GL1000

He wants:

Rake adjusted to add 3" to the wheelbase
Powdercoat frame and some misc. parts

Considering what's all involved in doing those two things (like completely stripping the bike and having the new welds on the neck inspected), I'm charging 35 hours of labor plus cost of various parts (some gaskets and all new bolts on reassembly) and the cost of powdercoating.  Comes to $1,225 in labor.

Sound fair?

Rake a GL1000 3 more degrees, yes it already handles like a 3 wheeled semi truck. Adding 3 degree to rake is just about the same as replacing one of the 3 wheels with a bicycle wheel.
BTW on some bikes its very easy, like on my savage I could have added rake with 10 mins welding.
Others - may be very hard, like a GS could be hard, however my virago would be easy as well. The 1 piece ones are easy, no down tubes, no spine type thing welded to it etc ... though savage has both.
Cool.
Buddha.

I've thoroughly informed him of the results.  Not 3*, though...just enough to add 3" to the wheel base.  We're looking at 1~1.5* tops.  It's not going to take a whole lot of time to rake the bike, but it's going to have to be inspected (I have a third party inspect any structural alteration to a customer's bike) which cost money, thus a little charge to compensate.

I have strong objections to choppers and that's what I assumed he wanted to start with...I'm a capitolist sort though so I would have built it...but I made sure he knew my objections.

Most of the charge is to cover the vast amount of time one spends tearing a Goldwing down and then reassembling it correctly...these bikes are mind boggling.

yeah they are. try finding a mystery electrical problem on one lol, youll learn/use more curse words than at any other time in your life

especially between the 7v and 12v shaZam!.  I like Hondas, but it's that kind of crap that keeps me from loving them.

lol indeed. i still  want one though. or that cx i saw in CL around here

The CX is, BY FAR, a better buy when it comes to working on the bike.  It's as fast as the GL up until about 90mph...the GL only keeps going because it has longer gears.  I hated the gears on my CX.

Both engines will have to come out to replace stators...and you'll have to replace the stator...it's a 1~2 hour job with the CX and you could kill a weekend, easy, the GL.  Plus no timing belts to break.  Blown headgasket?  15 minutes and you're good.  The CX was meant to be work-on friendly and the GL is just a monster.  If you travel, my CX is still for sale in El Paso haha.

http://knoxville.craigslist.org/bar/998759951.html

meh...not for $650.  $500, maybe...pushing then...would have to have clear title and run like a top.  The charging problem is likely the stator...new cost like $400, rebuilt/electrosport is around half.  I converted mine to a GL500 so it was transistorized...stators didn't last any longer but were less than half the price.  Good stators and they're excellent runners.

i figured as much lol ive got my 97 gs back so ill ride it

Quote from: makenzie71 on January 19, 2009, 01:16:12 PM
GL1000

He wants:

Rake adjusted to add 3" to the wheelbase
Powdercoat frame and some misc. parts

Considering what's all involved in doing those two things (like completely stripping the bike and having the new welds on the neck inspected), I'm charging 35 hours of labor plus cost of various parts (some gaskets and all new bolts on reassembly) and the cost of powdercoating.  Comes to $1,225 in labor.

Sound fair?

provided the customer pays the bill, he is always right. take another 10-20% for the annoyance fee.

Mak dude - If the customer is being difficult, you can "quon" him. 

Lets see who can put that word in context. 24 hours and I'll post when/where/why/ by whom it was said. 

Cool.
Buddha.

Nah he's not...he didn't seem phased at all when I originally quoted him the 25hrs for raking the frame (this was before I knew about powdercoating and having to fully break the bike and such).  Plus, to get the work done, he won't find anyone around here who can do it for less (much less someone willing to do the kind of footwork I have to).

Quote from: The Buddha on January 20, 2009, 05:20:24 PM
Mak dude - If the customer is being difficult, you can "quon" him. 

You're on cowboy! --Assman

Paulcet - I think you prolly got it. But post more details. I'd also like the historic context.
Cool.
Buddha.

The seinfeld reference is...bleh...seinfeld, no matter what anyone says, is rubbish.  A quon, though, is a basic unit of quantumstuff.

Yea its seinfeld. But any more details ?
OK it was in the very first episode of seinfeld. Kramer makes up a work in scrabble "quon" and then doesn't find it in the dictionary and then claims its a medical term, you need a medical dictionary. "when a patient is being difficult they quon him".
Its also the episode with a different guy as sienfeld's father. Mom is the same though and there is no elaine. She shows up opening shot in episode 2.
Cool.
Buddha.

I think I've see a TOTAL of 3 episodes of Seinfeld.  Kramer is the best character, by any measure IMO.

I never liked Seinfield

But, I'm not a sitcom person.

Mary