Motorcyle workshop rates

[Rookie#1]

Interesting those big gaps . There are people picking fruit for $18  and my IT guy wants $300 per hour tweaking the website from his city office . Something is not right anymore .

And he's probably sitting in his loungeroom, one hand clicking the buttons for your $300 and stroking the old fella with the other!! This indeed is a scale well out of balance with reality....

[TT5 Matt]

if the IT guy is on 300 per hour he could have a hot call girl doing the stroking for him or better whilst hes tweaking Walters web site and proberly workout a way of claiming her "services" on his tax return! yeah those guys and lawyers sure know how to rip your ears off when you need them

[Ted]

if the IT guy is on 300 per hour he could have a hot call girl doing the stroking for him or better whilst hes tweaking Walters web site and proberly workout a way of claiming her "services" on his tax return! yeah those guys and lawyers sure know how to rip your ears off when you need them

Speaking of claiming hookers, how did that knob Craig Thompson get on. Is he in jail yet?

[Ted]

Just found it. He gets 12 months with 9 months suspended. Appeals the 3 months and is on bail awaiting appeal. He'll get off. Arsehole.

[TT5 Matt]

well that's coz those good old boys piss in the same pot



Walter 

[Slakewell]

Having been on both sides of the workshop anything around $100 per hour is reasonable.

[80-85 husky]

lets see you do that with a gsx 1100

[crs-and-rms]

we charge 105 per hour, in most bike shops the workshop is the money making part of the shop. floorplan takes most of the money that you would make when selling new bikes, some times we lose money selling them   , buying things on line has realy hurt bike shops parts , clothes ect are so much cheaper in the usa than here  so that part of the shops income is down as well , how to make one millon dollars in bike shops ? start with two millon

[80-85 husky]

apologies I was trying to indicate the latest greatest roadbikes being either r1's, gsxr ducati's etc. they are pretty complex and I can see $$ required to train up mr mcHanics to deal with them.

as Big K says its the oncosts that kill you.....

[William Doe]

My shop is at $88 an hour, which after overheads & the costs of just "being in business" leaves an average living. First & foremost, I'm damn good at what I do and have no qualms charging accordingly. Sounds high to the guy off the street, but the cost of government compliance is the killer for anyone in small business. It seems you need a license or permit just to have a piss in your own dunny these days. And then we're unpaid tax collectors (god help anyone who get's that wrong) & the keepers of the general community. Don't forget that shop owner is paying someone's, super annuation, holidays, sick leave & whatever else. Chuck in the stress of being "politically correct" & under scrutiny all the time or else! You only have to look at an employee the wrong way & you can be in for a torrid ride with the authority's. You can 'fix" engine in your back yard & if it forks up, you get to tell your "client to go jump. If I fix an engine & it forks up  & don't do the right thing I get do deal with legal aid, lawyers & all sorts of ombudsmen. I think anyone who wants some work done should be thankful that they can find a legitimate shop to do it.
Apparently the guy hanging on to the traffic stick where there are road works is on about $40 an hour or so with no overheads or compliance payment, or ramifications for anything. Maybe I should do that.
K

Living the Australian dream 

[pancho]

yep TT - over in this part of the world - Laos - I am amazed how "happy" the guys are with so little - different attitude to western one.

  Refer Mazlo, "Hierachy of needs".

 Shelter, food, sex,  When its a major battle to get these, nothing else is desired.

[pancho]

 The last time I was involved in the ratrace, overheads for tradesmen was 120% then there's  provisional tax, then there's this fee, that fee then some bloody thing else and f all left!
pancho.

[smed]

buying things on line has realy hurt bike shops

Yep, It is a double edged sword that one,we can source rare parts from anywhere in the world now with just the click of a button,in times gone by it was high priced phone calls in the middle of the night,the language barrier,messy bank transfers etc,I try to buy my bread & butter parts from my local shops & only go out of town when they cannot supply what I need,I don't think the average consumer understands this though ,they will get it when the local is not there any more
It's started allready,I recently tried to buy muffler packing wool & 5wt fork oil, I consider them to be basic consumables, both shops in town had neither in stock,I'm not blaming the shops,they are both doing it tough & probably not selling many accessory's so why would they bother
The bike industry is a pretty tough gig,so please support your local if you can    

[David Lahey]

I like to buy locally and we are lucky to have a couple of good bike shops here that sell some of the things that owners of old bikes want.
Yesterday when I wanted a new front sprocket for my TY250, I got a JT sprocket over the counter for $10 which was list price. I challenge any retail customer to get one of those into their hot little hand for less $$ than that

[Tim754]

A mate is touring India (why???) about ten weeks ago* had the the complete top end (ie barrel. piston rings gaskets,and head and valves etc.. Tata brand knock offs) replaced on the Honda horror Hero he's riding . Also had a new rear tyre and front brake master cylinder fitted. The work was done in a not so classy area of Mumbai. Total Cost approx converted to AUD $84.50.... But because he offered to pay with US or Aussie dollars instead of Rupee. $75....  yep that's new parts and the labour.  We got no hope.

* Last contact two days ago the Honda Hero pus box had not missed a beat since, even on the sub continents shit fuel.

 Oh and the owner of the bike shop let him sleep and eat in a back room of the workshop/shanty till the work was completed for nothing.