18 March 2021

How Much Longer Can We Afford this?

Got a "safety recall" letter last month on the Yamaha Super Tenere... the front brake switch might be faulty, and lots of things could possibly happen if it acts up- brake light not illuminating, cruise control suddenly disengaging... other bad stuff. That bike is now 7 years old with almost 30,000 miles on it, but the repair including parts and labor was free.

When the bike was finished the service manager came to me with forms that needed a signature and showed me a few things that he felt needed attention. Front fork seals are leaking. A cover over the ignition parts is also leaking. And the right saddlebag that needs replacing? A steal at $500 !
My question- "How much to fix the fork seals?"
The hardware- $75.
Three hours labor?- $495.

No thank you. I'm sorry, but that sure seems usury to me.
And I'd feel not QUITE so bad if I knew the mechanic was receiving the vast majority of that charge.
But he/she/they will not.

We'll probably ride the thing until the wheels fall off.

3 comments:

squeeky's mom said...

I live in a small town and recently had to take my car into a garage. Tire leaking and check engine lights were on along with the front bottom of bumper had lost a bolt. Also wanted my front brakes checked. They did it all the same day, replaced bolt, fixed both tires and said brakes were fine, check engine light was just a malfunction for a grand total of $35. This is a busy place with people sitting and waiting for their cars.

Old NFO said...

The tech 'might' get $120 of that charge... Maybe...

Ed Bonderenka said...

The quotes usually include fixing stuff you can live with.
Sometimes I think they are obligated to quote bringing it to new condition.