Valve check !

[poldark 1,530]

46 minutes ago, Chris750 said:

I just got a quote for valve clearances check on NC750X  DCT 17 model year from Norton way Honda Letchworth.

 

£167.86.

 

2.5 hours labour @£55.95 ph.

 

Would this by default have to include new coolant because of rad removal for access, as I'd be thinking it'd make sense to have it done together?

[ChrisCB 6,675]

20 minutes ago, poldark said:

 

Would this by default have to include new coolant because of rad removal for access, as I'd be thinking it'd make sense to have it done together?

I'd imagine the extra would be consumables such as coolant but I didn't ask for the quote to be broken down further.

[Xactly 5,446]

I don’t know what a dealer would do. The procedure for setting the valve clearances only requires the radiator to be drained, not the whole cooling system. I chose to do both when I did mine because I wanted to replace the coolant with 5 year OAT stuff anyway. 
I did mine as part of the first service. I wanted to check the valve clearances and reset them to exactly half way through the range, so that when I next do them at the scheduled mileage I’ll know what if any changes have occurred. I’m not advocating this: what an owner does with his or her own bike is up to them. 
As for charges there’s no point moaning to Honda: but f you think it’s too much go elsewhere. A good independent is best IMHO as they have a personal reputation to uphold, not the dealer’s one. Fortunately I have a fairly local one for things I don’t want to do myself (not much).

[gonzo 2,211]

Update on this now ! I had an mot last year by an independent, they seemed very knowledgeable about the nc, they just gave me a quote for £166 inc vat ! 3 hrs work apparently ! So it’s booked in now ! 👍

[gonzo 2,211]

Just spoke to blades in Swindon and asked what there hourly costs are for servicing !  £120 + vat ! 👀

[Trev 18,785]

1 hour ago, gonzo said:

Just spoke to blades in Swindon and asked what there hourly costs are for servicing !  £120 + vat ! 👀

 

Blimey, perhaps they're double quick 

 

My mate owns an independent car servicing and repair shop and has just put his rate up to £55 and thinks it may need to go up another fiver soon due to all his increased costs, hopefully after he's finished MOT and servicing my van today 

[listener 11,243]

4 hours ago, gonzo said:

Just spoke to blades in Swindon and asked what there hourly costs are for servicing !  £120 + vat ! 👀

 

Bloody hell ... their grease monkeys must all be ex-NASA or something!

Solid gold spanners? Rocking horse sh*t for lube? Parts made from unobtainium?

[Grumpy old man 4,682]

On 29/03/2022 at 12:57, poldark said:

 

Would this by default have to include new coolant because of rad removal for access, as I'd be thinking it'd make sense to have it done together?

According yo the 2016 workshop manual to gain access to the valves you don't need to drain the coolant just release the rad and drop it forward 🤔. I couldn't manage to do the job like that but perhaps Honda mechanics can.

[MatBin 5,100]

2 hours ago, listener said:

 

Bloody hell ... their grease monkeys must all be ex-NASA or something!

Solid gold spanners? Rocking horse sh*t for lube? Parts made from unobtainium?

I doubt the mechanics get anything like that sort of money.

When I rode an air head BMW, years ago, the 'dealer principle' or chief fleecer as I preferred to call him, drove a soft top 1 year old Aston Martin. Soon as as I saw that I stopped riding BMW's.

Everyone's entitled to earn a decent living, maybe he lived in a caravan, but on the face of it I wasn't happy paying him to drive something I couldn't afford and I was earning pretty good money at the time.

Edited March 30, 2022 by MatBin

[Slowboy 20,545]

5 hours ago, Grumpy old man said:

According yo the 2016 workshop manual to gain access to the valves you don't need to drain the coolant just release the rad and drop it forward 🤔. I couldn't manage to do the job like that but perhaps Honda mechanics can.

Me neither, it was so much easier to drop the rad and refill with coolant after.😁

[davebike 943]

As a mechanic and independat trader I can tell you a lot often most of the Labor charge goes to premises,insurence, tools and equipment

To be half caperable and equiped cost money  in my 40odd years in buissness I i staggered what I spent just to be in buissness as a mechanic

 

 

[Xactly 5,446]

12 hours ago, slowboy said:

Me neither, it was so much easier to drop the rad and refill with coolant after.😁

Yes, I was aware that it’s possible to do the job without draining the rad but it’s much easier to access the valve adjusters without the rad in place. Apart from that I don’t do mine in the peak riding season and I have another bike to ride anyway, so I can do it at my leisure. That said, I’m afraid I’m going to have to start charging myself more to pay for the increased cost of my overheads (coffee, biscuits and chocolate). Currently my rate is £0 per hour, but it’s going up 10% next month. I’ll just have to suck it up I suppose…