motorcycle repair..

[Rogmok]

so a couple months ago, I was riding my friends '85 CBR. I dropped it while making a turn going maybe like 10 mphs. The bike slid out from under me, and slid maybe like 10 feet.

He just gave me a call and asked me to pay to have it repaired.

I don't really have a problem w/ fixing it, since i dropped it. But he's saying the its going to cost $1800. The estimate is extremely outragous to me, especially for such an old bike.

I'm guessing there some damage on the fairing, and maybe a bent handlebar and a new mirror. Is $1,800 too much? I was thinking $600 tops...

[kpih]

Dropping a bike is very very expensive. Other parts could be replaced, and the paint and body on the fairing is probably the most labor intensive part. Besides, finding original parts for an 85' might escalate the cost. Ask for receipts...

[Rogmok]

so $1800 sounds reasonable to you?

i dunno, the fairing is 10 years old.. doesn't seem right that i'm paying for his 10 year old bike to get brand new parts that he would've had to replace soon anyway

[kpih]

I cannot really say since I did not see the damage. However, any repair is estimated on the basis of "restoration". You might want to bring the bike to another body shop to get a second estimate...

[mrazntre]

so $1800 sounds reasonable to you?

i dunno, the fairing is 10 years old.. doesn't seem right that i'm paying for his 10 year old bike to get brand new parts that he would've had to replace soon anyway

most bikes that are dropped, even at low speed, are salvaged.

1800 sounds unreasonable to me, but then you have to remember that you dropped it, (which sux) but ultimately the burden is placed on your shoulders.

My friend just purchased a dropped 04 CBR RR for about $4,000 and had the damage fixed for $300. He got lucky in that the bike rode straight and true. He got a deal on the repairs because the guy that was doing it was slacking on it big time: replaced the brake cable, throttle cable, realigned the forks and that's it I think. A new Honda fairing will cost about $1,000. Granted, this is only for the bike to ride normal. The fairing is still a mess and there's a dent in the frame (which caused the salvage).

Had he paid for the new fairing and actual repair cost, he would've been at about $1500-$2000.

btw: the handlebars + trees are really important so if those are fucked up and they need major work to make the bike ride straight, then it might cost that much.

I'm not really a motorcycle guy so I'm not too concrete on my assessment, but I think that the $1800 repair bill is plausible. If that was the case, I'd just buy him another 85 CBR for that much and keep his damaged one (fix it up and stuff and ride it).

good luck

[Chu Chi]

Sorry Rogmok, but I think you should pay up.

Most shops around here won't work on bikes over 15 years old. I know cause I have an 85 Virago and the mechanics complain that on older bikes, parts brake in the process of fixing other parts.

Good cycle mechanics are not cheap, Make arrangements to pay your friend so your friendship is strengthened.

CC

[kimpossible]

Sorry Rogmok, but I think you should pay up.

Most shops around here won't work on bikes over 15 years old. I know cause I have an 85 Virago and the mechanics complain that on older bikes, parts brake in the process of fixing other parts.

Good cycle mechanics are not cheap, Make arrangements to pay your friend so your friendship is strengthened.

CC

For clarification, Rogmok isn't trying to dodge paying for repairs. He's asking if the one estimate he's received so far is reasonable. But from what you're saying, in your experience having an older bike repaired it's reasonable to expect to pay a bit more.

[Chu Chi]

Oh, ok,

His friend should get more than one estimate. I suggest his friend get three estimates and use the one in the middle.

Being forced to do my own repairs because of the age of my bike, I have a good understanding of the difficulty, therefore I tend to think the estimate may be reasonable.

But get 2 more just incase.

CC