Finding a good mechanic

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Posthumane · Mon Aug 21, 2006 4:13 pm

Look in your owners manual, it should have the complete maintenance schedule in there. If not, go buy a shop manual for your bike. Just to give you an idea, the 600mi (1000km) maintenance for my bike (2004 honda 599) consists of changing the oil/filter, inspecting valve clearance, engine idle speed, inspect brake and clutch systems, nuts bolts and fasteners, and check steering head bearings. I heard there's a new version of the owners manual with these models though that eliminates most of that stuff. So basically, change your oil and filter, and do a basic check to make sure everythign works.

RUDE-MKM · #12 Unread post by **RUDE-MKM** » Tue Aug 22, 2006 5:47 am

I just had the 1st 500 mls. service done on my Bonneville America & the dealership charged me $250.00. I was charge $50.00 for the oil alone. But
the service charge was $75.00 an hour. I think I'm going to change careers
& become a cycle mechanic.

jstark47 · #13 Unread post by **jstark47** » Thu Sep 28, 2006 5:51 am

Mt. Holly Kawasaki/Suzuki/Truimph/KTM ?

The funny thing is the mechanics see very little of that $75/hour.

#14 Unread post by **Sev** » Thu Sep 28, 2006 7:53 am

Where I'm from mechanics are making about $30 an hour. More if you're really good at electrical, because no one seems to want to do electrical. Shop rates vary between 80 and 100 dollars an hour (This is all in Canadian dolars).

As for doing your own maintenance, invest in a decent torque wrench and socket set if you're going to be doing it. Most of the periodic maintence is relatively simple, but lots of people make the mistake of overtorquing certain nuts... like the drain plug. It doesn't need to be so tight it won't move again ever.

And fixing a stipped drainplug will cost you so much it won't make up for the money you're saving on oilchanges. Remember, you're feeding a steel bolt into an aluminum engine case. The expensive part will be the part that breaks first.