from cars to motorcycles to scooters in KAOHSIUNG

Even a hanging out garage and activities. pretty much 24 H

Boss is an american mechanic. TRUST WORTHY (use to be a Porsche mechanic)

contact 0921252345

Bound to add my heartfelt endorsement to joesax’s recommendation
of Eric Lin in Taichung.

  • First I have to admit being confused by the simplicity of the
    directions to his shop, hah! too easy to find!
    I have the typing ability of a spastic so I won’t re-enact the scenario
    but it worked out great. In a nutshell -
    I bought a cherry 5 year old Venox with 12k km and a couple of Ferrari
    badges glued to it. The upshot was it had rust in the gas tank that cluttered
    the carbs.
    Like the best craftsman he has bit of ego - he wanted me to take it out for a
    test drive before I could pay the bill. He wanted to see the big smile of
    gratitude that a happy customer has, and I still have it.
  • Not quite like getting a new bike, but like finding out your girlfriend
    gives head.

[quote=“Gunnar”]Safari Jeep Club - 4x4 Auto Parts
Bin Jiang
No. 197, Bade Rd., Sec. 2, Taipei
Tel. 2771 25 27
mobile: 09 10 081 023
safari.ben@msa.hinet.net

Bin (or Ben - which is the same in Taiwan according to him) and his wife speak enough English to get the job done and have a nice chat (and they are willing to speak English (more important)).

I just had my very old Wrangler fixed there and got the impression that he is the most honest mechanic I have ever met. While having a beer, he spent almost 2 hours with me around and under my car to check it and explain me what needs to be done and how (on a Saturday morning). Everything was done at the time we agreed on and it was even cheaper than the offer he made me when I dropped the car off!!
GREAT! :bravo:[/quote]

Will these guys work on regular cars? Any other recommendations for English speaking car mechanics?

Thanks