Help! Am I being ripped off?!

**mal3volent** · 13th March 2007, 18:29

This is my story to date: My bike is running sweet. Real sweet. I love it. A mate takes it for a ride last Sunday and has a wee drop and cracks the fairings on one side, nothing too major. I have it booked in for a service the next day and take it in (quite quickly (i.e. 17000 rpm -ish, everything is great). When I go to collect it the next day the guy tells me that the clutch is slipping, he says he took it on the motorway and it slipped. I'm stunned. But okay, sure. He says that the reason may be the new oil. ? Really? Anyway, he tells me not to go too hard so I Nana it home. And he also tweaked the mixture ratio to make it easier to start. Next day I want to find out what is going on so I try to start it. Drama. It takes for ever to start and it won't idle properly. I get it going and go for a ride. No power. Just ridiculous. I'd say it rode like a 250GSX. The revs keep going up slowly but it doesn't pull at all. Needless to say I'm not a happy camper and I ring and tell them I'm bringing it round right away. I know it is not the clutch because it doesn't slip and rev up. It just has no balls. So I leave it with him. At this stage he has told me it was something to do with the intake, then the carbs, something was jammed shut, the fuel wasn't being regulated so it was running really rich, now he's putting in bigger jets and has taken some parts off some second hand thing which 'fortunately' they had lying around. (Obviously I have no idea what is going on.) I'm told it will be ready tomorrow but I haven't talked to him about cost. What I need to know is whether or not I'm being taken for a ride because of my naivety about mechanics. How much should this cost me? Is it possible that they did something while servicing and are going to charge me to fix it?

Thanks heaps for your opinion! I need them

**T.I.E** · 13th March 2007, 18:35

sounds like he has fiddled with the carb set up and bugger the mix up possibly fowling the plugs, is it running rough or just lazy?
also did or has he blanaced the carbs at all do you know?

**imdying** · 13th March 2007, 18:36

The state of tune hasn't changed, it shouldn't be necessary to rejet it.

New oil shouldn't make it slip, unless it has car oil in it now.

Where have you taken it, a backyarder or a known dealer in Dunedin? (no need to name names, just adds a little perspective)

**mal3volent** · 13th March 2007, 18:39

Was probably running rough and lazy?! Not sure about balancing the carbs but he said today he had had them in an out a few times today?
Also, taken it to a major outfit in town. Won't name yet but if they don't satisfy I will let you know. Thanks

**mal3volent** · 13th March 2007, 18:43

I only rode it for about 5 mins before I took it back to them. It just had no power, i'd give it some throttle and it would just putter along slowly building speed. When i turn into my road i can hit a certain speed (hmm) and stop before pulling into the driveway. I tried this and only got to a little more than half the speed.

Also, my first idea was he had just tried to make it run better by changing the mixture or something and had done that completely wrong and he could just undo what he has done. But it has been in the shop for a week, in parts on the dyno and he has apparently spent quite a lot of time on it...

**T.I.E** · 13th March 2007, 18:49

its hard to say, but personally id wouldnt pay, pick up the bike take it for a run see how it is the next day. if its back to norm then sweet. he fiddled with it, its not working properly, he should fix his stuff up.
allthough be good to get a secound opinon.
overall from what you have said i wouldnt want to pay. possibly despuite it.
this is all from the info i have seen, there maybe more to it.
keep us updated.
but good to leave names out for now.
dunedin aint a huge place.

**imdying** · 13th March 2007, 18:51

Take it back then, they're obliged to fix it correctly.

Do not fiddle with it, with the above obligation come 'it's their right to have the first whack at fixing it again'. Unless of course you want to kiss your money goodbye and go elsewhere, but if it's a big shop they should be able to sort it.

**mal3volent** · 13th March 2007, 18:52

Thanks T.I.E. i think that is what i will do. When i pick it up i'll get a list of what was supposedly wrong and what has been done/replaced and post on here. Thanks again

**T.I.E** · 13th March 2007, 19:02

letting us know what was wrong with the bike and what it took to fix it would be great. really helpful for us all, ya never know when one of us suffers from the same problems.

cheers andrew

**smokeyging** · 13th March 2007, 19:05

You asked for the fairing to be fixed, not a new bike!. sounds to me that a boy racer machanic has thrashed the thing an now wants you to pay for it.

**Motu** · 13th March 2007, 19:20

A mechanic will ride the bike a lot harder than you...he has to to find faults,so probably notice the clutch slip where you wouldn't...new oil can also promote clutch slip because it acts as a cleaner....not wrong oil like everyone thinks.It'll also be hotter when he rides and fiddles with it....so he has probably leaned it out a bit.He wasn't able to do a cold start because it was hot after he worked on it.But he should be able to put it back to approximatly your settings,there shouldn't be any major rejetting going on.Haul him up on that one and ask why.

**cowboyz** · 13th March 2007, 19:41

mechanics are not held liable for their actions to other peoples vehicles. It is promoted by the secret squirel complex that has developed over the past 10 years where customers are discouraged to voice opinions on bad service. Works out well for mechanics and if they happen to be having a bad day or can't be bothered then it is just a one off and if you try to voice your experience you will feel a horrible bout of guilt that you are dissing a god.

Next time before you take your bike into the shop, work out how much money you can give away and tell the mechanic that is all you are willing to pay and that is the only work they are allowed to do on it. Weather they do a good job or not or actually fix the bike or not is only half chance.

Don't feel bad, Its just the way it is.

Does this help your problem? Not really. Only thing you can do is keep taking the bike back till the problems go away.

PS. I just LOVE the theory we have in this country where if someone screws something up one time then you should take it back to the same person to see if they can screw it up again.. Fantastic.

**Motu** · 13th March 2007, 19:51

Are you a blonde? I love to rip off blondes....they are soooo stupid!

**Shaun** · 14th March 2007, 07:55

Bike goes in for a Service! Not a re jet or anything else ( According to the first post)

If it was fine before they touched it, make sure it is the same when it leaves, pay them Nothing untill they fix it

**mal3volent** · 14th March 2007, 09:13

Originally Posted by smokeyging

You asked for the fairing to be fixed, not a new bike!. sounds to me that a boy racer machanic has thrashed the thing an now wants you to pay for it.

Hey Smokeyging - just to clarify I just took it in for a standard service, i asked about a quote for the fairing but not to get it fixed (cause my mate is paying for that, not me!)