Suzuki Hayabusa 12,000km service costs?

[nzspokes]

Dont think so, they just dont wish to go bankrupt on behalf of the customer getting an unrealistically low price

Or charge a reasonable price and get more customers.

[nzspokes]

And if the bike's got gear driven cams then no valve stuff for 90,000k

Speaking of cams, i got a quote on getting my cam chain done. Just to check i asked if the valve clearances were done at the same time.

Got told no thats an extra $150. WTF? The rocker cover will be off and they are screw and nut type.

Way to lose yourself a job.

[Katman]

If they were following Suzuki's instructions then the 12k service would've included spark plugs. What'd they cost?

Well as it turns out, according to Suzuki's periodic maintenance schedule, you're right.

Replacing sparkplugs every 12,000kms seems excessive to me though - particularly if they are Iridium plugs.

(Air filter replacement comes at 18,000).

[SVboy]

I think we need to see a detailed invoice before sending out the KB lynch mob. I got charged about $220 from a franchise dealer, for the 1000kms cervice on my GSXR 750, which is an oil and filter change plus a checklist of things to tighten and check. The cynical part of me thinks that list would have been a quick visual at best. $400 for oil and filter sounds very steep even if a fairing side has to come off. However if a new airfilter is involved, less so.

[skippa1]

The best option is to do your own spanner work because if you watch what acctually happens in the workshop, the standard charges soon mount up. Last place I went to was $95/hr + GST, billing based on the start of every new quarter hour. For example, if your job takes 46min, the rate is the full $95 because you have had work done in 4 quarters, regardless that the last quarter was only one minute. The dude isnt totally informed about the job he is doing so he charges for going onto the factory website and getting the correct info....his computer keeps dropping the connection and I get charged. Then the charge for a piece of 1/4 rubber hose that is 80mm long is charged at a metre because of a minimum charge, add on misc of $25 "fluid top ups" of $20, test ride and bingo......a bill that would choke a horse.

When questioned about minimum charges, what is "misc", why am I charged for your crap ISP and why top up fluids when I didnt ask you to, they look at you like they lost $50 and you are the prick that found it. That is followed by the pink faced mechanic being dragged out to explain what he did, a load of bullshit justifications and me doing my own spanner work from then on. Interesting point too, if I brought the part and installed myself, it was $150 incl GST. If they supplied and fitted, the part was $150 + 10% + GST, + fitting. A markup on the part FFS.

[SMOKEU]

Yeah them fancy Places the you been visiting eh, with their recommended good oil, proper tool kits, garrenteed workmanship, ome service parts, and them dang factory specs on the compactor file, na, not worth going to, too many overheads, with the coffee, call outs, bla bla bla...rips offs eh

Roger from Road and Race does just as good a job as the big dealerships and charges me less than half what the dealerships do. I've had no problems with his work and he doesn't try to screw me out of every single cent like the big dealers all do.

[Rhys]

The people who whinging about the cost of servicing and think that the mechanics are making a fortune why don't you set up a work shop because you guys are going to be so much cheaper and still be making huge profits

[iYRe]

and this is why George from Motorcycle Doctors rules.
Fixes stuff other people say cant be fixed. Doesnt make you pay for crap you dont need/want, and does a good job every time, actually cares about the bikes, and the people who ride them... and why I will never use a shop for servicing again.

[caseye]

No, I think you will find that those of us who can spin our own spanners do so mostly for ourselves.The figure of $75-$95.00 per hour plus GST is not uncommon at any of the bigger workshops.
The difference is the mark ups on parts, the 80mm of 1/4 hose charged as a meter, the time involved in sussing out the bikes characteristics on the slow old workshop puta, etc, etc.
The complaining is about the absolute gouging that most of the bigger workshops engage in.
I do what I can on my bike and the wife's one and if people I know don't know how but want to learn I'm happy to show them.
No one I know earns $75-$95 pr hour, least not that I can comfortably call a friend, the poor bloody Mec's in the shops that charge these horrendous rates don't get anything like that either.
Individual motorcycle mechanics face a very hard time as they too have to have overheads like workshops, parts and accessories, the ones I know don't charge anything like what the big guys do.
They do an honest job and they do their best to make sure my bike/s leave their place right and with what it needs to be safe and sound, they charge me for the 3.5 litres of oil they use, not the complete( theoretical, IE: it comes out of a bloody big drum) 5 litre pack, they charge a slightly higher hourly rate and don't mark up their parts, all things that are noted, appreciated and what make sure I go back to them next time.
Shop around folks you will find guys that do good work and don't charge the earth.Or at least they don't gouge you for every little bit.
Heres a couple of examples.
Drury Performance Centre, Mike will look after you in every way.
Panmure Motorcycles. Laurie has done my stuff for over 30 years, fussy bugger and a GC with it.
Mobile Motorcycle Mechanics, George and his guys do great work and they come to you. Worth a bit more if you can't go there aye.
And in Taupo there's that other place.WOT Motorcycles, owned by a famous and obnoxious bugger who has twice now done work for me and told me to bugger off! Can't think why???
Welly, there's, Welly Cycles, don't drink the coffee,K!

[skippa1]

The people who whinging about the cost of servicing and think that the mechanics are making a fortune why don't you set up a work shop because you guys are going to be so much cheaper and still be making huge profits

I think you might be missing the point here.....people dont mind being charged for what is actually done....but why should you pay for a metre of hose when they use a few inches? Why do they do things you didnt ask for? I am not saying the mechanics are making a fortune, I actually think they are pretty poorly paid as far as technicians are concerned, but I dont see why I should be charged an hour for a 46min job. At $95/hr, the technician probably gets about $25, the shop takes the balance to pay for the cost of power, rent, phones advertising etc as well as a margin. This should cover off non chargable time between jobs. All fair
But if they charge the client for 60min of every hour, but only work for 46min, by the end of an 8 hour day, the shop has been paid for 2 hours that were not spent on clients motorcycles. The $95/hr charged should cover that quarter hour. In essense they could get 2 hrs a day x $95/hr x 5 days a week x 52 weeks a year = $24,700 per year per technician that has been charged but not worked. Hypothetical I know as not every job is a 46min job but holy shit...why should I pay for work that is not done?
If you are happy to pay for time they havent spent on your bike.....you are feeding the machine.

[DEATH_INC.]

How many of you guys have run or been directly involved with the mechanical trade?
If you were I think you'd not be so unrealistic. Shops have overheads, and yes, paying the mechanics to do nothing is one of them.
The bike shops are not getting rich off you, in fact wait 'till next year and see how many we lose due to them going under.
$400 is not that bad. Live with it or go somewhere else.

[mossy1200]

I ask for a price first if the job is a known quantity.
My 10k service cost $199.00 including.
They told me to book a general service and they would let me know if they suspected anything needed further inspection.

I guess $500 for the 20k service would be average but my bikes seem to be replaced before 20k.

[jellywrestler]

But if they charge the client for 60min of every hour, but only work for 46min, by the end of an 8 hour day, the shop has been paid for 2 hours that were not spent on clients motorcycles. The $95/hr charged should cover that quarter hour. In essense they could get 2 hrs a day x $95/hr x 5 days a week x 52 weeks a year = $24,700 per year per technician that has been charged but not worked. Hypothetical I know as not every job is a 46min job but holy shit...why should I pay for work that is not done?
If you are happy to pay for time they havent spent on your bike.....you are feeding the machine.

What about smokos, did you factor that in, what about the phone call you made to book it in, or the time they took to actualy discuss the job with you, did that get noted down? etc etc

[bogan]

What about smokos, did you factor that in, what about the phone call you made to book it in, or the time they took to actualy discuss the job with you, did that get noted down? etc etc

Shouldn't all that stuff be factored in to the 'overheads' portion of the hourly rate? Otherwise the guy who comes in for a tyre changes 5 mins before smoko is going to get a bit overcharged.

[jellywrestler]

Shouldn't all that stuff be factored in to the 'overheads' portion of the hourly rate? Otherwise the guy who comes in for a tyre changes 5 mins before smoko is going to get a bit overcharged.

dead right, and so is the many thousands extra that he calculated