The Hells Angels Motorcycle Club has opened a boutique on a busy street in Toronto’s east end. The Carlaw Avenue storefront is inconspicuous to most: a plate-glass window displays the numeral 81 in two-metre-high red numbers, a sign announces “ATM inside,” and a red electric sign glows “Open.” But it’s less inconspicuous to others. Police say criminals know “81” as code for the Hells’ initials: 8 stands for H, the eighth letter of the alphabet, 1 stands for A. Displayed under a glass counter at the store’s front are coffee mugs bearing, in red letters, “Support BRM,” for $10 each. BRM stands for Big Red Machine, another alias for the Hells Angels. Next to them are lighters and ashtrays reading Big Red Machine, and safety construction glasses. (Why these are for sale is unclear.) A bottom shelf holds a stack of Hells Angels calendars from 2005, featuring a buxom woman draped on a motorcycle. “Those are two for one,” joked an employee. About 10 people join me browsing, but nobody’s buying.

Racks offer long-sleeved black T-shirts reading, on the arm, “Support Big Red Machine,” in various sizes. White skulls surrounded by flames adorn the shirts, along with the numerals 81 and the words, “Support BRM Downtown Toronto.” Only Hells Angels members may wear the words “Hells Angels,” explains Acting Staff-Sergeant Lenny Isnor of the Ontario Provincial Police biker enforcement unit. To make money on merchandise, the club dreamed up the pseudonyms. “It’s something they’ve been doing for years and they make a lot of money doing it,” Staff-Sgt. Isnor says. “They used to have a chain across Canada called ‘Route 81.’ ” A Hells Angels support club in Halifax called the Dark Siders sells both Hells Angels and Dark Siders merchandise, he adds. Chuck Kotowick at Mayfair Plating, whose business is next door to the Hells Angels shop, says the bikers moved in about four months ago. “I’ve got nothing bad to say about them,” he says. “They said, ‘We’re your new neighbours.

We’re the Hells Angels.’ They park their bikes out back. They’ve been working on the shop for about a month and a half getting it together.” It’s been six years since the Hells Angels’ old clubhouse, around the corner on Eastern Avenue, was seized by the Crown after a police raid. The club has fought in court to reclaim the property, so far without success. The clubhouse, a two-storey structure built of concrete blocks and once painted yellow, looks abandoned. Metre-high weeds grow out of cracks in the concrete out front. Back at the shop, Jimmy Johns emerged empty-handed after browsing in the store. “If you like skulls on T-shirts it’s great. If you like skulls on mugs it’s great,” said Mr. Johns, who works for a rental car company. Asked if he had qualms about shopping there, Mr. Johns said, “You can have qualms about shopping at Joe Fresh, too.” But Staff-Sgt. Isnor urged shoppers to stay away. “You are supporting a criminal organization if you buy that stuff,” he said.

The police may not need to worry. If they want to sell anything, the Hells Angels will need to seriously brush up on their customer service skills. ,  that lamented the loss of the clubhouse but also promoted the shop, disappeared from the Internet. motorcycles for sale tamworth nswWith the arrival of television crews, staff became increasingly nervous.motorcycle jacket rukka A man had let me into the shop after I conceded I was journalist, but insisted I was there to shop.motorcycle shop on john young parkway But not long afterwards, a second employee of the store, sporting a long white pony tail, threw me out.motorcycle bionic jacket

“I don’t want your f—ing business,” he said. “Get the f— off my property.” He then grabbed my shoulder and shoved me down a short flight of stairs. The television crews loved that scene. By 2 p.m., the show was over. motorcycle repair oakley miStaff had locked the doors, turned out the lights and disappeared into an inner room.motorcycle deed of sale forms When you’re the Hells Angels, closing time is whenever you want it to be.honda motorcycle dealer arlington texasThe best repair shops in Toronto tend to be the smaller, neighbourhood-style outfits spread across the city. These are places where it's more important to be able to fix a flat in a few minute than it is to adjust an 11-speed drivetrain.

Many of the places on this list can do both, but they earn their stripes by offering friendly and efficient service to the hordes of commuters of the city.Here are the best bike repair shops in Toronto. Owned and operated by long-time bike mechanic Ed Tsui, Liberty Street Cyclery is all about quality repairs and custom builds. The small, cafe-like shop does 24 hour tune-ups ($60) and functions quite a bit like an old garage-style store where those passing by stop in to chat about riding or to get advice on future purchases. A great place to go if you want help building a bike from scratch. Bateman's shop on Bathurst St. is staffed by enthusiastic crew of cyclists and attracts a healthy mix of riders who range from commuters to local racers who appreciate the knowledgeable staff and expert service. The mechanics are comfortable with everything from worn out beater bikes to $10K race machines, which is in keeping with the wide range of bikes on offer in the store. The basic tune-up costs $50 (or $35 for single-speed).

The tire and wheel-lined shop on the Danforth is one of the most popular spots east of the DVP for commuter bike maintenance. A basic tune-up runs $40, while a complete overhaul comes in at $120. You can also take advantage of wheel building and drivetrain adjustments. Derek Chadbourne's Harbord St. shop is over a decade old, and the focus has been on repairs the whole time. While the shop sells a variety of accessories and replacement parts, you won't find a stock of bikes here. This narrow focus helps the crew to turn repairs around as quickly as possible because they're not distracted selling bikes. The standard tune-up is $40. Dave Fix My Bike Dave's has been a fixture near Christie and Dupont for over a decade, though its eponymous owner has been repairing bikes for much longer. The store is small and driven by commuter bike maintenance, though Dave is knowledgeable enough to delve into steel frame repairs, wheel building, and the type of work needed to keep vintage bikes on the road.

Tune-up service can be slow in early spring, so be prepared to wait about a week. Riders Cycle and Board Riders' co-owners Jeff and Valentine are as friendly and knowledgeable as they come, and they offer some of the fastest and most attentive service around, especially since the addition of a second store on Harbord St. I've brought both my commuter and race bikes in for a variety of repairs over the last four seasons, and I'm always impressed with the work they do. These guys know bikes, and they won't screw you over with hidden repair costs. A tune up will run you $45, which includes wheel truing (quite rare at the price). The Pedal Stop located at Ossington and Argyle provides tune-ups and repairs to ensure your bicycle runs smoothly throughout the year. They've got you covered from simple tire changes and brake adjustments to fixing major mechanical issues like clunking bottom brackets or crunchy hubs. Tune-ups start at $45 and go up from there depending on how much work a bike needs to be road-worthy.

This Riverside shop eschews the catch-all tune-up in favour of a bike evaluation and specific repair estimate. Why more places don't do it this way is beyond me. Specializing in urban and commuter bikes, you can feel confident in bringing in pretty much any level of bike for maintenance here, including high end road rides. Flying Wheels is a small neighbourhood bike shop in Leaside that attracts locals with its quality repairs and custom builds. It's not a shop that's packed with hundreds of new bikes waiting to be sold - the idea here is to lean on the staff's maintenance acumen to draw folks into the store. A basic tune-up will run you $60 for drivetrain adjustment, lube, and tire inflation, while for $75 you get that and some TLC applied to your hubs. Once located on Eglinton Ave. West, Dream Cyclery now sits on one of the busy bike routes in the city - Queens Quay. Service here isn't cheap, but if you ride for pleasure more than just commuting, you'll know that your bike needs special care to function at the highest level.