I feel violated(FZ6 service charge)

[Motogiro]

Has anyone read the actual procedure for checking and adjusting valves on the FZ6?

Sure is a lot different than what it took to do valve adjustment on my old KZ1000.

 

[Fz6Sa]

I bet you that Yamaha builds the entire bike in less that 5 1/2 hours!!!
No way it seems right,- but this does not mean that all dealerships are crooks, - just NEWER use that shop any more, - and spread the word.

 

[wrightme43]

We go by book labor.
My guys get paid by book labor hours.
I sure cant fault a man that beens doing it for 20 years and has 20,000$ in tools for being able to take out a engine is 45 mins when it calls for 7 hours. The only way he gets paid well is to beat the book.
We charge almost 80$ a hour as well.

I have zero problem with them charging book rate. That is the way it works.

My only disagrement is that you were not stated a cost before work began and a lack of discussion that hey sometimes we find things broken that you cant see from the outside, I wont just fix it with out your permission but the estimate could need more parts.

The service writer should never of asked the tech how long it would take. Thats not the way it works.

The shop did not spend a huge amount of money on building a shop, air system, electrical system, massive amounts of supplies, money on lifts, multiple people, insurance, and such for the fun of it.

I do most of my work myself, because I can.

 

[Adamfz6]

Flat rate on valve checking is 3.6 hrs according to my flat rate guide that I use for quoting customers. Sounds like you got taken a little bit, I can get it done in about 2 hrs if no adjustment is needed.

 

[rbesr]

One of my friends runs a cycle parts/repair business out of his home just north of Cincinnati. I use him for everything I can't do or don't have time to do. Yeah, it's a bit out of the way for me (I live just outside Columbus) but I trust him completely with all my bikes. His rates are more than reasonable and his customer service is topnotch.

 

[Less]

Gotta say, I feel pretty comfortable with my dealer after this weekend. I had made an appointment to do the first 600 miles service. When I made the appointment he quoted me "around $130" for an oil / filter change and a general overview of all cables, brakes, chain and to check & tighten all bolts & screws. He figured around 1 1/2hrs @ $72/hr plus parts.

Well Saturday, I watched from outside the service area as they spent about an hour and 20 minutes on the bike. The tech changed the oil & filter, lubed and adjusted the clutch and brake cables. Checked fluid levels on brakes & coolant, adjusted and lubed the chain ( this took him a good 15-20 minutes to get the chain adjusted to his liking) and then went around and checked every bolt and screw for tightness.

Final bill...$105.00 plus tax. One hour labor @ $72 plus $33 parts (3qts oil & filter, I think it was $18 for the filter and $5/qt).

Now I know I can do future oil changes for less than $33 in parts, but I thought overall to have them do this first service this was a very fair price. They came in less than the estimate, they did it on a Saturday and they did it while I waited, so I didn't have to leave the bike and arrange rides there and back.

 

[D-Mac]

Sounds like you were overcharged, but if you don't get a clear quote up front you might be stuck. Given that dealers often want $200 to change the oil, I can see how they'd charge $500+ for a valve check. That said, checking the valves should only cost $200-300 (at least that's what it costs around here - even on bikes that are much harder to access than ours). If they have to shim them, I can certainly see it costing more.

In the future, you could always check them yourself and if they're out of spec you could then decide whether you want to finish the job or take it in. At least you'd know what needed to be done. Also, you should always ask them how much out of spec each valve was and what shims they added. Otherwise it's too easy for them to just do nothing and charge you for it.

 

[SirIsaac]

The only other Yamaha dealer around closed about 2 months ago

Unless they closed in the last couple of weeks, Western Hills Honda/Yamaha on Harrison Avenue on the west side of Cincinnati is still there. I can't completely vouch for their capabilities, as the only work they have done for me is my 600 mile service (which was done fine), but they are another option.