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

[NAKID]

Yes, but the S2R1000 swingarm (and rear sprocket on this bike) run a 525, so it's cheaper to run a 525 front sprocket and chain then to swap out a nearly perfectly good 525 41T rear sprocket so that's what the tech did.

Oh, didn't see that. Makes sense, kinda...

[Desmo Demon]

I learned in my late 20s that you really shouldn't modify things. The thing that typically happens is you lose your butt on the cost, often DECREASE resale value, and end up regretting the mods later. I learned this when I sank thousands and thousands of dollars into a 383 stroker motor with aluminum heads and stuffed it into a 1/2-ton pickup (that would smoke the cr@p out of snot-nosed kids in their 5.0 Mustangs...back in the day). All I do to my bikes is maybe add slip-ons and add a couple of small dollar parts like footpegs or a windshield. I'd rather use the money that would go into mods for tires and gas. I can get a LOT of riding out of the money that I would use for new, fancy rims.

But everyone has to learn their own way, in their own time. You ever notice that there aren't many people in their 40s modifying their vehicles? It's with good reason.......they already learned their lessons.

I'm sorry to hear about your hardships with this. It is one of many stories and experiences that led me to doing all of my own work.

I recently took a non-running, $900, 1987 Ducati Paso 750 and got it back on the road.......it took two years and about $1500 on top of the original cost, but if you saw all the things I had to do to it, I bet I'd have had well over $6000 in a bike worth $2500 by the time it was all said and done if I had someone else do the work for me...

http://www.desmodemon.com/vicks_paso.html

[junior varsity]

I somewhat agree with that ideology, but I think it differs regarding what you are talking about. Modify my daily-driver 4-door Tahoe? Nothing more than tinting the windows...maybe (I haven't even done that and have had the beast for a few years). 

But the bike is a hobby, something to tinker with. Dollars spent on suspension and brakes are well worth it. Engine go-fast parts? Asking for reliability problems most of the time.

Fancy blinkers/Mirrors/etc? If you've got the extra jingle, why not?

And for guys in their 40's, how old do you think most guys are that throw money and chrome at their Harley's? The guys who can afford it, that's who. (And they are 40+).

[Desmo Demon]

But the bike is a hobby, something to tinker with. Dollars spent on suspension and brakes are well worth it. Engine go-fast parts? Asking for reliability problems most of the time.

Yes, some are 'worth it", depending on what the application, but....solely going on resale value, MOST people don't care about those things. Unless a person is specifically looking for those mods, they add no value. For a lot of people (like me), if you've ever had an engine cracked open, I walk right past it. I don't trust the work of anyone. I've seen too many people who "thought" they knew which end of a screwdriver to hold have an dngine/tranny completely destroyed in a matter of a few miles.

Fancy blinkers/Mirrors/etc? If you've got the extra jingle, why not?

On bikes with full-fairing, especially the expensive Ducati plastics, most people do not want holes drilled into them to slap tacky flush-mount turn signals on that everyone and their brother has.......often, these types of mods add no value to the bike for resale, so you may as well throw your money in the trash......with those factory parts you chunked in there.

And for guys in their 40's, how old do you think most guys are that throw money and chrome at their Harley's? The guys who can afford it, that's who. (And they are 40+).

The Harley crowd, or cruisers in general, is a weird one. For folks who claim "individuality", they all seem to fall into the same mold fairly well. No matter what they do to their bikes, though, I guarantee that they are losing money....and LOTS of it. Personally, for the $4000+ in mods I did to my HD when I was in my 20s, at no given time did any of those mods increase the value of my bike by more than 10% of my investment. These older Harley guys are just stuck with a little kid mentality, going with the flow of peer pressure......"if so-and-so stuck a 120-inch engine in his bike, I will too....I wanna be cool like him."

I don't think those guys with 2000 miles on a ten year old bike are the ones to be admiring for their bikes. They just don't "get it". They are the type that have no real idea of what owning a bike is really about. They'd rather go to parking-lot to parking-lot or bar-to-bar and see who they can impress. They are just looking to have their egos stroked by other adolescent-minded, bar-hopping buddies.

Personally, instead of hanging out with those guys with the $3000 paint-jobs and more chrome than a single can of wax can coat, I like the guys with bikes that look like this....



Low mileage bikes have never impressed me.....nor the guys I hang out with.

[junior varsity]

I suppose a personal experience is the counter example of that for me. My pops has the lazyboy-recliner HD, and has modified it. Not with appearance mods, but with functionality mods, much like I have done with my Monster.

I put clipons on because I wanted a more aggressive riding position.

He put a seat extender on for the passenger on his because my mom's had knee surgery and couldn't been one in as much as before.

His engine shroud for heat was because he commutes on his regularly in hot weather, and was tired of arriving to work with a red ass/legs. I asked "why not get a commuter-friendly bike?"  and his response was simple "because this is my bike, and i'm going to use it for everything.

touche.

[Desmo Demon]

I suppose a personal experience is the counter example of that for me. My pops has the lazyboy-recliner HD, .....

But going back to the point of my original post........Generally, modifications add no (resale) value to the vehicle, especially in relation to the amount invested. Do whatever you want, just remind yourself that every dollar you are sinking into the vehicle will probably just wind up down the drain. In the case of all the money I sank into my Harley (and truck and Corvette) when I was younger, I'd have been better off buying another bike. Which is my theory now. Instead of sinking $4000+ in mods on a bike, I'm buying another bike. 

[junior varsity]

Rule #1: Never sell a Ducati.

[NAKID]

Any update Paradise?

[paradisecity]

Any update Paradise?

Yes.  I met with them yesterday and we hashed out a bill that is somewhere between the initial promise and the given bill, leaning in my favor.  While I certainly would have like to have paid less, the amount paid will be faaaaaar less than the initial 5 thousand and the 4.5K quoted on the invoice.  They are now taking the parts for labor at a small discount to them, and final payment shall be given upon the guaranteed (in writing and supposedly coming soon)  delivery date of the bike at the absolute latest of June 7th.  There shall also be a one month warranty for the work being done, so on the swingarm, external engine components, exhaust, and everything else that was done specifically by him (not the fork internals). 

The conversation was very civil with no mention of lawyers, hitmen, or arson.  I probably could have done a little better in negotiation, and perhaps done better if I had taken a strongarm approach that was suggested by many (and seen my bike who knows when), but to be fair there WAS more work to be done than was initially quoted, and they came to the table conceding many points without mention from me after speaking with Stuart.

I  am (and I believe the mechanic is) taking this as an expensive learning experience and am coming out better educated.


My main concern now is not financial, but to get the bike back as soon as possible, working well and dialed in.  Also as I said before, the chain is a 525, but the front sprocket is a 15t and the rear is either 43 or 44 (can't remember what we decided on).  I went up in the back because I had read on the previous board that it was the better method for that mod.    Now I'm kind of lost as to what chain and sprocket would be optimal.

[junior varsity]

You done OK with chain and sprocket.

Ride the shit out of it that first month so there are no questions regarding if it will hold up.

[the_Journeyman]

Good luck with it, hopefully you'll get it back quickly in good working order.  I wouldn't worry too much over the chain, I don't think the extra mass of a 525 compared to a 520 is going to really make much difference in the ridability & enjoyment of the bike.  At least it doesn't have a 630 ( <-- not a typo) like my GS1150 had.  I left my front sprocket alone & added 2 teeth to the rear and am very happy with the results ~

JM

[Kaveh]

Chain and sprockets need to be changed out later on anyways, if you don't like the gearing change it down the road when they wear out.

[paradisecity]

Good to know on the chain and sprockets being ok. 

[5891jonathan]

Good job!  You got the shop to agree to a fair resolution and there will be no litigation expense and hassle and no mechanic's lien.  Buy yourself a beer and enjoy it!   

[SSSA]

Good job!  You got the shop to agree to a fair resolution and there will be no litigation expense and hassle and no mechanic's lien.  Buy yourself a beer and enjoy it!   

Excellent job keeping your cool by the way.
Can't wait to see it!