Manc motorbike shops?

[Jim Mc]

Where is the best area for motorcycle shops in or around Manchester? I've just moved here and am to the West of the City myself, back home in Newcastle there was a street called Westgate road which had a load of shops together, but they seem very spread out down here, any recommendations?

Traffic is a nightmare here and I've left my sports bike back in the North East, so was thinking of picking something up locally but don't know what to look for to be honest, I only really read about sports bikes, dont know a lot about commuters, wonder if I'd be wasting my money since I'd not be happy going from a 600 sports to something lesser, but then prefer the idea of minimal fairings incase one of the local nutters (read: average Manc car driver) wipes me out. Suggestions?

[angryjonny]

FZ6 or XJ6N.

Says the Yamaha fanboy.

FZ1 if you wantz da powah.

[jjdugen]

Welcome to the Ghobi desert of motorcycling. For what is arguably the third major city in the UK, motorcycle dealers and motorcycle centric places are as thin on the ground as my hair is rapidly getting.
Back at the start of the decade, Carnell and City Motorcycles moved in, bought up all the small dealers and opened their Gin palaces. Five years later, they went bust and left us with a thin smattering of surviving dealers, all of them sharks.
If you want to go window shopping, make sure you have enough fuel to get around the outskirts like Bolton and Cheadle. You are better just trawling E-bay.
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The CBR900RR has been sold. Aprilia Falco worms its way into my heart.
Try Soi 23 on Amazon for a good read.... Self promotion? Moi?