English version
Looking to buy a decent motorbike ?
Racing Moto is an exceptionally dynamic motorbike dealer in Loja run by 3 young and highly skilled people. We at todoloja have spent quite some time with them these past few months, trying different bikes and were impressed with their attitude and the quality of their service. We are confident that among the more than 50 motorbikes available in their showroom at calle 18 of Noviembre in Loja you are likely to find the one you are are after, being an affordable Chinese import, a Japanese bike, a quality motocross bike, an electric bike, a kids motorbike or a scooter …
Reputable brands like Honda, Yamaha, Kawasaki are expensive and out of reach for most people in this country. Chinese imports are the norm. There are zillions of places that sell Chinese bikes, they all look pretty much the same. As we all know, Chinese products do not have the best reputation for quality and durability, after all you get what you pay for, right?
Think twice! For the times they are a changing. China is now manufacturing impressive bikes that really compete with the Japanese equivalents. These better bikes are slowly but surely making their way around the world including here in Ecuador.
But let’s focus on the average bike for the average user here in Ecuador and especially in the mountainous region of the Loja province. This would be a “todo terreno” or hybrid 200 to 250 cc. Less than 200c won’t get you up that hill unless you stick to the city center in which case why not a scooter? they are great and some models are in stock at Racing Moto. More than 250cc on the other hand and you enter a different price range. I have not seen yet any Chinese motorbike above 250cc for sale anywhere in Ecuador. So you’d have to turn to one of the Japanese or American brands if you want a bigger bike.
One model of hybrid that really stands out is the super cool retro looking 250 cc Axxo Scrambler available in blue and red,
Or its equivalent in green, the “Cafe Racer” model in stock at Racing Moto in Loja
Actor number one: Christian
sales and other responsibilities, probably the first person you will talk to. He explains to me the features of this Axxo bike. He is young, friendly, passionate and definitely knows his stuff. He was my first point of contact at Racing Moto when I was looking for this “average and affordable” bike and before I got to know the owner Vicente Ortega, more on him later.
Smooth inverted suspension, quality motor, oil radiator cooling system, all digital electronics, LED lights etc… List price 2,800 at the time of this writing before any discount.
If you are like me, you would think: “these Chinese bikes, they may look great when they are new but we know the story, after a couple of years, or sooner, they fall apart, been there, done that”.
Yes and no. Of course, this is not a top of the range Japanese bike for which you would pay 3 to 4 times as much, so let’s be honest and accept that parts will wear out probably faster than on an expensive bike and you will have glitches and some problems. The good thing about Axxo in Ecuador, Christian tells me, is the widespread availability of original parts. Same goes with Motor Uno, another well know Chinese brand. This is important, being stuck in the middle of nowhere and having to wait 2 weeks for parts is no fun.
This brings me to my second important point: service. Time to have a nosy at the workshop.
Actor number two: Anthony
Anthony is young too but has heaps of experience and magic fingers. Actually he started the business with the owner Vicente 7 years ago. They had 3 motorbikes (on loan says Anthony) for sale and worked hard to get to where they are today.
Believe it or not and contrary to most mechanics I have encountered in this country, Anthony is articulate and actually capable of explaining to you (in Spanish) what he is doing, what he plans to do to your bike, how and why, how long it will take etc.. Wow! He is actually the one who sold me to the Axxo I must admit when after talking to Christian I grabbed him from the workshop and asked him a few pointy questions. He passed the test hands down and I was sold.
The workshop itself is an Ecuadorian totally untypical micro climate. It is uncluttered, clean and tidy. It is also off to the public, which means that Anthony is not interrupted every 5 seconds and can focus on what he is doing to your bike and not forget to put that odd but critical bolt back before you hit the road. It does not mean that he is inaccessible to tell you and show you what he does.
Anthony tells me that the very first thing he does to all motorbikes that enter his workshop for service is to clean them, transmission parts with gasoline, the rest with pressurized water with or without detergent.
It is worth mentioning here that the shop does not just sell Chinese middle of the road bikes. The shop is called Racing Moto for a reason. Below we see another class of clientele passionately talking to Vicente Ortega about his racing toy:
They are authorized Honda, Yamaha and Kawasaki dealers and needless to say that Anthony (and also Vicente Ortega) is qualified to service these types of motorbikes.
Actor number three: Jose Vicente Ortega
Owner, motorcycle passionate extraordinaire and and multiple motocross prize winner.
“All my life I have been interested in everything related to combustion and racing. I love motos, I love cars, I love planes. Breathing burning combustible is the best oxygen for me.”
Despite his kind of passion, Vicente does not come across as a tough rugged guy. He is soft spoken, always elegantly dressed, a hard working person paying close attention to every detail. His customer oriented attitude is plain to see.
“La disciplina vence todo, vence el talento, si vos eres una persona disciplinada en el momento de trabajar, tendras un exito 100% seguro”
“Discipline is what beats everything, it beats talent, if you are a disciplined person in your work, success is 100% guaranteed”
And discipline and effort it took to get to a situation where 50 motorbikes are now on display. There is something for everyone, small bikes for kids, scooters, 125 to 250 cc hybrid bikes, racing bikes …
I also saw electric motorbikes in his showroom last year but Vicente tells me that this is a momentarily shelved project that he is keen on getting back to at a later stage. Loja is not really ready to pick up on that concept at this very moment.
Last but not least, they have an impressive range of accessories and clothes: tires, tubes, products, helmets, goggles, gloves, suits, boots, you name it …
The ladies
It would not be perfect without Jose’s wife, Andrea’s gentle feminine touch. With the help of her lovely daughter, she manages the accounts and makes sure that all paperwork is handled swiftly and professionally. Jose Vicente and Andrea have 2 daughters, the eldest who is also into motorbike racing was unfortunately not present at the time of the interview.
Racing Moto – Youngest friendliest best motorbike dealer in Loja
After the business is handled with all due professionalism and seriousness, one ought not to forget that motorbikes are fun and the people at Racing Moto certainly don’t.
And if your budget is tight, keep smiling, they offer easy deferred payment options as well as attractive cash prices.
Highly recommended !
Business Details
Address: 18 de Noviembre y Celica – Loja 593
Tel: 099 273 6139
Social network: www.facebook.com/RACING-MOTOS-239597796234071/
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