Hello folks,
I have a 94 RK and it is ready for the 20k checkup. I am the new owner of the bike and want to take as good of care as I can of this baby.
I met a guy with a small repair shop who used to be a Harley mechanic ( so he says) in 85, well we discussed the 20k checkup and going down the list in my harley manual and also changing the drive belt as it has several stones in it from the previous owner , he lived on a gravel road.
So we discussed a price about 400.00 to do everything, I thought that sounded very fair..
Well I drop it off on Monday and he didn't look at it until today and he called and said, " man thats allot of work changing that drive belt"
Well I was a little let down as he knew what I wanted to do and claimed to have done several last year, so no biggie I thought.
Now he wants 550.00 to do everything and I took the bike homeas I had told him I would like to have it done by the weekend, I have a ride to go on and it will be a long winter up here in Montana so I don't want to miss any if I can help it.
So here is the real question, how absolutly important is the 20k checkup, I can change all the fluids except the fork oil. not sure how to do that.
Should I even consider taking it to the Harley shop? They want $400.00 for the belt and install and $585.00 for the checkup, thats $985.00 for both, WOW!!!!
Or should I try and find another small shop, kind of tough around here but there could be more, but can you trust them with a Harley.
What experiances have you had? I appreaciate any and all suggestions.
Thanks,
BDR

 

It is a lot of work to change the belt as the swingarm has to come off. Call your local dealer and wee how many hour sthey quote you for the belt change, find out how much a 20K checkup is and add the two together. If it is less than $585 take it to the delaer. If not take it back to your friend. Or better yet get a manual and do it yourself over the winter.

 

WELCOME TO THE BAGGER WORLD (AKA THE DARK SIDE)...

I would recommend... Get the Books & Even the FIX-MY-HOG DVD - Get a few COLD ONES - Take your time and GET TO KNOW YOUR HARLEY by doing the servicing yourself....

 

"You just met a guy who says...? RUN, IMHO. Or better yet ask some of your Harley rider friends that ride, if they know of a good inide shop that they've had personal experience with. I wouldn't wory too much about the price if you want to keep your RK in good shape. I'd be more concerned about the shops reputation be it a HD dealership or an independant shop.

 

The Indy who claimed to know what he was doing quoted you a price and THEN complained?!?? I wouldn't let him clean the bike, much less do ANY mechanical work on it! Ah'd do it mahself, or as others suggested, find a local shop through friends.

 

The belt replacement is a big job, and I would recommend letting someone do it that you know can handle it. How many rock punctures in the belt and where are they located. If they are not near the edge and there's no evidence of tearing, you can probably repair the belt. I had one puncture on my '96 RK's belt, I repaired it in 1997, and ten years later at 106k miles the belt was still on the bike. The repair looked like it did when fixed. If you want to try it, let me know and I'll outline the procedure.

The 20k service is something you can do yourself if you'll invest in a service manual. Changing fork oil is a 15-min. job on that bike if done with a vacuum pump. Go to Harbor Freight and buy a venturi vacuum pump:

http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/cta...temnumber=3952

You'll also need a compressor, but with that and the right fasteners the fork-oil change is a very easy job, and is outlined in the manual.

 

Sounds like I should do the service and farm out the belt unless as iclick says maybe I can repair it.
The punctures are in the middle of the belt as far as I can tell, nothing at the outer edges.
I do have the service manual and I don't mind buying more tools and such, I hate getting into something over my head though.
But money is tight as always up here so if I can save a few bucks and do the job myself I am up for it.
I appreaciate all your advice on the above posts.
BDR

 

I agree with this. If he has been working on bikes since '85, he should have known what was involved before quoting you a price. Then he raises it? Nope, I would find someone else, or do it myself. And, as far as the drive belt goes. It may have beeniclick that I heard this from. I read that if you take jb weld (seriously), put it on the affected area (hole), place some paper under it, where it will contact with the drive pulley, and roll the jb weld fix on top of the drive pulley, and let it dry. Then remove as much as the paper (so it wont make the card in the spoke sound), and the drive belt should hold, and retain the same grooves that are in the rest of the belt. Now, I have not done this. but, I know I read here that someone did, and it worked for a loooong time. Also, since you said you have long winters, you might try this fix for now, and then change the belt yourself over the winter. People on this forum do it all the time, and since you seem to have the ability to change your fluids, you obviously know how to follow directions. And, don't forget, there are a lot of guys here that are willing to help you out, if you get stuck. JMHO, but I say do your own 20k. Follow the manual, step by step, and you will do fine.

 

I had some bad experiences years ago,and have since done my own work.As far as shops go,it's up to you to feel the connection with those people.It's one thing to talk with owner,it would be better to talk with the mechanic doing the work.Good Luck.

 

Since he changed the price on you ,I would stay away.That is the first sign of someone that is going to be a flake.He might even jack the price up again when the work is done.
Since the bike is old and needs a belt,you may be looking at new sprockets also.
The service is not difficult if you can wrench,have a FSM and some tools.
The belt replacement would be a job for someone THAT WORKS ON BIKES NOW,NOT BACK IN 1985!
Shop around for Indy shops or dealers.
Make sure you get a written estimate.