EDIT: ITS WORSE!!! Major problem- need advice- WARNING: LONG

[Alex]

This is not the first story I've heard about a guy having a pseudo-friend, pseudo-amatuer do work and it turning out badly. (by the look of his "shop," it's basically like the garage on a house?)

Amatuers always underestimate how hard things will be, and then you get into a situation where you have to either pay a lot more, or convince them to do double the work for the same price.

I think the moral here is that you should do your work yourself, or just step up and pay the real pros (the ones with a labor rate at more like $100 an hour, and who don't use rattle cans for paint...).


Also, +1 to the earlier comment about how a bike perpetually parked outside is destined to be knocked over. I know! Be happy if this happens less than once per season.

[paradisecity]

My bike was out all season and never got tipped.

It helps to have a driveway that isnt wide open on the road

[junior varsity]

one season? give it time...

[5891jonathan]

This is going to hurt your wallet no matter what you do.  The shop has a bunch of your money and your bike parts and your bike , while you have . . . an "argument" that you shouldn't have to pay what the shop demands.  It difficult to follow your argument, though.  Did the shop do more work than you ordered?  Did the shop grossly exceed the estimate and fail to notify you?  Did the shop pad the number of hours that it worked on the bike?   Whatever it is, the argument needs to be clear.  And, of course, it's worthless if it doesn't work to your advantage legally.

If I were you, I would consult a lawyer to get a gut-check on my legal position - just so I knew where I stood with the shop and the problem of getting my bike back!    

[Pancake81]

Holly sh!t Balls!!! I just read this whole thread and I have to say it is the worst I have heard of in a long time. I mean we all get raped when we go to shops to get some work done, but this is outrageous. You need to make sure you get you bike back man. I would be worried this boy leaves the closed sign up while he works on other people bikes just so he doesnt have to see you. I mean if he doesnt have a ligitimate business licence he could take your bike and say he has never seen you before. Especially if you havnt been paying with a credit card. He just taking the cash and laughing.

From what I have heard of this guy he sounds like a greasy, un-trustworthy loser with a coked out GF. Maybe not but thats the image I get. Remember its always the nicer of the two thats the real asshole behind it all.

Reminds me of a time I got a dirtbike rebuilt in a quasi-legit shop because I didnt have time to do it myself. Buddy took forever, did a hack job and raped me. The bike blew up not 10 hours later (ride time not actual time). And I have since spoke to people that have had similar work donr by that loser. Unfortunatly it is owned by the "bikers", so its likely for money laundering and isnt going down anytime soon.

Just me, but I would get my bike out of there. Bring another mechanic, get a quote, get it in writing, let the new legite Co. truck the bike to their shop and get working. You will likely hear that the work he has done is not to a satisfactory standard, and this will help you win a court case. If you just get him to knock the price down, pay it and ride off the problem is all yours now. You will ikely have problems down the road and this duesch bag will have a comment like, "we dont warranty CUSTOM work". Then your screwed with a bike that looks like ass (paint flaking... ALREADY) and is probably unsafe.

TELL HIM TO STOP WORKING
GET A QUOTE FROM A TRUSTWORTHY SHOP
GET THE BIKE OUT OF THIER
CHECK TO SEE IF HE HAS A BUSINESS LICENCE
TALK TO A LAYWER (AFTER MENTIONED STEPS ABOVE HAVE BEEN DONE); If you talk to the lawyer first he will just get the job done and you out if his hair. Then your stuck with his shitty craftsman ship forever.

Best of luck man. I really feel your pain on this one. You got some of the best parts out there to work with. Just give them to the right people to get them on.

PS. I love BigTime's post. But have you looked at his signature 

[jclin]

I'm usually the last one to use "I told you so", but man, I saw this coming clearer than I saw a long protracted war in Iraq (called that one from the beginning). Listen, getting another mechanic to do an estimate is the only way to go. Before, in this thread, I said bring one in to scare your current mechanic. Now, it's time to bring one in that you tell your current mechanic is "a friend". Get his opinion privately and take it from there. Who knows, maybe the current work is good and just needs a little time. OR maybe you're gonna need a lawyer. Either way, you have to somehow objectively determine what the status of your bike is.

Don't worry about the mistakes you've made in the past (don't take to heart what other people have been saying. Otherwise, you'll just get depressed. Heck, I'm getting depressed reading all these opinions only because I'm afraid they're all right). The only thing that is important is getting out as fast and as cheap as possible.

[bigtime]

Paradiscity,
My "candor" was a little harsh, it's a learning experience.  I'm a prick sometimes. 

You have to cut your loses.  Grab a truck and go down there with check for all of the hardware and 1/4 of the labor and take it out of there.  Tell him that he didn't earn the labor he's quoting and there is no negotations.  Take it to a reputable and have it put together right. 

Once he's done you'll have a lot less negotiating power and you probably have no recourse if he did a crappy job.  I still don't know what you meant by "GSXR swap out" for the suspension, but don't under estimate how dangerous a bike can be when the wrong supsension pieces are forced into places they don't belong.  The fact that the bike is tall on the side stand and leaning is a symptom that the rear could be too high. 

[Travman]

Based on what I've read, you only talked with the mechanic about the costs.  Had you ever talked to the GF about costs?  Sounds like she just made up a number because her boyfriend was having so much trouble putting your bike back together.  It does not take $6000 to put a bike back together.  Based on what you stated,

"Two deposits ago, he said that I had already covered up to where we were, and that this deposit covered the prep and painting.  I said after the deposit I said:  "How many hours are we looking at left here?"  He said 6.  I said let's call it 8.  He said ok, we'll say 8 and come in under and leave you happy."

At the most you owe him $440 (8 hours at $55/hr). 

He hasn't been honest with his girlfriend and that is not your fault.  He may not have even told her about the $2,400 you have paid so far.  He may try to deny what he has told you if his girlfriend is in the room.  I would first see if he agrees with what you remember.  If he does, then give him $440, roll your bike into a van, pick up your parts and leave. 

Bring a couple of friends with you in order to make the job as quick as possible.   

Take it to your local Duc shop to see what they think needs to be done to finish or fix. 

[Popeye the Sailor]

You probably don't want to hear this but for *that* amount of money, you could've;

Bought most of your tools,

Fixed up your bike.

Realized you did it all wrong.

Fix it up again.

Mess up your own paint (What professional uses a rattlecan?)

And have it together and working months ago. Plus you'd still have your tools.

[5891jonathan]

Paradiscity, after you have your bike back I'll buy you a beer    and I'll tell you about a Jeep CJ5 that I bought against my brother's advice.  Oh yeah, he's a mechanic.  It was pretty sad back then and I took a bath!     But it's pretty funny now . . . .   

[aaronb]

You probably don't want to hear this but for *that* amount of money, you could've;

Bought an S4R

most of your tools,

Fixed up your bike.

Realized you did it all wrong.

Fix it up again.

Mess up your own paint (What professional uses a rattlecan?)

And have it together and working months ago. Plus you'd still have your tools.

fixed it for you     

[Alex]

fixed it for you     

Don't ever say that! Every person on this board owns a bike with way too many mods on it. Probably the majority of us could have used the money to buy the next model higher, but we didn't realize it at the time we originally bought the bike. Pointing that out to us now just makes us all look like assholes!

It's hard to even find original parts on my bike. Would I rather have an S4R? YES! Of course! Don't remind me of my stupidity!

[Popeye the Sailor]

Don't ever say that! Every person on this board owns a bike with way too many mods on it. Probably the majority of us could have used the money to buy the next model higher, but we didn't realize it at the time we originally bought the bike. Pointing that out to us now just makes us all look like assholes!

It's hard to even find original parts on my bike. Would I rather have an S4R? YES! Of course! Don't remind me of my stupidity!

I have a stock S4R 

[Kaveh]

The SSSA and the suspension swap seems pretty custom to me, not bolt on by any means....

Custom exhaust, takes time and skill to do it right.

Just sayin'

I hate to play Monday morning QB here, but the stuff i mention above; I would not take my bike to get that done by a guy who charges $55/hr and has to clear his billing with his g/f.

The fact that he charges $55/hr, says to me that there is a big possibility that it actually took the guy 40-50+ hrs to get that done. 

You get what you pay for 

I wish hope that this turns out for the better 

g' luck 

[S4ROB]

Don't ever say that! Every person on this board owns a bike with way too many mods on it. Probably the majority of us could have used the money to buy the next model higher, but we didn't realize it at the time we originally bought the bike. Pointing that out to us now just makes us all look like DMF'ers

It's hard to even find original parts on my bike. Would I rather have an S4R? YES! Of course! Don't remind me of my stupidity!

Fixed It