Catalyst Reaction Suspension Tuning

I was in a bind. At work in Redwood City and showing cords on my back tire. No one within 30 miles has a tire in stock or seems interested in getting one. I call Catalyst and Nickie went above and beyond. She called around, got the tire the next day, and had me back rolling that afternoon. I can’t say enough about how helpful she was. I’m looking for excuses to have more work done there.

called yesterday 8÷10÷2015 made an appointment for today 8÷11÷2015 at 2pm. i showed up about 30 minutes early and jim was finishing up some other stuff so i waited about 15 minutes. he adjusted my suspension fairly quickly answered some questions and i went on a test ride. bike felt awesome. paid the man and left. went for a cruise down the 1 and bike felt amazing. It was night and day. Will be recommending this place to anyone who needs work

You can absolutely count on Jim and Nickie to take care of your beloved bike. They do the work when they say they will. Their prices are fair, their work is excellent, and like another reviewer said, they find things that need repair that you didn’t know needed repair. I am grateful that they are in this business.

What can be said about Catalyst Reaction and the team?
Well lets start with the bad… Oh yes, I forgot, I can’t think of any.
The GOOD! The shop integrity is spot on, the knowledge they provided is immense, the turn around time is extremely fast, Jim, Nickie & their employees are outstanding, the price is right, if you want the best look no further.
I have had the suspension tuned on all three of my bikes. Every time it has made me feel like one with the bike. It gives a whole new sense of connection to the road and a much greater feel of control. And at the price you pay its second to none.
I highly recommend Catalyst Reaction to all of my friend and anyone I meet while riding. Doesn’t matter if you’re new to riding or a veteran, they will treat you with respect and get you back out on the road in no time.
This is a quote from me after dropping my bike off.
«I have never seen someone unload/​load a bike so effortlessly. I’m at home with three people calling all my neighbors to help me & still struggling. Show up here and they send one guy out who man handles my liter bike like its a Honda Grom.»

Jim and his team are fantastic. They completely changed my riding experience with the work they did on my old SV650. Anyone who knows motorcycles will acknowledge that the SV650 has a garbage suspension setup. I took it to Jim and got emulators + a Nitron rear shock. Once parts had arrived, the work was quickly accomplished and the bike was revolutionized.
I also took my Aprilia RSVR Factory to Jim and he dialed it in for me quickly and cheaply. Jim + Ohlins, amazing riding experience. Do recommend.

Both Nickie and Jim, (and everyone at CRS Tuning)…
1. find and fix everything. Yes, even the things you thought were «okay for now», and the things you didn’t know were broken. When I got my Triumph back from a major service, everything ran ridiculously well. Even putting down my kickstand was a smoother operation.
2. are superbly knowledgeable, detailed, and inquisitive in their work.
3. can and will give you legitimate, evidence backed explanations for all of their work.
4. actively try and minimize your bill by grouping together services that make sense (free air filter check while doing the valves), allow installation of your own purchased parts, and will even tell you if a service or part is not needed.
5. are fair and accurate in their price quotes and will communicate with you if unexpected changes come up. No surprises.
6. will work with you to establish a flexible schedule so you can never be away for too long without two wheels. :D
7. are the friendliest motorcycle business in the Bay Area that I know of.
8. do not disappoint.

I seldom write reviews in Unilocal,but I want to acknowledge the outstanding service that Jim and Nickie have provided me during the 2 years that I’ve had my motorcycle. Reasonable pricing, check! Amazing customer service, check! Tips and sharing knowledge, check!
There is a reason these guys have always great reviews. And if you have a bike and want the best service that there is then you’ve found CR.

Brought a no name Chinese e-​moped with a pesky rear tire issue and they fixed it up as I waited for a very reasonable price. Really friendly and knowledgeable!
Highly recommended. When you go, don’t forget to say hi to their two birds, coco and chili.

CR’s service & knowledge of bikes are unmatched. I brought in my 1997 GSX~R750 that had been garaged but not ridden in almost decade. I was talking to Nickie about having the carbs serviced & getting my road ready again. CR discovered that one of my Galfer brake lines were clogged & got them to cover it under the warranty. Thank you Nickie! When I picked my bike up I had Jim set up my suspension and he got it right in one shot!
All I can say is there’s no price gouging here just good honest business with rock solid service. I would recommend CR to everyone of my family & friends!
But on second thought ignore this review I want to keep CR as my private shop.

Great shop and the service personnel are top notch. I brought my bike in for oil and spark plug change and they were able to squeeze me in same day. Very courteous and professional. Definitely recommend this shop.

Went to get my suspension adjusted to my weight, and was greeted at the door. I haven’t been to this place for about 3 years, and still a greeting! Good conversation, great prices and learned a lot of good info in just 20 minutes or so! Came way before my appointment, and was taken care of immediately. He also noticed my exhaust was hitting my swingarm, and adjusted it out of the way huge difference in how suspension responded!!! Will be back again for more good service and conversation great new location!!! Can’t wait to hit the 84 and see how good suspension adjustment feels!!!

This is a review following multiple visits to CRS. Why five star?
1. Every time one of my bikes goes to CRS they find and fix random shit that either is a result of my tinkering, or the bikes wear and tear. All for free, even when it takes an hour. Makes me feel safe.
2. They actively try to minimize the bill for the work you ask for. Stuff you don’t ask for and they do anyway has never been billed — see above.
3. Knowledge is astounding. See that tire wear pattern, it’s suspension rebound — let me fix it. Your clutch is a bit stiff, let me properly drill out the pivot for you. I don’t like the way your damper is sticking, let me take the setup apart and figure that out. Suspension setup is best in the industry as far as I’ve experienced.

CR is BOMB!
Nickie & Jim take Excellant care of you and will earn your repeat business.
Go see CR for your first upgrade even if it’s just a set of fork springs.
Forget the exhaust pipe, carbon bits and chatskis, nothing is cooler than going confidently fast thur the corners!
Riding on an untuned suspension you’ll never be able to lightly grip the bars and correctly grip the bike with your legs.

I thought that Catalyst was for suspension work only but it turns out they can do anything/​everything to your bike. Their attention to detail is beyond amazing and greater than the detail level an owner gives their own bike. Read: this is not the kind of shop that has a bucket full of leftover screws; each screw/​bolt/​bracket etc will be put back on your bike in the manner it was taken off.
When I went to pick up my bike after a major service I was told that «Jeff» went through and made sure most bolts were tightened to spec as he had found a few loose ones… To top that my kickstand rubbed against the belly pad on my full carbon bodywork which I was used to; wrong answer… Jeff insisted on making a bracket to fix this problem. [ Thanks Jeff!!! ]
I wanted a quote that was true to my final costs as I hate surprises when picking up something from service. Nickie worked with me to determine the worst case and best case scenario. I did not feel nickeled or dimed and was happy she stood her ground, for me as the customer, when she was asked to add an additional charge to my bill when some time was spent fixing something that bothered Jeff about my bike that was above and beyond.
These are the kind of people you want working on your bike. It’s more of a feeling of having a very trusted friend work on your stuff and knowing that they are so anal that any little thing that is even slightly off will get addressed.

Stand up people! Very friendly and down to earth and they absolutely know what they are doing here. My first visit here was a pleasure and they also gained a new customer going forth. I definitely 100% recommend coming here!

They tuned my suspension. rides excellent now and he also inspected my bike and loosened my chain and lubed it. for Free!
I later brought my bike in because the stator went out, they gave me a very fair quote and even let me find my own parts for them to put in. I also asked them to do a valve adjustment and spark plug change.
The bike runs like its brand new, and the labor charge was nothing for all the work they did. I recommend this shop highly !!!

Went there first for my suspension adjustment and now had my 600 mile service. Very easy drop-​off and pick-​up for the office folks.
Support your local independent bike and auto shops!

Learned about this shop after watching a youtube video from a fellow FZ-​09 owner. The fz-​09 is an awesome motorcycle with a not so awesome suspension.
I bought the bike last week and was told by the dealer that the stock adjustment should be fine for someone my size. FALSE. The dealer is either stupid, lazy, or both.
Anyways. I put a call into Jim and Nikki to have my suspension adjusted. I was running late and turned up to their shop 10 mins before 5pm. I was expecting to be turned away but instead Jim dropped what he was working on and came out to adjust my bike! We chatted for a bit and it’s very obvious that Jim has vast amounts of knowledge about bikes, not just suspension but everything about motorcycles.
In less than 20 mins, my suspension was adjusted and I immediately noticed a huge improvement. Oh and the cost of the service was extremely fair.
As long as I own a motorcycle and live in the bay area, I will be a customer of Catalyst Reaction

When I don’t have the time to wrench, or a job requires more expertise than I possess, CRS Tuning is my go-​to shop when I need work done on my bikes. For good reason, Nikki and Jim are professional, knowledgeable, available and just nice people to deal with. Their prices are fair, they answer their phone (I know, sounds odd, but you’d be surprised how many shops don’t) and they always have the work done on-​schedule.
Whether you need a simple oil and filter change or you’re looking to have your track bike’s suspension dialed in completely, CRS Tuning does it all, WELL!

Jim is great. He gave me his full attention, was on time for our appointment, and did a great job. He sat me up on the bike and adjusted the preload and rebound of my shock. He measured everything properly, and since I was on the bike he could make real time adjustments. Took ~ 30 minutes or less. His shop is clean and well laid out, and Nicki was also quite nice. Bike was an F800GS.
He also took some time to review some main shock upgrades with me, so I’ll likely go with him for suspension work in the future.