Suzuki Hayabusa 12,000km service costs?

[SMOKEU]

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.

Suzuki wanted to charge me $223 for a fucking little gasket for my GSXR. The one that goes between the fuel tank and the fuel pump assembly. It's a normal servicing item as this gasket needs to be replaced every time the fuel pump assembly is removed (it has to be removed to clean the in tank fuel filter). $223 for a little fucking rubber seal. Seriously. WTF is up with that? Can you really blame people for avoiding dealerships when they're just going to rip the customer off at every step of the way?

[SVboy]

Suzuki wanted to charge me $223 for a fucking little gasket for my GSXR. The one that goes between the fuel tank and the fuel pump assembly. It's a normal servicing item as this gasket needs to be replaced every time the fuel pump assembly is removed (it has to be removed to clean the in tank fuel filter). $223 for a little fucking rubber seal. Seriously. WTF is up with that? Can you really blame people for avoiding dealerships when they're just going to rip the customer off at every step of the way?

How did you get around it?

[duckonin]

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.

You must have a good job.

[SMOKEU]

How did you get around it?

I haven't because I can't afford it. No point fixing it anyway because I don't have the money to run it.

[Katman]

How many of you guys have run or been directly involved with the mechanical trade?

I have Andy.

As well as operating my own workshop for the last 8 years, I've worked in numerous workshops over the course of 30 years.

I'm constantly dismayed that far too many people will blindly flock to large flashy dealerships in favour of small independant workshops.

I've seen plenty of questionable practices and dismal treatment of customers by mechanical businesses who's bottom line is simply covering their inflated overheads.

[skippa1]

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

you are not seriously saying I should pay for their smokos are you? (should we ask when the staff have breaks and only book in when thay are not?)How about their holiday pay? And the office lady took the booking, isnt that an overhead? And yes, I was charged for the consultation.

[nzspokes]

Panmure Motorcycles. Laurie has done my stuff for over 30 years, fussy bugger and a GC with it.

Didnt know about him, hes not to expensive? Does he have loan bikes?

[jellywrestler]

you are not seriously saying I should pay for their smokos are you? (should we ask when the staff have breaks and only book in when thay are not?)How about their holiday pay? And the office lady took the booking, isnt that an overhead? And yes, I was charged for the consultation.

what sort of work do you do? I'm a tradesman and in 30 something years working I've always included my smoko in my hours worked, why should a motorcycle mechanic be any different?

[skippa1]

what sort of work do you do? I'm a tradesman and in 30 something years working I've always included my smoko in my hours worked, why should a motorcycle mechanic be any different?

Fitter and turner, been employed, self employed and now employ many. You may feel justified in charging people for work you havent done. I dont.

[Woodman]

you are not seriously saying I should pay for their smokos are you? (should we ask when the staff have breaks and only book in when thay are not?)How about their holiday pay? And the office lady took the booking, isnt that an overhead? And yes, I was charged for the consultation.

Of course you pay for their smokos. The customer pays for everything in every business, its how business works.

[bogan]

what sort of work do you do? I'm a tradesman and in 30 something years working I've always included my smoko in my hours worked, why should a motorcycle mechanic be any different?

Because mechanics do smaller jobs, billing out a customer your smoko time could add an extra 30 bucks onto a job that would only cost 50 if they caught you at a better time. Turns out the guy has a mate who got the same job done by another shop, and he did get the better time. Reckon the first guy is likely to form an unfavorable opinion about your charge out rates?

At the engineering company I worked at they made us bill out smoko breaks, but we were encouraged to put it on the bigger jobs; which beinge an engineering co, we had a lot more of.

[skippa1]

Of course you pay for their smokos. The customer pays for everything in every business, its how business works.

You havent read my previous posts have you? I accept the $95 hourly rate(which includes and allowance for smokos), but I expect to only pay that for hours worked, I dont expect to pay again for their overheads. I have owned and operated many businesses and have employed up to 95 indirect reports. I know how it works.....do you?

[Woodman]

You havent read my previous posts have you? I accept the $95 hourly rate(which includes and allowance for smokos), but I expect to only pay that for hours worked, I dont expect to pay again for their overheads. I have owned and operated many businesses and have employed up to 95 indirect reports. I know how it works.....do you?

Yea I do, but what I was trying to say was that every expense in a business is covered (or should be) by the customers who bring the money in. Yea you have said that when I read back.

If one of my guys worked on a job from 9am to 11am then that would be charged at 2 hours not 1 hour and 50 minutes. Yea possibly charging the ten minutes less may well be more upfront and honest but each business has different hourly rates so the whole argument is a bit flowery really.

[SVboy]

I haven't because I can't afford it. No point fixing it anyway because I don't have the money to run it.

e-bay or e-bay uk for a whole 2nd hand pump incl gasket perhaps?

[jellywrestler]

Fitter and turner, been employed, self employed and now employ many. You may feel justified in charging people for work you havent done. I dont.

I certainally don't feel justified for charging for work I haven't done, my point is that some trades charge out differnent ways. Right now I'm self employed and rarely stop for smokos and i'm surely not going to do half an hours work and add 1/4 for smoko, little different for me as i travel between jobs so that's my rest time if i get it. Other times i'm on a site for a half day or a whole day i'll charge for a half day or a whole day.
for every argument there's a differnent veiw/ way of tackling it that's all