Mechanic costs

**Motu** · 3rd May 2005, 11:39

Originally Posted by gav

Oh, we're a car workshop and charge $55 + gst per hour. Std service will cost ya $102.25 incl gst, approx 4 litres Pennzoil and oil filter. $35 for a warrant.

Good grief,how do you stay in business - An average sevice from me would set you back at least $225 inluding GST (all my prices are inclusive) and a WoF is $38,going up to $40 soon.But we spend at least 2 hrs on a service and replace items we feel need attention (with customers permission of course).It's a shame workshops in NZ are too scared to charge the true cost of their labour (me included) - a bloody lawyer would!

**Ixion** · 3rd May 2005, 11:54

Originally Posted by Motu

Good grief,how do you stay in business - An average sevice from me would set you back at least $225 inluding GST (all my prices are inclusive) and a WoF is $38,going up to $40 soon.But we spend at least 2 hrs on a service and replace items we feel need attention (with customers permission of course).It's a shame workshops in NZ are too scared to charge the true cost of their labour (me included) - a bloody lawyer would!

Maybe their service is just change engine oil and filter ? That would be about 1 hour plus parts . Wof at $35 in Christchurch (bit cheaper down there) is about the same as $38 in Auckland.

I imagine both of you are losing money at that (but make it back on the work generated , tyres etc)

**Motu** · 3rd May 2005, 12:36

On my last WoF update course the tutor asked us what we charged,$35 to $40 was the range.He said in the Sth Island they were much dearer,like $50 - Auckland is cheaper because of the competion.

Back to Dealer servicing - back in the late 80s I worked for a Honda car Dealer,we were on a bonus scheme - we were on $11 per hr,for every hour over 7 hrs charged out a day we got $10.The guys in the shop could churn out a 2 hr service in 1/2hr...tick,tick,tick,next please.Not exactly a good deal for the customer,they could meet flat rate times no worries.I was pissed off - as the most experianced and qualified in the shop(12 mechs) I didn't get boring service work,I got all the problem jobs and never got a bonus,the boys were taking home $100 more a week than me.Then they offered me the foremans job with a $1 per hr raise,I told them to stick it.

**Sutage** · 3rd May 2005, 12:43

Whats the deal with becoming a motorbike mechanic?

Do you do an apprentice in it? Or Unitec? Or car and then go into bikes? Anyone know?

**Wolf** · 3rd May 2005, 12:44

[QUOTE=IxionNo bike shop is going to around long if they rip people off, because word quickly gets around.[/QUOTE]
The bike shop that ripped me off is gone - guess I wasn't the only one they ripped off. They "serviced" my RD350, charged a fortune and returned it running on one cylinder. I took it back, they "looked at it" determined that it was "not their fault" and "fixed it" for a price, returned it running on one cylinder - no change. I gave it to my father in exchange for a small car he had and within half an hour he had the bike running on both cylinders - the retaining screw for one moveable point's plate was not tightened so it was not properly positioned to allow that cylinder to fire - it was just rattling around. A few minutes to set the gap and tighten the screw was all it needed.

The shop had to have done that deliberately - and rooked me out of two lots of money before I gave up and refused to take it back there.

**crashe** · 3rd May 2005, 13:43

How come all you guys are paying $35 for a WOF on a motorbike...???

I only paid $26 for mine at the testing station opposite the Waitakere City Council building two days ago.

Surely it should be the same all around NZ for a WOF on a m/bike.

Sure there is a certain cost to get in equipment (cars etc).... but a bike you do all the work of lifting the front and back wheels off the ground so they can check it out... they use nothing but a clicker thing to mark off the paperwork and a pen.

It took the guy only a few minutes to do a WOF on my bike.
I did the lights, indicators, brake lights, push down on the front end to check the shocks and the test ride to check the brakes.
I lifted the front wheel up and also the back wheel up so that he could check it out. He wrote down the vin number etc... he also checked a few cables.

There is no way that I would pay the same WOF cost as I do for a car.
The cars WOF is $35 at the same place.

**Wolf** · 3rd May 2005, 14:32

The LS400 has the spark-plug sited in such a way that you have to remove the tank (unbolt the seat, then the tank) to change the plug - I don't think I'd want to pay anyone to change it.

I prefer the less complex motorcycles - no fairings, single or twin, carburetted, air cooled, sparkplug(s) easily accessible etc. There was a lot to be said (in terms of DIY maintenance) for my old single cylinder two-strokes - especially the Zundapp and Puch as they ran on pre-mix.

While I'd admire a fully faired sportsbike along with the best of 'em, I'd never buy one. They're needlessly complicated and costly to maintain for what I want to do (get from A to B with as little hassle as possible) - I'm not into racing so I have no need for anything that complex.

I service what I can myself and rely on workshops when what needs to be done is beyond me - in which case, a bike that does not take three hours' work just to expose the petrol cap is a definite asset.

**Waylander** · 3rd May 2005, 14:39

Originally Posted by Sutage

Whats the deal with becoming a motorbike mechanic?

Do you do an apprentice in it? Or Unitec? Or car and then go into bikes? Anyone know?

Looking into that myself at the moment. I think you need to have some basic education on mechnical stuff to get an aprenticship at a bike shop.Atleast thus far I havn't been able to find any polytech's that have motorcycle mechanic courses. Least not in NZ or Aussie.

**Motu** · 3rd May 2005, 14:46

Originally Posted by crashe

Surely it should be the same all around NZ for a WOF on a m/bike.

That would be price fixing,long since outlawed.They can charge what they like - and there is a lot more to a WoF than the time it takes,I just had to pay LTNZ $600 for my revue,$150 for a training course last month,kinda adds up eh? I charge $20 for a bike,$15 for TMOC and KB members,soon to go up though.

I turn over more than $60,000 per year on WoFs alone,just with me doing them myself - wouldn't that be nice if it was all profit and not all loss?

**crashe** · 3rd May 2005, 14:55

Originally Posted by Motu

That would be price fixing,long since outlawed.They can charge what they like - and there is a lot more to a WoF than the time it takes,I just had to pay LTNZ $600 for my revue,$150 for a training course last month,kinda adds up eh? I charge $20 for a bike,$15 for TMOC and KB members,soon to go up though.

I turn over more than $60,000 per year on WoFs alone,just with me doing them myself - wouldn't that be nice if it was all profit and not all loss?

ok ta Motu....

Um quick question for you.... what is TMOC ?

**scumdog** · 3rd May 2005, 16:17

$27:50 for a WOF down here - where did that $50 quote come from??

**campbellluke** · 3rd May 2005, 16:36

I pay $18 for a warrant at the AA ..

**Motu** · 3rd May 2005, 17:14

Originally Posted by crashe

ok ta Motu....

Um quick question for you.... what is TMOC ?

Triumph Motorcycle Owners Club.

Scumdog,$50 was about a car WoF...no quote,he justs asks at his classes....obviously an LTSA dogsbody doesn't live in the real world,just sees what he sees,hears what he hears.

**MOTOXXX** · 3rd May 2005, 17:19

some of the vtwins are a pain in the arse to work on at times.
the amount of shit i have to remove to even do a comp test on my tl is a bit of a bastard. and then theres puting it back on and hoping that you dont get anything left over