A bitchy thread about a mechanic...

[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 did he take the forks off the bike ??????? or just top up the oil

[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:Me]

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.