Ottawa Goodtime Center- Cruising to Success is Easier (and more fun) on Two Wheels

Life’s great when it’s all in the name. Non-drowsy. Extra spicy. Caffeine-free. Wet Floor. It’s nice to know what you’re getting. So when I first heard that I was going to be speaking with Jason Thoms, the Sales Manager at Ottawa Goodtime Centre, I knew I was in for either a good story or a few belly laughs. I got both. Jason is the son of Owners and General Managers Bryan and Zoi Thoms who in 1974 opened a modest motorcycle dealership out of the back of a garage in Canada’s capital. It wasn’t long until Ottawa Goodtime Centre outgrew its first set of tires. The young Thoms family then moved their bikes to a 6,500 square feet location on Bank Street, the major north-south road in Ottawa. They’ve since moved again – this time across the Rideau River to a 32,000 square feet motorcycle super store at 450 West Hunt Club Road. In 42 years, Ottawa Goodtime Centre has become “the driving force behind motorcycling in Eastern Ontario, because it was built from the ground up by riders, for riders.”

Written by David MacDonald

Before my formal interview with Jason Thoms, I decided I wanted to get one or two of the Five Ws of journalism crossed off my list. I find this preliminary approach gives me more time to explore the H during what are often time-constrained conversations. This led to two chance encounters worthy of inclusion in this article, the first of which I’ll detail now and the second in the closing paragraphs. They’re fragments of exchanges that speak to the positivity that comes from a business that sells nothing but good times.

“Hey Isabel, how’s the world been treating you?”

The first Ottawa Goodtime Centre representative to field my questions was Isabel Fowles, the Accessories Manager. When I asked Isabel how long she’d been working with the Thoms’s, her answer was, more or less, “I wish I could have been working with them longer.” She recalled her first visit to the store as a customer “back in the ‘80s when it was located at Bank and Huron” and how much she “loved the atmosphere right away because the owner greeted people personally.” When Isabel went back to Ottawa Goodtime Centre a few weeks later, everyone remembered her name. “It reminded me of the TV show Cheers,” she laughed. Bryan still greets people coming through the door like Ted Danson or Woody Harrelson behind the bar, she told me. “I love coming to work, listening to music all day, chatting with great customers and working with awesome teammates. Bryan is going to give you the same service he gave me when I came in here thirty years ago. It’s the level of service that encouraged, no motivated me, to become part of this team in 1998.”

Like father, like son.

When Jason and I first spoke, I was immediately reminded of Isabel’s warm memories. He was as welcoming as someone can be over the phone and remembered details from our preliminary discussion weeks before that I’d honestly forgotten. I scribbled down and underlined on my notepad “He’s a man who listens.” I was about to find out that he’s also a man who has a lot of pride in his family and what they’ve accomplished alongside the rest of the Ottawa Goodtime Centre team.

“We’ve been a family-run business from day one. My father and mother started Ottawa Goodtime Centre when I was on the way, so to speak. My father actually used to work for Kawasaki Canada as a district manager and then sales manager,” Jason recalled. “An opening came up for a dealer in Ottawa, so he decided to move the family from Toronto and make a go of it. Because of his experience, he was just that much more observant in terms of what other dealers were doing well and poorly. On top of that, he’d long been involved with a company that manufactures helmets – actually, he still is – so, he had experience in the industry at levels beyond retail as well.”

Bryan isn’t the only Thoms with experience in the motorcycle industry beyond retail.

“It’s the level of service that encouraged, no motivated me, to become part of this team in 1998.”

“I was a decent motocrosser,” Jason said, “but I wouldn’t say it was a career option for me. I started riding motorcycles at about three or four years old. I started racing motorcycles not long after,” Jason chuckled in hushed tones. “My first bike was a little 50cc motocross, then on to a Yamaha YZ 250. I used to take the YZ 250 to school on the back of my truck because there was a racetrack nearby. I raced competitively for many years – I even did some ice racing – and I still do some road racing but mostly as a casual pastime. I try to get at it at least once a year. I actually race for the Canadian national team when I do compete and I still follow the sport internationally. I’m definitely a fan of Ricky Carmichael and Valentino Rossi. It still all feels like it did from the start. I still have heroes in the sport. The thrill has never changed. I think that’s why motorcycle enthusiasts become loyal customers here. We’re genuine.”

All roads lead to home

To all you lifestyle bikers out there, you’re not going to stump Jason. He’s the real article. “I grew up in this business,” he began. “I remember when we were more or less exclusively Kawasaki. I remember in 1999 when we took-on Triumph Motorcycles and in 2008, BMW and just last year, Can-Am Spyder. I’ve been there for every step. I think I always knew that this business was my future. Ever since I was a kid I’ve been working here – probably from about the age of 10. I started off by cleaning around the dealership or washing bikes for five dollars, an allowance type of thing. Most of it went back into my bikes. Then when I got into my teen years, I would head to the dealership with my dad for the day every Saturday – it was partly, I think, to give my mom a break from me,” he laughed. “By high school, I was working nearly 40 hours a week. Eventually, I worked my way through every department from sales, to service, to parts and accessories. I went to university to broaden my horizons, I suppose, but I always felt at home here. After my final exam, I was back working full-time.”

Home is where the heart is (or where the bikes are)

The throw-back photos you’ll find in the Company History section at ottawagoodtime.com should only be viewed while listening to ACDC on an old tape deck. But as “boss” as they are, remember, Ottawa Goodtime Centre has moved on from feathered hair, tight-fitting tennis shoes, and the quintessentially  ‘80s strip mall location on Bank Street.

“Unquestionably, the new location gave us more visibility. We also extended our hours when we moved in 2002 and saw sales jump by 54% in the first year. The extra space not only allowed us to profile brands like BMW that we picked up after 2002, but also to do a much better job with used bikes. We sell a lot of used bikes every year and that’s really helped us realize the potential of our Accessories Department. We’re expanding again now and we already have one of the largest accessory departments in Canada – 8,000 square feet strictly dedicated to accessories,” Jason explained.

“At any given time, we probably have about 85 bikes in the showroom,” he continued. “It’s a little over 10,000 square feet. We dedicate the space by brand – so, a space for BMW, Kawasaki, Triumph, like that – and it’s worked out well. Our used bikes are all kept indoors, as well. The used bikes here look better than dealerships most people come across, I hear, and we take that as a point of pride. We also store bikes year-round, which is a bonus to a lot of riders and collectors here in Canada.”

Bring us your rusted, your sputtering, your shambled bikes

Ottawa Goodtime Centre winter stores, on average, 450 motorcycles every year. They see this volume because every motorcycle community sees them as a beacon of care and quality – and with good reason.

“We have on staff three full-time Motorcycle Master Technicians, which is the highest level attainable,” Jason explained. “We’ve really benefited from these guys taking on additional learning opportunities with names like BMW, Kawasaki and Triumph. BMW has a very intense training program in Florida; Kawasaki does training close-by in Toronto; and Triumph in Georgia in the US. It’s all North American-based.”

“We have on staff three full-time Motorcycle Master Technicians, which is the highest level attainable.”

“The biggest tribute to success is the longevity of our staff,” he told me with growing pride in his voice. “We have mechanics that have been with us for as long as 35 years. Our parts manager, Bruce, has been with us for almost 40 years – basically from the beginning.  A bulk of our staff has been with us for at least 10 years, so you can imagine that it’s an experienced and knowledgeable bunch.”

This wasn’t the first time that I had heard of Bruce

After my conversation with Isabel, I continued performing my journalistic due diligence, as it were, and happened to strike-up a conversation with Ottawa Goodtime Centre’s Social Media and Web Representative, Andrew Harris on Live Chat at ottawagoodtime.com. He was right there, ready to assist any and all during peak business hours. I introduced myself and he was thrilled to answer questions. The one pressing question I had was one I forgot to ask Isabel. It stemmed from a name written several times in the margins of the first research notes I received about Ottawa Goodtime Centre: Bruce. I asked Andrew, “Who’s Bruce?” and promptly received a “Haha haha!” as a reply. He then wrote this: “Bruce has run the parts department forever and anything I’d tell you couldn’t do that guy justice!”

Later in the week, Jason would give me the scoop on Bruce.

“Bruce Bangulick is the longest-standing employee here. He’s been running the parts department since 1978 and he’s the ultimate motorcycle enthusiast. He’s the owner of a Kawasaki H2, which is their newest and greatest sports bike. He stays on top of the game. What’s even more amazing is that he’s virtually got a photographic memory. He has part numbers memorized from bikes from the 1980s, 1990s, and 2000s.  He’s forgotten more about motorcycles than I will ever probably know. Bruce has been a huge part of our business and he makes my job a lot easier. If I ask him something not only do I know that he’ll know the answer, I know that whatever it is will get done with a pride that comes with someone who lives for their craft. He’s got taste.”

Just a way of life

“At the end of the day, we just love to promote anything and everything that has to do with motorcycles. We’re not a brand-specific team, but really a lifestyle team. Everyone here at our dealership is a motorcycle enthusiast and it’s just nice to get up and go to work with a smile on your face and do something you love. We know not everyone gets to do that and we’re grateful every day.”

Ottawa Goodtime Centre carries exclusive brands like Arai Helmets,  Dainese, Forma, Klim, REV’IT!, Schuberth, X-Lite, Daytona Boots, Exon Riding Apparel, Nolan Helmets, and Kriega Luggage.