Is this too expensive?

[ginguar]

I went to a bike today to see about getting a couple of bolts ground off my bike so that I can replace the exhaust. They are the two at the top end of my exhaust, one is snapped in half and the other is threaded. The bloke quoted me £40 - £60 to grind them off (or whatever it is called) and replace them and also stated that it may be more because he might have to take the engine off. Take into account I am a female on a SR125 without a clue about bikes. Does this quote seem a little excessive to anyone?

[craigs23]

Does sound a bit iffy - wouldn't recommend just grinding the bolt off - I may be wrong, but surely the bolt would need re-threading as well. I doubt it's an engine out job either - how could it be? The top of the exhaust header on an SR is very accessible.

Is he taking advantage of your lack of knowledge with the bike?

[ginguar]

Very probably, he asked me if the exhaust was blowing out and I had to say to him that I didn't have a clue what he was talking about. I think at that point he may have been mentally rubbing his hands together.

[craigs23]

Might be worth getting a bit of advice from here, then getting a second opinion before going back to him. What's wrong with the original exhaust?

[ginguar]

The original exhaust is rusted to hell, bought a nice second hand one off eBay for £25 so I kind of resent having to pay too much to fit it. Will probably go elsewhere and get a quote. Can't see how getting bolts replaced would cost so much.

[biggerjohn]

[ginguar]

Sorry for bumping this thread but just to let you know went to another place to have the bolts done. He told me that I may as well bring the exhaust too so that he could do it all at the same time. The grand total for the work £15 I told him about the quote from the other place and he said they were taking the p***. If any of you live in Swindon PM me and I will tell you the name of the rip off people.

[THCi]

No, name and shame.

Im no where near swindon, but if I should ever have to have work done whilst in swindon I wouldnt want to go to that place!
____________________
Past: GZ 125 K4 Marauder, VL 125 LC Intruder, FZS 600 Fazer. Present: GSF 600 N K3 Bandit, GSX-R 600 X(soon)
"We're not gonna die. We can't die, Bendis. You know why? Because we are so...very...pretty. We are just too pretty for God to let us die."

[ginguar]

Fair enough I suppose they deserve it.
Bike Treads, Kembrey Park.

[VFR400UK]

It's the type of job most people with some expirence would do at home in a few minutes. I think every exhaust i've ever removed had rusted on bolts!
The average mechanic should have taken no longer than half an hour to remove them and fit the new exhaust.

£15 is cheap, anything up to £25 would have been acceptable, anything over is a piss take!

[ginguar]

Should add really the place that did the work in the end was Steve Lynham Motorcycle Repairs, top bloke Pretty pleased with £15, would have done it at home (by this I mean got the other half to do it then pretended I'd done it myself) but the snapped bolt made it difficult. Haven't a clue how to get a bolt off like that and I think maybe I should leave it to the professionals.

[V4]

LOcal shop did the same job on my old nsr125 for £30, that was fairings off, no engine out at all, just got the bolts out somehow and replaced the lot, £30 seemed a bargain.

Leon

[stinkwheel]

Sounds like it was an exhaust header bolt and that one of the studs had sheared.

So yes, if it all goes fine then it is a five minute job. BUT with these things it is always possible that the sheared blot would prove impossible to remove. At a worst case he would have had to drill the stump of the damaged bolt out of the engine (which with a small engine like that you would probably take the whole thing out and get it in the pilar drill) then fit a helicoil reapir kit.

This would have been a fiddly and time consuming job, I spent five hours doing a similar job a few weeks ago.

It is entirely possible that he was just preparing you for the worst-case. You would complain more if someone quoted you £25 then landed up charging over a hundred.

One of my local mechanics has a sign up stating his rates:

Standard rate: £7 per hour
If you are standing looking over my shoulder: £12 per hour
If you have already had a go yourself: £25 per hour
If the first three bolts are seized: Take it somewhere else.
____________________
“Rule one: Always stick around for one more drink. That's when things happen. That's when you find out everything you want to know.”
I did the 2010 Round Britain Rally on my 350 Bullet. 89 landmarks, 3 months, 9,500 miles.

[ginguar]

The £40 - 60 quote he gave me was simply to get the bolts off as he saw them, he suggested that it would be additional if he had to take the engine off as well. The person who charged me £15 for the whole thing was regretful for charging me that much but said that the bolts were hard to get off. Though I would like to give the first bloke the benefit of the doubt I think he just wanted to make lots of money out of me.

[stinkwheel]

The other option was that he didn't want to do the job and quoted you a price that he thought would make you go away. I know that removing sheared head studs is a job I wouldn't be volunteering for.
____________________
“Rule one: Always stick around for one more drink. That's when things happen. That's when you find out everything you want to know.”
I did the 2010 Round Britain Rally on my 350 Bullet. 89 landmarks, 3 months, 9,500 miles.

[ginguar]

Either way he wasn't a nice man. Must remember to smile more and flutter my eye lids when I go to mechanics.

[craigs23]

Does that work? Haven't had much luck when I try that

[ginguar]

[craigs23]

lol, did seem to have an adverse effect, I have to do all my own work now