A bitchy thread about a mechanic...

[Kittyhawk]

For years I've been going to the one mechanic. Last Monday night I took a friend's zzr250 for a bit of a test ride...I came to the conclusion that her bike needed new fork oil, as well as rear brake pads...

I suggested to her to see my mechanic as I have never had any problems with him and always found he did good work at a reasonable price.

We rocked on up, and I explained to him that the bike needed

A - rear brake pads
B - new front fork oil

She suggested that he bring the bike up to WOF standard including a service which I thought was acceptable...

When she rang to go pick up the bike, he said he is charging her $220 for all the work done...this included the following..

A - rear brake pads
B - new front fork oil
C - a look over the bike mechanically

The total time it took for all this was about 2 hours. There was nothing done mechanically apart from what I just specified.
The bike does have trouble starting due to a carbi issue but we did not specify we wanted the carbs looked at and we are aware there is an issue there...I suggested I'd have a tinkle around with her bike to see what was wrong with them to save on the costs of labour etc.

Should she pay $220 for a look over, new brake pads and fork oil?

I've never been in a situation like this, how can it be delt to...or more to the point how to get the bike back as its still in the possesion of the mechanic and coming up to christmas, financial situations get a bit harder.

Help!!

[montsta56]

$220 Does'ne seem over the top to me???:confused:

[The Stranger]

May I ask what were you expecting to pay?
Doesn't sound unreasonable at first glance.

[imdying]

Labour, $130 ($65 an hour)
Pads, $70 ($35 a set)
Fork oil, $30 (at a guess)
+gst

Sounds like she did alright.

[fergie]

i would ask mech for a breakdown of the price and their charge out rate, it does sound about right to me though

[crashe]

Mechanics charge any where around $60 to $70 per hour.

So there goes $120 to $140 in labour.

Brake pads - Depending on how much they were - do a ring around for costs
Fork oil - what type was used and oil weight? Plus how much was needed?
A check over of the bike also takes time...... maybe they tweaked a few things for you and added that into the charge.

[Squiggles]

Agree with imdying, sounds about right...

[jrandom]

Sounds fine to me, a perfectly reasonable charge for the work and parts involved.

What did you expect to pay?

:confused:

[Katman]

Labour, $130 ($65 an hour)
Pads, $70 ($35 a set)
Fork oil, $30 (at a guess)
+gst

Sounds like she did alright.

Actually, only one set of pads.:msn-wink:

But if the job was done properly, i.e. forks stripped, cleaned and reassembled with new oil, then the bill sounds reasonable to me.

[onearmedbandit]

+1.

Sounds about right to me.

[kiwifruit]

heh .

[McDuck]

I agree. Mechanical workshops set ups are not cheep, and do not pay for themselfs.

[klyong82]

That sounds about right for that price. Would have been cheaper if you just gave the mechanic the forks so that he would not have charged to take the forks off.

[Finn]

I spent more than that on lunch today.

[Monsterbishi]

That price is fine.

[Kittyhawk]

I'm glad I asked. :niceone:

[Scouse]

I bet if you spent that at a hairdresser it would be ok, shealas they have their priority's all wrong

[westie]

Sounds fine to me.

On the other hand when I do similar work for mates all I get is a beer.
:drinknsin:apint:

[jrandom]

I spent more than that on lunch today.

Was eet, uh, all mixed up togezzer in a bucket, with the eggs on top?

<img src="http://www.johnmariani.com/archive/2006/060709/mr-creosote.jpg"/>

[jafar]

Was eet, uh, all mixed up togezzer in a bucket, with the eggs on top?

<img src="http://www.johnmariani.com/archive/2006/060709/mr-creosote.jpg"/>

Aww man that is just so wrong :sick::laugh:

[imdying]

Actually, only one set of pads.:msn-wink:If that's the case, rather than getting what I thought actually seemed like a pretty good deal, she has probably paid exactly what I thought she should've :) (my total came to $258.75 inc GST).

/edit: A ZZR250 is really only a single disc??

[Katman]

If that's the case, rather than getting what I thought actually seemed like a pretty good deal, she has probably paid exactly what I thought she should've :) (my total came to $258.75 inc GST).

/edit: A ZZR250 is really only a single disc??

Rear - not rare.:msn-wink:

[Hitcher]

$220? Jesus wept. What would it have cost to do it yourself?

[McDuck]

$220? Jesus wept. What would it have cost to do it yourself?

And then you fuck up and smack your head in.

[sunhuntin]

I bet if you spent that at a hairdresser it would be ok, shealas they have their priority's all wrong

oi! not all of us do that! LOL. id rather spend a couple hundy making sure my bikes are ready to go to hell and back than anything else. bikes and petrol come before everything for me, including food and comfort stops.

[surfer]

Agree with everyone else, the price is reasonable. Sounds like your mechanic should still be your mechanic and your friends too.

Always good to ask up front how much $ before the work starts though, which is your responsibility.


$220? Jesus wept. What would it have cost to do it yourself?

$120 less!

[imdying]

Rear - not rare.:msn-wink:Hmm, it appears your bling will have to wait :no:

[jonbuoy]

Bloody mechanics, swanning around in their Gucci suits driving BMW's and Mercedes....

[Conquiztador]

Just think, she could have spent that on a pokie in an hour and had nothing to show for it (apart from hungry kids...)

I take that there is no complaint re his work? I use him!! (Then again, I do all my work my self, but if you took the bike to me I would have wanted $200 and I do not give reciepts..)

[Richard Mc F]

I would have charged double that, hell now it would be triple.........would complain about you wasting my time as well:2guns:

[Forest]

That's what workshop time costs these days.

Pay peanuts, get monkeys.

[Ixion]

I charge my time at $150 per hour. Mechanics are seriously underpaid.

[HungusMaximist]

I still advocate for learning how how to D.I.Y.

[fredie]

changeing the brake pads front or rear are a 5 minute job. cant u learn how too do this :innocent:did he take the forks off the bike ??????? or just top up the oil:bash:

[MaxB]

If that's the case, rather than getting what I thought actually seemed like a pretty good deal, she has probably paid exactly what I thought she should've :) (my total came to $258.75 inc GST).

/edit: A ZZR250 is really only a single disc??

Single front, single back. A kid at work has fitted the twin disc set up from an import 400 (after a spill). Looked good.

[Duc]

You could have done the work for her at the cost of the parts. Thats easy stuff.

[nodrog]

Ever had a late model Gixxer 1000 serviced.. now there is grounds for going broke.

yes, just had my 24000 service yesterday, fark i wish it was $220!

[pritch]

The price seems fair. As for the DIY that's all very well but brakes, while they may be relatively straight forward, are sort of important.

Perhaps not somewhere a beginner with no previous mechanical experience should be tinkering unsupervised?

[Morcs]

Youve just got to find a good shop that you have rapport with, and a very good mechanic (they get the job done quicker too)

The shop I use has discounted my on almost everything.

My nc30 wouldve been written off, we worked together and got it back on the road for $300.

My fork seals fucked out on my nc35, they quoted $180 - I got them to service it at the same time, as well as cleaning the plugs (extra as its a bitch) for $220 all up.

I was only let down when their super duper mechanic left, and they charged me 320 to diagnose a problem and didnt actually find the problem.

[rok-the-boat]

$220 is not so expensive for a service these days, but it would also get you a nice set of tools, a manual, and maybe even a set of brake pads and some oil.

[merv]

I spent more than that on lunch today.

Was that just for you?

I've been out for lunch every day this week and today's cost me zip - now that was a good price - same price I paid on Monday too.

Haven't had any bikes serviced lately so they cost me nothing too.

[Kittyhawk]

$220? Jesus wept. What would it have cost to do it yourself?

Priceless... we'd be taking the parts to the mechanic either way lol.

[scracha]

"She suggested that he bring the bike up to WOF standard including a service which I thought was acceptable..."

C - a look over the bike mechanically


A look over the bike mechanically and checking it for any WOF failures could have taken a good half hour. ZZR250's aint new and perhaps there was some bitch threaded bolt or other bodges and the mechanic spent 3 hours on it but couldn't charge you for it. It happens.

If you've had good service in the past I'd go by that.

[Morcs]

I just spent $800 for a bit of carb work to get my cbr running.

That consisted of:
2 hours dyno time
6 hours labour.

$800 hurt a lot. but in reality two guys each spent about 15 hours on my bike.

You have to appreciate things sometime.

[Kittyhawk]

For me personally I've never had any problems with my mechanic, and well, if she isn't sastified, then only she can worry.

Im glad I have a good mechanic, he may take a little longer, but at least I know the job is done right, for my own personal standards.

If my old man had his engineering shop up here, then I'd be attempting this stuff myself lol. That'd be a disaster though. :oi-grr: