Overcharged on repair?

I have a kz750 ltd 1981 with 4k original miles. It has been garage kept and covered for 15yrs and not ridden for the past 5yrs.

I brought it to my mechanic going on just over 2 months ago. Here is a list of what is and has been fixed. My concern is how much this is going to cost and also he keeps adding weeks and months on to the build. There are two mechanics in this small shop.

List of work and parts
new ignition
tanks cleaned out
new spacer for front wheel
rewiring
full carb cleaning
new jets?
new gas lines
new enginge gaskets

I was originaly quoted around 600

Any advice on what i should be paying and why I am going on three months.

Also in regards to asking when it should be finished they have told me on two seperate occasions the list of parts they need to order, yet it has been 3 weeks in between both calls and the parts have not been ordered.

Thanks In advance

Unless those two mechanics are experienced with older motorcycles, they are probably in way over their heads...which might account for their apparent 'foot draggin' on ordering parts. Many of those parts will come from a very few distributors. Additionally, unless you left a hefty deposit, those required parts' costs will be coming from their pockets, not yours. Not to defend motorcycle shops in general, but there are numerous examples of clients dropping off bikes with accompanying hand-waving stating 'make me run' and then abandoning the bikes at the shops because of high cost overruns. If the shop uses Kawasaki flat rate manuals, then labor costs can be very high. I wouldn't even hazard a guess on what a cost estimate might be.

Most of us who frequent KZRider do our own wrenching...it is quicker (not necessarily cheaper, though...if you figure in the cost of tools, equipment, etc.) and we all know the mechanic.

Get your bike back and quit fooling with those douchebags.

The price is OK at best, and a bit high for someone who actually has experience with getting parts for these old bikes.

3 Months+ is flat out bullshit dude - I would have the parts and labor done in 15 days and thats with shitty delivery times and an already tight garage. (I do lots of old bike work).

Grab a service manual - start a new tool collection. The manual will tell you everything you need to know and do, and what tools to get.

Best of luck my friend!

well first off is the bike running? if so then are you just upgrading the ignition?
why do you need a new spacer for the wheel, cant say I have ever seen one go bad.
gaskets, I am guessing they are going to adj the valves or is there some oil leaks that need to be fixed.
Most places wont touch the older bikes and if they do they want money up front they have been burned before, figure out what it needs and the owner decides its not worth it.
bottom line, if your happy with the work they are goingto do and the price then go for it

Kewr515 wrote: List of work and parts
new ignition
tanks cleaned out
new spacer for front wheel
rewiring
full carb cleaning
new jets?
new gas lines
new enginge gaskets

I was originaly quoted around 600

Any advice on what i should be paying and why I am going on three months.

Not sure why they'd need to replace the ignition- points don't go bad from sitting. They'll need to be wiped down and adjusted, but probably not replaced. Cleaning out the gas tank is legit, but a front wheel spacer is not- no clue on that one. They shouldn't have to rejet the carbs, but a thorough cleaning is in order- always good to replace the fuel lines too, especially after sitting. The engine gaskets are probably the paper ones that wick oil so they look like they're leaking.

Kewr515 wrote: I have a kz750 ltd 1981 with 4k original miles. It has been garage kept and covered for 15yrs and not ridden for the past 5yrs.

I brought it to my mechanic going on just over 2 months ago. Here is a list of what is and has been fixed. My concern is how much this is going to cost and also he keeps adding weeks and months on to the build. There are two mechanics in this small shop.

List of work and parts
new ignition
tanks cleaned out
new spacer for front wheel
rewiring
full carb cleaning
new jets?
new gas lines
new enginge gaskets

I was originaly quoted around 600

Any advice on what i should be paying and why I am going on three months.

Also in regards to asking when it should be finished they have told me on two seperate occasions the list of parts they need to order, yet it has been 3 weeks in between both calls and the parts have not been ordered.

Thanks In advance

The only things I agree wit is the carb cleaning, tank cleaning, and fuel lines, Jets maybe everything else is BS. and way overcharged. If you fill out your profile, so we know where you are, you might have a member close by that can help you. The carburetor cleaning will be the most expensive part of this project.

Well they may have bought carb rebuild kits, so they can replace the float needle and seat. This I highly recommend on these bikes, the kits also would give new mixture screws. those old ones could be Buggered, the slot all F'd up. Plus the o-rings, gaskets, and yes jets would be new.
Gasket replacement? Which gaskets? f its the valve cover, then they should be checking the valve clearance. I didn't see where you said "Compression Test", that is always the Starting point. No since Flogging a Dead Horse. Lots of money and time can be spent, then WTF low compression? Crap!!:ohmy:

I agree about the carb rebuild kits, but they should not be charging you for the jets than because they come in the kits. Matter of fact, most kits come with two jet sizes so they would have jets left over which you paid for. If this is a 750/4 than the carbs are Keihins and the kits are very cheap because there is almost nothing in them.

You're joking, right? If not, the mechanic if F'ing you over and over. $600 would be a fair price to do all the stuff on the list, but it's never a bargain to pay for stuff that's not needed or that the mechanic doesn't touch but says he replaced. Look at that parts list and tell me why with only 4,000 miles you would need to replace ignition (you said the bike ran when it was stored); new spacer for front wheel (wow, that takes balls, those things are tougher than the hinges on the gates of hell and they are not subject to any wear at all!); rewiring (another ballsy lie; was the bike's wiring attacked by rats; if not, how did wiring go bad just from sitting in a garage for 5 years?) ; new jets (did those brass jets magically vaporize from sitting for 5 years?); or new engine gaskets (which gaskets? Is this idiot going to completely disassemble your engine at 4,000 miles and install new base, head, etc. gaskets when yours are perfectly fine?). With the exception of a few minor gaskets none of that stuff has been replaced on my bike with over 50,000 miles. GET YOUR BIKE BACK NOW and find an HONEST mechanic who isn't trying to F you because of your lack of motorcycle knowledge or better yet, learn how to do the basic stuff yourself. I suggest that none of that stuff needs to be replaced unless the mechanic can show you how it was damaged before he got his grubby little hands on it! He probably hasn't ordered the parts because he's trying to dream up more ways to screw you. I've heard of some untrustworthy mechanics, but this guy is off the charts! If the bike ran 5 years ago it will run today without any of those parts being replaced. I would think much better of the mechanic if he said you needed tires, brake fluid and fork oil replaced, oil & filter change, new battery, or other regular maintenance items, but it sounds like he skipped all the stuff that actually does need attention. Saying the bike needs a new front wheel spacer or new wiring really tells me he is full of crap. Do yourself and your wallet a huge favor: buy a manual, clean your tank and carbs, change the oil and fluids, put in a new battery, check the condition of the tires and replace if needed, and go for a ride. If you run into questions, ask them on this forum; folks here are happy to help. Ed

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Sounds like they are falling back on the old "shotgun" method used by clueless mechanics everywhere to work on everything that might be causing a problem since they are too stupid to actually figure out what it needs. Then you pay for all the unnecessary work.

Classic reason I would never go to a dealer and would want a detailed and specific estimate before I pay anything.

bountyhunter wrote: Sounds like they are falling back on the old "shotgun" method used by clueless mechanics everywhere to work on everything that might be causing a problem since they are too stupid to actually figure out what it needs. Then you pay for all the unnecessary work.

Classic reason I would never go to a dealer and would want a detailed and specific estimate before I pay anything.

Exactly! The fact that they did not address the stuff that should be done for a bike that's been sitting for 5 years, i.e. tires, fluids, filters, battery, etc., makes me wonder how much unnecessary stuff they would charge him for before telling him about the necessary stuff. Or maybe they really don't have a clue about putting a bike back on the road. In any case I would get my bike out of there before they totally destroyed it and charged me for their stupidity. Ed