Local shop quote for valve adjustment

[Burque73]

Yeah, here's the bike in question.

[gsrick]

Incompetent, or intentionally priced themselves out of the job.

The hours maybe, but $89 is cheaper than the dealerships down here. $89 is what my boss charges and I wouldn't doubt he would try to sell it as a 4 hour job also. I charge $35 an hour since I have no overhead yet and would bill it at a 2 hour job minimum unless adjustment is needed, then maybe another 1/2 hour. It may take me less time, but you have to try and make a minimum to make it worth the while. Modern bikes like R6 or Ninjas are even more, since it is a more labor intensive job, removing fairings, tank, airbox, and in some instances PAIR system and throttle bodies and maybe even moving the radiator for more clearance like on some V twin and V four motors. and if adjustment is needed the cam tensioner and cams have to come out.

[gsrick]

Yeah, here's the bike in question.

Hard to see from that angle, but the fairing may have to be removed if it protrudes down where the valve cover needs to come out. Beautiful bike.

[Burque73]

The fairing bracket has a crack in it and I'll need to weld it back together anyways so taking it off was something I already planned on (I was not trying to set the mechanic up for that one). Who knows, maybe the previous owner actually did check and adjust the valves as needed and this will be just a gasket change. He couldn't tell me for sure so I'm checking. Kind of odd as he claimed to be a mechanic and owned this bike since 86. Well, I'll know soon enough. The gasket just got here today.

[isleoman]

I don't think that pricing is out of line. Had the valves adjusted on my FZ1 once in 150K miles and it cost me $300 at the dealer, mainly because they were still in tolerance and the cams didn't need to be removed. Had they needed to take the cams out and replace shims it would have been $425. Of course the FZ1 does have 20 valves.

Everyone's tolerance for financial pain is different. That was a job I could have done in maybe 10 hours, however with the potential to destroy the engine.

I was considering buying 4 truck tires on line and getting them mounted locally. The shop I use for bike tires also works on cars. He said that would be $85 for one hours work. That's tire monkey work. See if you can beat it.

[GSXR7ED]

$90 an hour is the going rate here in Delaware...Dover that is. Lots of folks here can't bear to part with money if it's avoidable. Owning these bikes takes a bit of money out of pocket...some can, some won't and some can splurge. I enjoy seeing those who make things happen and post it for us to see. It is great when the work can be done by DIY method.


Ed

[nejeff]

I sold a parts/project Goldwing earlier in the year. Guy brought a bona fide motorcycle shop owner with him to look at the bike. Shop owner looked it over really good, pulled compression test and gave the buyer an assessment out of my ear shot and took off. I asked the buyer later what he was quoted on the carb rebuild....$1000 bucks! I thought wow, never heard of this guy right here in my own town and apparently he's been around for years. I was curious what kind of operation he had going so I rode out to check out his shop. Old UJM's all over the place, inside and outside, busy as hell and at that time he was backed up like 3-4 weeks.

I tell people all the time now that unless you can actually do at least SOME of the work on your own then buy a much newer bike, do absolutely nothing but put gas in it, ride it until it gets harder and harder to start and then start the process over.

I don't expect people to do tire changes but most everything else you better figure out how to do or your just going to be another frustrated old bike owner calling me to sell your old bike.

[argonsagas]

This thread caused a small chuckle.

I just got a GSF1250FA (formerly known as Bandit) and I wanted to change the oil and filter before riding it.

You start just under the windshield, then move to behind the gas tank, and keep on going

You do that to remove the fairing because NOTHING is accessible when the fairing is in place.
When that is removed you can see the filter, but can barely reach it through the pipes, frame and cooling parts....then you try to figure out how to turn the filter.



Next time will be easier, but the first time it took more than an hour to do the oil/filter change that would take ten minutes or less on a GS.

[bobgroger]

My guess is that is the "We don't want to do it at all, but if you insist it will be $xxx" price

[Burque73]

Yeah, bet youre right. Ill do it myself tomorrow. Cant wait to see if it improves compression. All cylinders were 112 to 117psi. I know the minimum is 100, but it seems like it should be higher. Had the throttle wide open and all plugs out.

[Burque73]

Valve adjustment completed! Took me much longer than the shop I'm sure, but I know the bike better now. I also realize now how important the firing order is. Turns out that I mixed up the plug wires on three and four. That made for a lousy ride!!

[850GT_Rider]

Hard to see from that angle, but the fairing may have to be removed if it protrudes down where the valve cover needs to come out. Beautiful bike.

At least on my '80 850 with the WJ III, the fairing does not have to come off. Just the seat and the tank, as with carb adjust.

One local shop I contacted a while back won't even take the bike in. "No one here anymore that can even work on one that OLD".

[Burque73]

Yep, fairing was in the way. Couldn't get the cam cover off as it covers the front edge on each side.



The windjammer bracket was broken and needed repair anyway. It was wobbly on the road, now solid and still.

[850GT_Rider]

Probably slight dimensional differences. '80 vs '83, WindJammer III vs IV, etc. Doesn't take long to pull it off anyway.

[Burque73]

True, most of my time spent was on other things.