I here a lot of complaining about the cost of maintenance from dealers and indys. I dont like to throw money away either, but in defense of the mechanics, remember that it is not a hobby to them. They are trying to make a living just like the doctors and lawyars who are complaining about paying them to fix their bikes. There is a lot more to the cost per hour for service then just putting the money into the mechanics pocket. So back off a little and look at the big picture. The owner is paying rent, insurance, stocking, etc. He is paying the mechanics, etc. He is providing a service to you. If you can do the work yourself so be it, but if you cant where are you going to go if he cant afford to keep his doors open. Now Im not talking about if a mechanic does a crappy job, Im talking about just the cost.

 

I agree Igniter, there are alot of people who just dont get it. They must work for free and expect everybody else to as well. Being in the service business myself I dont mind taking their money at all, hell, I pay to things fixed or for services rendered.

 

Igniter, you have a very valid point but I think where the complaints really come in is when a regular local shop only charges $65 an hour labor (yes, with a good mechanic) and the local stealer charges $150. For those of us who have to scrape together the money to get the work done, well that seems like a rip-off. Also, talking to more and more mechs at the dealer, it seems like the level of knowledge isn't as high as you would expect. I've talked to many people who have had to go back and back to the dealer because the mechs just couldn't figure out what was wrong with their bikes. I don't think anyone is trying to say the mechs shouldn't be paid or that they shouldn't charge a fair price (key word being "fair").

 

I do not mind the mechanic's fee. I have wrenched, screwed up parts, bought new, redone 3-4 times, busted knuckels, bought proper tools, got dirty, had cramps from repetitive movements, panicked from crawling under stuff, wrestled a bike onto a stand, burnt fingers, broken tools, trashed clothing, and... No I do not mind the mechanic's fee.

 

i have no problem shelling out money for a good mechanic, what i have a problem with is paying a parts changer, changing crap till he fixes the problem! after several trips i had about 500 bucks in replacing my cam sensor.

 

Part of the problem may be that the mechanic doesn't make enough! I realize that the dealership has a lot of overhead and expense, but labor rates per hour that have been quoted on the forum seem to be all over the place. My local dealer charges $50 an hour which seems to be the cheapest that I have heard of, with some going up to $125 an hour, BUT how much is the mech. really making? A good dealership will give their mechs time off to attend training events and updates and pay for them and then still give them a decent living wage. If they do that, they'll keep the employees longer and they will have more experienced personnel.
IMHO, 90% of the time that we get poor service anywhere, it is because of cheap or bad management or company policy.

 

Good work aint cheap, and cheap work aint good.

 

I don't mind paying the mechanic for something I can't do. I do mind paying anyone for any service that I can do. That's just how I am. I also get a lot more satisfaction from the job if I did vice paying someone to do it. I also enjoy "figgering" it out...it's a hobby in and of itself. As for the mechanic, I believe there are many out there who have reached a point in their lives where they either don't want to fool with it, don't want to waste the time, or don't know how. I doubt the HD shop is going out of business anytime soon.

Like someone said, it's not the mechanic, it's the overpriced HD shop rates.

Mac

 

Well priced two different dealers for my 5000 mile checkup. The dealer I bought the bike was $260. Another dealer a little farther away was $200 or a little less. Who would you take it to? Can't figure out what the difference between the 1000 mile check up for 220 and the 5000 mile check up for 260 is. Does anyone know if they change anything else at the 5000 mile check up?

 

Its not unheard of for a seasoned technician to make $80-100K per year. They are not paid an hourly wage but are paid an hourly flat rate. They are paid by the job, a good tech will flag 15-20 hrs per 8hrs he is at work in a busy shop. That 1000 hr service, they quote you 3hrs to do probably takes him less than an hour. Management is paid on commission so they qoute more hours.

With the growth in the industry shops cant get enough certified techs. The days of a near-do-well,quiting school and becoming a mechanic are long gone with all teh electronics and complicated systems you have to be able to read and comprehend complicated diagnostic proceedures. Typically a shop is lucky to have a master tech that can help the newbies.