[AoP23]

FML. Why did all of these have to come due at once? This is going to be like a grand in maintenance this weekend...

Valve adjustment. I've been pushing it. I pretty much baby the bike. Just use it for commuting so I told myself I would get it done at 25k. I know that is pushing it but the bike has been starting fine and hasn't given me any grief at all and I have heard some of them can go that long. Figured I would chance it.

But also, I just realized I have put about 15k miles on the chain and sprockets since I bought the bike with about 10k miles. And I don't even know when the previous owner replaced them last so it could potentially be even more than 15k on them... So I asked the guy at Kawi to look at that as well and he said the chain and front sprocket are toast. Nothing they can do to get more life out of them. He said the rear sprocket looks almost new but I would rather just replace all three so I told him to do all three at the same time. Took this opportunity to go -1 on the front though. Leaving the rear the same since it's just a commuter bike lmao.

Last but not least the rear brakes are almost down to the metal. I never even use the rear brake :O lol. But I've also never had the rear brakes replaced in the last 15k miles either even though the fronts have been done already.

I don't really have any questions... lol. I just wanted to rant about having to drop about $900 I think he said the total would be that I am going to have to work 36 hours of overtime to cover because I don't have that just laying around ugh...

:ranton

 

[riverszzr]

$900 including parts is not too bad of a price really, as long as they do a good job and quality parts

It isn't Lloyd's pricing ($770ish) but it isn't highway robbery either

 

[MotoCT]

I hear that, that's why I work on my own bike as much as possible and I think those three services cost me about $300 in parts (and about 20 hours of labor) lol! You're bike will thank you either way though. hows it going in mesa? I lived in Mesa for a few years after going to ASU

 

[AoP23]

$900 including parts is not too bad of a price really, as long as they do a good job and quality parts

It isn't Lloyd's pricing ($770ish) but it isn't highway robbery either

They just called me back and it is going to be $1067.42 after taxes and everything. The price isn't horrible at all I just don't have a grand sitting around lol. Overtime this/next month is going to suck! Oh, and they are replacing the air filter and checking/filling all the fluids. So my bike is going to love me and feel a lot better when I get it back haha

I hear that, that's why I work on my own bike as much as possible and I think those three services cost me about $300 in parts (and about 20 hours of labor) lol! You're bike will thank you either way though. hows it going in mesa? I lived in Mesa for a few years after going to ASU

Yeah I would have no idea what I am doing. I do all of my own work on my project car and it never even runs right... my bike is my reliable form of transportation... the most I have ever done to it myself is replaced a fuse... lmao. I would rather pay for it to be done right.

 

[RedAndBlack]

Not even I fuck with the valve adjustments but my mechanic hooks me up, only $200 to do the adjustments.

But if you do the brakes and the sprockets yourself, you can easily save yourself like $700.

You don't have any friends that know how to wrench on bikes to help you?

 

[RedAndBlack]

And even if you don't do the labor, at least buy the parts yourself.

 

[zx6ixxer]

Yeah....the valve adjustment alone is your biggest chunk, but chain and sprocket set with installment is not cheap. Why not do the rear brake pad yourself? its pretty straight forward...

Me personally..I have done chain and sprockets, and pads on my own and raced the bike so nothing came apart .........Valve adjustment though...beyond me :dowhat

OP..I can relate and I understand, at least when all said and done you know your bike is up on maintenance and she will be a happy camper all summer....you will have a great summer fling together...money well spent

 

[AoP23]

Not even I fuck with the valve adjustments but my mechanic hooks me up, only $200 to do the adjustments.

But if you do the brakes and the sprockets yourself, you can easily save yourself like $700.

You don't have any friends that know how to wrench on bikes to help you?

Nah, I don't really have any friends that ride. Closest thing to a friend that I would have that knows anything about bikes out here would be Laggy lmao.

I thought about doing some of it myself but I don't have time either. I need the bike to be ready by tomorrow so I can keep using it to commute. And if I fuck something up and have to come on here asking for help who knows when I will have it up and ready again. I'd rather not miss work because I am stuck working on my transportation lol.

My car might get me there but I don't know about the return trip :laugh

 

[AoP23]

Yeah....the valve adjustment alone is your biggest chunk, but chain and sprocket set with installment is not cheap. Why not do the rear brake pad yourself? its pretty straight forward...

Me personally..I have done chain and sprockets, and pads on my own and raced the bike so nothing came apart .........Valve adjustment though...beyond me :dowhat

OP..I can relate and I understand, at least when all said and done you know your bike is up on maintenance and she will be a happy camper all summer....you will have a great summer fling together...money well spent

Yeah the valve adjustment is a little over 600. The chain and sprockets are like 2-300 I think he said.

They aren't even charging me labor for the brakes so no point in doing them myself lol.

 

[RedAndBlack]

Typical stealership prices!!!!!

Consider checking out some yelp reviews for other mechanics. Like I said, my mechanic does my valves for $200! If I paid $600, I'd learn to do the things myself. Haha.

I think he charges me a little extra if they actually need to be adjusted.

 

[max41]

Not even I fuck with the valve adjustments but my mechanic hooks me up, only $200 to do the adjustments.

But if you do the brakes and the sprockets yourself, you can easily save yourself like $700.

You don't have any friends that know how to wrench on bikes to help you?

So R&B, your in my neck of the woods, who do you use for a mechanic? I'm still under warranty service (pre-paid maintenance through 15k) but will need a good mechanic in the next year or so for the things I don't have the equipment for.

Thanks.

 

[AoP23]

Typical stealership prices!!!!!

Consider checking out some yelp reviews for other mechanics. Like I said, my mechanic does my valves for $200! If I paid $600, I'd learn to do the things myself. Haha.

I think he charges me a little extra if they actually need to be adjusted.

Yeah I know it would be cheaper to do things myself but I don't know the first thing about working on bikes besides how to take the fairings off to replace the battery/fuses. lol. I'm sure I would blow the bike up if I tried to do a valve adjustment. Like I said I need the bike to be done by tomorrow as well for work Sunday.

The only other shop that I have heard good things about around here was not much cheaper and a lot farther away. The dealership is like less than 10 minutes from my house lol.

 

[oldninjadude]

You could proly save a bunch $$$$$'s by at least doing the chain & sprockets yourself.
I know you can find the parts online cheaper than at the stealership......

 

[06330i]

I paid $140 at my shop to have my old chain and sprockets removed and replaced with the new kit I supplied. Off the top of my head I think it was a little over $1000 for my 15k mile service which included the valve adjustment, however my dealership offers maintenance plans on new bikes, so I had them roll it into my loan when I bought the bike new. Paid $1,100 for the plan, covers up to 6 of kawasaki's service intervals over a 3 year period. Also you get free transportation to and from the shop (they pick my bike up and drop it off) and a free battery if the one in the bike goes bad.

 

[Steel]

Valve adjustments are pretty easy. The only real hassle I have when I do them myself is that I consistently end up not having the right shims to use. Cycle gear of course doesn't think they're worth carrying, despite that they could have tons under their glass case at the register...

Anyhow, if you want to learn to do them yourself, after you get the bike back just pop off the valve cover and check the clearances using feeler gauges. You don't have to make any adjustments of course, but you'll learn the feel of what is too tight and too loose, so next time you can do it yourself.

 

[AoP23]

I paid $140 at my shop to have my old chain and sprockets removed and replaced with the new kit I supplied. Off the top of my head I think it was a little over $1000 for my 15k mile service which included the valve adjustment, however my dealership offers maintenance plans on new bikes, so I had them roll it into my loan when I bought the bike new. Paid $1,100 for the plan, covers up to 6 of kawasaki's service intervals over a 3 year period. Also you get free transportation to and from the shop (they pick my bike up and drop it off) and a free battery if the one in the bike goes bad.

Yeah this is about what I am getting done for the same price. And they offered to deliver the bike back to my house as well which is awesome! I'm basically doing the 15k mile full service at 25k lol.

Valve adjustments are pretty easy. The only real hassle I have when I do them myself is that I consistently end up not having the right shims to use. Cycle gear of course doesn't think they're worth carrying, despite that they could have tons under their glass case at the register...

Anyhow, if you want to learn to do them yourself, after you get the bike back just pop off the valve cover and check the clearances using feeler gauges. You don't have to make any adjustments of course, but you'll learn the feel of what is too tight and too loose, so next time you can do it yourself.

I just don't have time for that in my 50-60 hour work week... lol. But maybe someday.

 

[MotoCT]

You will be saving yourself a ton of time and some headaches by having them do it and if you don't have a garage or someplace to do these things it's a no brainer to take it in. Plus you commute with it. My bike was in pieces for a few days while I tracked down the correct shims for the valves.
just make sure they're giving you a quality chain and sprocket setup and some decent pads for that price.
oh yeah and it's worth at least $50 not having to get that front sprocket nut off yourself haha

 

[riverszzr]

For some of you saying valve adjustment is so easy....

I have 6 cylinder heads and a few cylinder blocks sitting here from owners just like yourselves who thought....oh fuck that, I am saving myself $400 and doing it myself..... all of these engines were assembled improperly and needed more than $1500 to repair......

How cost effective was that again?

each of them, spent atleast 4 times as much and took atleast 4 times as long........ It is not for everyone, hell even many of those who think it is in their wheelhouse should be staying the fuck away from trying to adjust their own valves amongst other things...

OP--you are doing fine, You know you are better off at your job to pay for the repairs and kudos to you for recognizing that !

And given how many times I read about all these bitchslap threads of the sprocket nut...obviously that isn't as easy as some make it out to be either, plus do you have a grinder? do you have the rivet tool? do you know how to press it together properly?

 

[RedAndBlack]

So R&B, your in my neck of the woods, who do you use for a mechanic? I'm still under warranty service (pre-paid maintenance through 15k) but will need a good mechanic in the next year or so for the things I don't have the equipment for.

Thanks.

J's Speed Shop
Motorcycle Repair Shop
301 W 28th St, National City, CA 91950
(619) 750-2491

Josh is a buddy of mine and very trusted in the Sportbike community here. His prices are cheaper than anybody else I've used and he is insured. I chill with him at the shop sometimes so I see the work he does. Very thorough, uses torque wrenches, doesn't BS his customers.

 

[oldninjadude]

For some of you saying valve adjustment is so easy....

I have 6 cylinder heads and a few cylinder blocks sitting here from owners just like yourselves who thought....oh>> fuck<< that, I am saving myself $400 and doing it myself..... all of these engines were assembled improperly and needed more than $1500 to repair......

How cost effective was that again?

each of them, spent atleast 4 times as much and took atleast 4 times as long........ It is not for everyone, hell even many of those who think it is in their wheelhouse should be staying the >>fuck<< away from trying to adjust their own valves amongst other things...

OP--you are doing fine, You know you are better off at your job to pay for the repairs and kudos to you for recognizing that !

And given how many times I read about all these bitchslap threads of the sprocket nut...obviously that isn't as easy as some make it out to be either, plus do you have a grinder? do you have the rivet tool? do you know how to press it together properly?

:dowhat Rivers, you ok? A whole post & only two cures words??? & none at the OP.
Hmmmm did you find a bottle of valium maybe?:laugh

Not sure I can get used to this new riverszzr:sigh: