Mystery Motorcycle Malady Took 4 Mechanics To Figure It Out | Page 4 | GTAMotorcycle.com

Mystery Motorcycle Malady Took 4 Mechanics To Figure It Out

These guys can, and DO, fix anything
They're some of my heros and I have spent WAY too much time watching them work... but I wouldn't let them change a tire on MY bicycle
Necessity is the mother of invention. It's amazing what develops when labour is cheap and import tarifs are high. Sadly the skills in many of the videos don't point out the long term effects of welding without proper eye protection, making castings from unknown alloys, patching sidewalls of tires on heavy trucks and buses. Then we hear of vehicles tumbling off cliff roads and blind beggars.
 
Well he might be the last of the old school mechanics let in the GTA, because Ted Rosey doesn't count, now he just wants to certify bikes and change tires. I told him this in his face too, so I'm not back-biting him. He refused to work on my gearbox, I told him; "Holy hell Ted, you should just close down this mud hut of yours if you are not going to do real mechanic work". He said to me; "I'm old, you donkey, I'm not a young stud anymore, this is why I just do light stuff now". So I told him: "Buddy if I want to fix a flat tire or get a bike certified I can go to any monkey at any shop to do it for me, at least they have coffee machines and an A/C waiting room, why should I come to you?".

Anyways it's a sad state of affairs here in the GTA when it comes to finding REAL bike mechanics.

It may be even harder to find people that are prepared to pay what a job is worth. Assembly lines are efficient working with only new parts. Disassembling, verifying old parts, cleaning, reassembling and adjusting on a one-off basis is expensive.
 
You have to consider geography in the OPs pricing , labour costs in quite a few Central American countries is 10-15% of what you may pay in Canada . Parts cost what parts cost , but service rates are very cheap .


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A friend crunched the rear of his Ram PU here and my brother did the same in Panama. $2500 here, $500 in Panama. Both looked good afterwards.

Brake job on a S-10 PU labour was $15, probably with the mechanic working under the truck propped up with a 2X4.

A Honduran electrician said in Honduras he'd be making $2.00 an hour. Here $200 / hour. (He's good) Obviously the costs of living are different.
 
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Friends are building a house in Nicaragua , it’s ocean front , pacific side . build cost is about 300k , pool in front , 3bd 3bath, secure 2 car garage. Labour is very reasonable.


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You have to take the motor out, disassemble it, find out and order what parts you need, clean everything, reassemble, reinstall and make run. If your car mechanic buddy can do all that it 3.5 hours I'll eat my shorts. If your car mechanic buddy can do all that with a motorcycle I'll eat HIS shorts. So you only got charged $375 for all that plus parts and tax ? I call complete and utter b.s.
Why would I lie and give this bike shop free advertisement? I got charged $375, don't remember if it was plus tax or straight cash. Mind you this was back in 2013 I think.
 
You have to consider geography in the OPs pricing , labour costs in quite a few Central American countries is 10-15% of what you may pay in Canada . Parts cost what parts cost , but service rates are very cheap .


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This was here in Toronto. At this bike store/mechanic shop that was near Pine Valley Dr and Steeles Ave W.
 
2013 ???? I have stories from back then too. Also have some from 2003 and 1993 and 1983.

You never cease to entertain
 
Why would I lie and give this bike shop free advertisement? I got charged $375, don't remember if it was plus tax or straight cash. Mind you this was back in 2013 I think.
Show us a copy of the work order with the shop's name blanked off and I'll believe you.
 
I bought an F150 for $21,000 in 1983 .

Like that means anything


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Wow! In '86 I drove a brand new Ford ranger off the lot for under 8K.
 
The jumps over time lines are crazy , my Grandparents 100acre farm on the escarpment in Campbellville was 3,600.00 in 1946 , my mom built a custom home on a 5 acre parcel at front of farm for 17k in 1969. My first house was 112,000. And I just spent 1m and I was downsizing from too big a lot.
The leaps and bounds are crazy.


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I actually have a copy of this exact book.... 1950s.

Your dream home; how to build it for less than $3500​


I was contemplating a 100 sq ft shed at my old house and materials alone were going to cost me a lot more than that. Hell, materials for the deck were $50/sq ft and I used pressure treated.
 

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