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zwebx

zwebx

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I have got 2 bikes in my shed that are from some people i know and they have asked me to fix them, and they will source the parts..
bike one:
has lost a rocker nut and still has original air filter and blows a little smoke (so new rings) with a hone and i may have to tear down the motor or just the head to asses damage (if there is any) and find the rocker nut
bike 2:
needs a carby clean then a tune and a couple of ods and ends like a foot peg and brake lever + a service

im just not sure what i should charge in labour, i mean there not really a friend but there people i know.. if they were a mate i would just do it for the fun of it..

i figure with all the parts/oil i would charge
$30 - servicing x2
$50 - new rings/head tear down
$20 - ods and ends (the bikes are lookin pretty shagged so maybe a new chain as because its rusty as ****)
Edit: heres how they treat there bikes: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=egj**56iWLg replace ** for f k (cant embed for some reason f-k ends up being **
 
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If it was me i'd charge an hourly rate + parts. Garentee you'll find other things that need fixing during the process and it'll take you a **** load longer than you think. + if anythings goes wrong after you fix it that will also become your problem :) I'm a pessimist yes, but thats just what happens :)
 
what hourly rate sounds reasonable, i do know shops around me charge 60/hour so maybe i should do 50 or 45?
 
20.50 or 25.00 so maybe a bit cheaper..... maybe add the price of the parts and oil and odds and end labour
also lets say you finish 1hr and 15mins you can legally charge for 2 hours :)
hope it helps :)
 
I quoted a bloke $80 to do a full top end rebuild and he *****ed and wasn't keen. People want stuff for nothing.
Be very careful as timeeh said. Once you charge someone that bike and all its problems become yours.
You will be stuck fixing the bike everytime something goes wrong and be expected to do it for nothing.
The shop have this problem all the time. They fix a bike. The customer takes it home. Mistreats it. When it fails its the last person that worked on its fault.
To make yourself a few lousy bucks its not worth the hassle.
I stick to helping out mates with no charge and no responsibility.
 
zwebx said:
what hourly rate sounds reasonable, i do know shops around me charge 60/hour so maybe i should do 50 or 45?
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I'd probly charge $40-50 per hour charged in 1/2hr increments, gotta keep it cheaper than a bike shop otherwise no point coming to you. Then with your parts i'd add on an extra 30% on what you pay (to make up for the time and enrgy in sourcing them) and away you go from there :) Good luck :first:
 
If its mates, I just tell them to come over with alot of grog, and we do it together, that way it gets fixed and they know exactly what was done and learn something, I get p!ssed and get to avoid the missus/kids for a few hours and if something else breaks after that they know I wasn't responsible. Timeeh is spot on, once you turn a spanner on someone's bike they will think you are responsible for any problems that occur afterwards, mainly because they have no mechanical knowledge, if they did they'd do it themselves in the first place and I have found with pittys most probs are cause from lack of maintenance and if it needs you to fix one part, there will be others ready to let go in the not to distant future
 
motodevo said:
If its mates, I just tell them to come over with alot of grog, and we do it together, that way it gets fixed and they know exactly what was done and learn something, I get p!ssed and get to avoid the missus/kids for a few hours
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Thats exactly what i do bud ha ha i think its the best way i wouldn't start charging people and making it more of a business than just helping out a friend .. you might end up biting off more than you can chew mate ....

If something goes wrong and they get nasty about it and it does happen ! you might find yourself backed into a corner and if your not running a legit workshop that can pose legal issues if things turn sour on you
 
nickv1980 said:
Thats exactly what i do bud ha ha i think its the best way i wouldn't start charging people and making it more of a business than just helping out a friend .. you might end up biting off more than you can chew mate ....

If something goes wrong and they get nasty about it and it does happen ! you might find yourself backed into a corner and if your not running a legit workshop that can pose legal issues if things turn sour on you
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haha we did one weeks work on there house and in return they were meant to build us a kitchen... still have not seen that kitchen (we installed another one) so they can get stuffed
ill just do it because i may aswell atleast i know its done correctly and there not being overcharged, they know how this sorta stuff works.. but they dont want to change a airfilter sort of thing nothing should go wrong with what i inspect (top end) as long as i remember to do up the exhaust valve cover this time :))
+ the cash would be handy towards a new shocka
 
Well dude if they owe u a kitchen u can tell em to get f***ed if something goes wrong. Haha
 
zwebx said:
haha we did one weeks work on there house and in return they were meant to build us a kitchen... still have not seen that kitchen (we installed another one) so they can get stuffed
ill just do it because i may aswell atleast i know its done correctly and there not being overcharged, they know how this sorta stuff works.. but they dont want to change a airfilter sort of thing nothing should go wrong with what i inspect (top end) as long as i remember to do up the exhaust valve cover this time :))
+ the cash would be handy towards a new shocka
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Thats the problem with chinese pitbikes, they're so cheap that no one wants to spend a cent on them, when bikes cost thousands more people look after them as they dont want to ruin something that took them alot of time to save up for/pay off. I reckon it has alot to do with the stigma that chinese bikes are crap, most of the people who whinge about the quality only because they owned one that never had an oil change and just ran on the golden syrup that was put in it in China it whole life, the same "torch" sparkplug, an airfilter that was never up to the job and the thing lived its life outside leaning against the house exposed to the weather whenever it wasn't being ridden. I'm not complaining, i love buying their bikes that they say are stuffed and spending an hour or two making it run beautifully again.
 
motodevo said:
Thats the problem with chinese pitbikes, they're so cheap that no one wants to spend a cent on them, when bikes cost thousands more people look after them as they dont want to ruin something that took them alot of time to save up for/pay off. I reckon it has alot to do with the stigma that chinese bikes are crap, most of the people who whinge about the quality only because they owned one that never had an oil change and just ran on the golden syrup that was put in it in China it whole life, the same "torch" sparkplug, an airfilter that was never up to the job and the thing lived its life outside leaning against the house exposed to the weather whenever it wasn't being ridden. I'm not complaining, i love buying their bikes that they say are stuffed and spending an hour or two making it run beautifully again.
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i have even picked up new bikes that have bad wiring.. "its got no compression" is $$ in my eyes because usually people think its the piston and rings but 1/2 of non mechanical people will never adjust the valves and even if it is the rings its like 20 bucks to fit.. also if your looking at the bike a rattly head to a non mechaincally minded person you explain the noise could be piston slap, clutch gear, crankshaft,bearing,muffler bearings and they come down for you as you explain the "risks" that your taking (its pretty nasty though :p)

thats why i want to try to get a postie or a rx 125 on the road they cost nothing to upkeep after there running with the hop ups and whatnot..
 
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Let's say you start on the top end rebuild, start undoing the head bolts and snap!! ***ker breaks off at the base gasket, what would you do and who's responsible?
 
kosta said:
Let's say you start on the top end rebuild, start undoing the head bolts and snap!! ***ker breaks off at the base gasket, what would you do and who's responsible?
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i would be responsible (already had the head plate off to inspect) i guess i would make them pay for the part and i would just drill it out or even better easy out it..
 
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