I'd guess that most members here are the kind of owners that do most, if not all of there own repair/maintenance work on their bikes. But just throwing this out there to ask what members are seeing for shop labor rates at their local shops/dealership if they do take their bike somewhere for repair/service. I've been told by a Harley owner friend that the nearest Harley dealership in Burlington, Iowa charges $90 an hour during the off season (winter) and $110 the rest of the time. This is a very recent quote from early spring this year. I don't do much "for hire" work in my shop but knowing what the dealerships or other shops are charging helps determining what to charge customers for labor for what little "for hire" work I do. Anybody got any input on this.
Local shop labor rates
- Thread starter quawk
- Start date
Thanks grandpaul. Posed this question on other bike forums that I'm a member of and responses from members there for H-D shops in differnt parts of the country, range from the low, that I mentioned above of $110/hr to as much as $175/hr in the Bay area in Ca. Like that member said, it wont be long and it will be at $200/hr, and that is getting to be hard for a working class owner to pay. On the other hand, as was also commented, you either pay it, or do the work yourself.
Can I ask is their tire changing charge for the wheel being on or off of the bike? Getting the wheel off, especially on the rear of the big touring bikes is more work and a time eater, than actually just changing the tire.
grandpaul
VIP MEMBER
- Joined
- Jan 15, 2008
- Messages
- 13,587
Those charges are "wheel off the bike", and they won't work on Britbikes...
(but DOES include high speed balancing)
marshg246
VIP MEMBER
- Joined
- Jul 12, 2015
- Messages
- 4,915
It usually makes a difference if an un-affiliated shop or a dealer. Dealers often charge shop rate on flat-hour (my term) services. In other words, lets say $125/hour for services deemed to take x hours (not how long they actually take). Un-affiliated shops are more likely to charge actual hours for some work and flat rate for others (oil change, change tire off bike, etc.) Then there's what they charge for parts. I suspect that dealers add at least 40% to their cost on parts and charge for all supplies and materials.
On your tire question - that depends. For instance, you can't get the rear wheel off a Trident with it just on the center stand and at least the drive-side muffler needs to come off and the chain guard needs to at least be lifted at the rear. For most vintage bikes, taking the rear wheel off is no big deal and a Norton is even less of a big deal since you can leave the brake and chain untouched. So, the time varies by the bike. The actual tire change can vary too. For instance, a Trident rear has two security bolts. RoadRiders are already difficult to install since they are tubeless tires going on rims meant for tubes and two security bolts make it even harder.
When I say Trident I'm talking about a T150V, T150s and T160s are somewhat different but still fiddley.
You would be surprised how many people do little to no work on their bikes. Those that do often won't touch engines, gearboxes or wiring.
I've changed tires on a number of 1980s Jap touring bikes. Plenty of work to do on those bikes, just to get to the wheel, before you can even take it off. It's kinda hard to determine how much to charge for those tire changes with so much time and work involved before you can even actually do the changing of the tire. For the most part, guys are pretty understanding with what they're charged 'cause they know they wouldn't be able to do it.
I guess you shouldn't ever assume, but I'd always figured that most bike owners were do-it-yourselfers, and wrench turners. I've been wrenching on bikes from the first one I had, well before I ever had a drivers license, and no one but me has ever done any work on any bike I've owned.
grandpaul
VIP MEMBER
- Joined
- Jan 15, 2008
- Messages
- 13,587
Even considering 51% of all motorcyclists being "most", I don't think that many work on their own bikes.
I'll bet it's closer to 30% that work on their own bikes. Maybe another 10% that change grips, add simple farkles and strap on leather bags.
marshg246
VIP MEMBER
- Joined
- Jul 12, 2015
- Messages
- 4,915
I don't know the percentage but besides those that can't (or think they can't) do the work, there are others that simply want to ride. I have one young guy who stops by for simple service like changing oil and cleaning his chain. If his bike has a problem, he calls the local motorcycle towing service to pick it up and bring it to me - he did that one time for what ending up being a battery charge! He says he has no tools - not even a screwdriver. Why doesn't he have a modern bike? He thinks he looks "cool" on a bike much older than him.
It's not only young people. There are old guys who may have worked on them at one time but don't want to be bothered now.
30% might actually be high for people who do all their own work. Like I said in my earlier post, there are plenty of riders who don't work on engines, gearboxes or wiring but do on other things. Then there are riders who will work on an engine but not a head (very common). Sometimes, if feels like I'm the only guy who changes tires by myself using only three tire irons (I know it's not true but feels like it).
- Joined
- May 28, 2022
- Messages
- 403
I fear the day is coming where I either stop riding or pay to have the bike worked on. I've developed trigger finger from a lifetime of abuse. Mounting tube-type tires is probably the worst on your hands. Apparently there is recovery from this whereas osteo-arthritus is a one-way deal. My point is that the guys doing the work earn their money and then some. I've worked in a flat-rate shop and if all goes well you can make good money but you eat your come-backs. The shop usually took 40-50% but that was years ago. Don't know about now.
You're right. Your not the only guy doing it 'cause there's at least one more guy (me) doing it that way, and not to be a topper, but sometimes with only two tire irons. I've got an old metal 5 gallon bucket set up on a low bench, with threaded rod running up through the center of it as sort of a makeshift wheel/tire holder. Padded the top rim of the bucket with some old garden hose. If you can get the wheel nailed down to not move around then you've got a better shot at wrestling with the tire and the irons. I could probably, at this point in life, afford a No-Mar tire machine, but I get some satisfaction from being able to shade-tree engineer something out of stuff you may have laying around, and take the money saved to put toward other endeavors.
Last edited:
I know we can't turn back time, (no, not the Cher tune,) but be prepared to pay the $110 to $175/hr. (currently) shop labor rate if your capabilities decline to the point to where you have to have others do your repair/maintenance work, especially if you've done most or all of it throughout most of your life. I think about the same thing. It would seem sad, to me anyway, that someone would have to quit riding because you couldn't afford to keep your bike in good enough mechanical shape to keep it ridable. Another harsh reality of life.
marshg246
VIP MEMBER
- Joined
- Jul 12, 2015
- Messages
- 4,915
Try two on a Trident rear with a RoadRaider MKII, and two WM3 security bolts.
I use my lap and a B&D Workmate
NORTSTER1974
VIP MEMBER
- Joined
- Aug 17, 2015
- Messages
- 275
I never pay hourly rates for anything whether it is cutting my grass, detailing my car or remodeling my kitchen. Hourly rates started with the dealer. The OEM manufacturer has a book which states how long it should take to do the job. When dealing with a dealer "Stealer" the mechanic knows how long it might take. If they do the job in half the time, they still make the rate. If I want a M/C tire changed it is $40, it doesn't matter how long it took them. 15 minutes or an Hour and 15 minutes. Here's an example. http://www.throttlecity.com/machine-shop/ get in touch with reality and don't let them control the game.
grandpaul
VIP MEMBER
- Joined
- Jan 15, 2008
- Messages
- 13,587
Before I retired, I turned out over 100 client restorations, custom builds, major overhauls, and total refurbs (wake-up/make-run).
In every case, I always charged a flat percentage on the parts and subbed-out work (machine shop, chrome platers, painter, etc), a nominal charge for consumables & materials, and carefully estimated my labor based on experience, then added a 10% cushion for the more involved projects. My rate was $25/HR and I was just able to keep a family of 3, then 4, fed & clothed with 1 or 2 trips to the beach every summer.
The GREAT thing was getting to travel all over to collect and deliver client bikes, and to take advantage of volume buying and tradesmen to also restore a dozen of my own bikes over the 15 years that I was in the biz.
Win-Win.
EDIT-- I forgot to mention the 6 or 8 MAJOR lot purchases and "twofer / threefer" bike deals I acquired over those years. Those were totally icing on the cake, and in fact I still have several hundred pounds of parts that bought as long ago as 2004.
marshg246
VIP MEMBER
- Joined
- Jul 12, 2015
- Messages
- 4,915
See my post #6 this thread. If you're only talking about dealers, then it would be nice to not do it their way, but that really means not having it done by the dealer!
