It's that time of year again — the flowers are blooming, the birds are chirping, and the motorcycles are cautiously emerging from their winter dens. The past few years have seen a number of both long-standing and short-lived motorcycle shops relocate or close their doors for good. This cycle-shop-shuffle can leave motorcyclists, new and old, wondering where to get their fix. Thankfully Toronto's motorcycle community is flourishing and though the landscape has changed, there are still plenty of options to buy gear out there. Here's the skinny on where to get kitted-up in Toronto.

Town Moto
132 Ossington Avenue
Town Moto, the latest addition to Toronto's gang of motorcycle shops, opened last week and offers a good selection of gear and apparel lines with a vintage cafe racer/rocker flare — no fluorescent tribal patterns or neon underlights here. Situated comfortably between the cafes, restaurants, bars and galleries of Lower Ossington, Town Moto is a great place to find jackets, gloves, helmets and boots by designers you won't find anywhere else in Toronto. Aside from gear, vintage ephemera and some aftermarket parts, Town Moto also offers casual wear such as shirts, jeans, vests, bags and more. Just look for the 1976 Honda CB750 in the window.

Motoretta
554 College Street
Since 2002 Motoretta has been the place to go for scooters and motorcycles with an emphasis on city driving and classic design rather than highway power. Along with new models from manufacturers including Vespa, Piaggio, Stella, Royal Enfield and Cleveland CycleWerks, Motoretta also carries an inventory of pre-owned machines and offers repair services to support them. While continuing to stock helmets and jackets, Motoretta's English countryside inspired selection of clothing and accessories has grown impressively to include designs by Fred Perry, The Hill-Side, Ben Sherman, Filson and more.

Doc's Leathers
726 Queen Street West
Those who venture down the rabbit hole that is Doc's Leathers will find themselves amidst a sea of jackets, helmets, boots, gloves, buckles, chaps, skulls, bones, masks, swords, leather, leather and more leather. Doc's more than four decades spent buying and selling motorcycle gear have furnished this iconic Queen Street West store with the largest selection of used motorcycle gear in Toronto, perhaps in all of Ontario — clear your schedule. Whether shopping for new or used gear, taking a trip to Doc's rarely disappoints. Bring your bike and you may even end up on his Wall-O-Bikers.

BMW Toronto Motorrad
11 Sunlight Park Road
If you didn't max out your budget purchasing a motorcycle, take a jaunt east of the DVP to BMW Toronto Motorrad to cover the rest of your needs. In addition to offering new and used BMW motorcycles, as one might expect, BMW Toronto Motorrad maintains a carefully selected collection of unique and high quality motorcycle gear. Featured manufacturer Belstaff has designed and produced jackets for such films as War of the Worlds, I Am Legend, Batman Begins, Blade Trinity, and The Aviator. If you're already geared up, BMW Toronto Motorrad also offers community events including off-road training, group rides, test rides and travel packages.

Studio Cycle Group
2923 Dundas Street West
Over the years Toronto's Junction area has played host to a number of notable motorcycle shops. Today, riders exploring Dundas Street West can head to Studio Cycle Group. Since 2009 Studio has been providing Torontonians with motorcycles, scooters, ATV's, accessories, gear, parts and service. The quiet English countryside is the last thing you'll be thinking of when browsing jackets, leathers, boots and gloves from popular brands such as Alpinestars, Icon, Nexosports and Joe Rocket. Studio Cycle Group also offers a large selection of helmets by most major brands — just remember the first rule of helmet shopping: you drop it, you buy it.

MOTORCYCLE SHOWS

If you don't mind sweaty crowds and pushy product demonstrations, motorcycle shows can be a great one-stop-shop for bikes and gear. With at least four motorcycle shows taking place in Toronto each year, most riders are going to find themselves attending at some point — and why not? Attendees can check out the newest models, vintage collections or just take advantage of show-only discounts and specials many retailers offer.

• Toronto Motorcycle Show, Metro Toronto Convention Centre, December
• North American International Motorcycle SUPERSHOW , The International Centre, January
• Toronto Spring Motorcycle Show, International Trade Centre, March
• National Motorcycle and Tattoo Show, Exhibition Place, March

Motorcycle Shops in the GTA and surrounding

• Royal Distributing, 900 Champlain Court, Whitby
• Cycle World Superstore, 4545 Sheppard Avenue East
• Dual Sport Plus, 221 Barton Street, Unit I, Stoney Creek
• Riders Choice, 2276 Dixie Road, Mississauga
• Velocity Sportsgear, 1060 Britannia Road East, Unit 5, Mississauga
• Kahuna Powersports, 5243 Steeles Avenue West
• GP Bikes , 1100 Champlain Court, Whitby
• Davies Harley-Davidson, 8779 Yonge Street, Richmond Hill

Writing and photo by Phil Tucker