Kawasaki Sportsbike Riders Club - Australia - Online Forum

Have noticed my dust seals and fork seals are a touch rusty. When the bike was recently serviced the guys at Mornington Kawasaki mentioned that it'll require attention next time.
Can any recommend a place to take the bike in Melbourne? Not sure whether I'm best to see a suspension specialist or leave it in the hands of Kawasaki.
I'm unsure as to whether or not go back to mornington Kawasaki since they overcharge IMO.

How did they overcharge?

Mornington are a sponsor here. John is a great bloke!

And John at Mornington is a bit of a suspension gun.

I got charged $150 for a plug to repair a puncture plus labour. My basic service ended costing $799 which did the puncture, oil, replaced chain and pads. Myself and others at work thought it was a bit steep. I was advised not to go back there and perhaps see a specialist with respect to my fork seals.
However, knowing that they are a sponsor was why I went there. Plus I generally have been happy with them, in fact have bought some riding gear there.
Being the Christmas period, I don't want to go back and spend the same money again if I can avoid it.

I don't have the confidence yet to attempt to replace the seals myself.

150 for a puncture is a little steep.
They would have had to take the wheel an tyre off and remount/balance. But doesn't take long.

Chain is about 150 for a decent one I think?

Pads if genuine should be a little under 1hundred a side.

Normal service would be about 200 or so?

Plus labour on the pads and chain?

Not sure what labour is worth.


I wouldn't attempt fork seals of you aren't confident. There a plenty o suspension people around. I'm not 100% in Melbourne on locations or who.

Btw my numbers are guestimations!

Not sure how long ago your service was Stoker but you should have queried it at the time.$800 sounds really high for a service and $150 for the puncture repair is double what my last one cost(back tyre).
Its worth politely questioning the service guys why its so high.Did they give you an estimate before they started?

To be honest I am happy with mornington Kawasaki, the sore point was the price of the plug. I didn't read the invoice until I got home and just cheerfully paid it. Perhaps I could of questioned their prices. Regardless, I'll probably end up back there......as I said before, was happy with their service.
I'm a electrical/diesel fitter by trade but not to keen on playing with it. It's funny, I'll happily pull apart engine/systems on multi-million dollar equipment without the blink of an eye, rip apart my ps3 and iPhones without hesitation, yet feel uneasy about disecting a $6000 motorcycle.
Probably because I'm the mug doing the Km's on it when it fails!

Thanks for your guidance!

I pull all sorts of stuff apart too. But wouldn't attempt fork seals haha
Maybe I'm soft.

webcase wrote:Not sure how long ago your service was Stoker but you should have queried it at the time.$800 sounds really high for a service and $150 for the puncture repair is double what my last one cost(back tyre).
Its worth politely questioning the service guys why its so high.Did they give you an estimate before they started?

Nah mate no estimate. It was the first service I have had since I purchased the bike so to be honest was happy to have a more experienced set of eyes examine it. Your right I should of questioned the $150 price for a plug (not including the labour). It may have meant to be $15. Here's hoping!!!

I must add, I also purchased black ops 2 that day, and was keen to get home and have some "me time" before the kids got home from school and took over the lounge room! (Which would inadvertently make me go outside and do more choirs for she who must be obeyed)

stoker wrote:Nah mate no estimate. It was the first service I have had since I purchased the bike so to be honest was happy to have a more experienced set of eyes examine it. Your right I should of questioned the $150 price for a plug (not including the labour). It may have meant to be $15. Here's hoping!!!

well that is more like i would expect a plug to cost and at a stretch 30 mins labour for remove wheel / tyre and refit

I would take the bill in and ask the question and go from there

we all make mistakes and maybe this is a genuine mistake

blatant ripping off is when you dispute the bill at the counter and they say yes it too us 1.5 hrs to diagnose $185 , remove and replace your alternator
when in actual fact it took me 20 mins tops to R&R an alternator a week later when it failed including the time it took me to find the right sized tools

In holdens case the real tools were located behind the service counter

ive known john for a number of years and get on well with him.
tho ive never had my bikes there for work, so cant comment on prices.
after the shit went down in japan, i was chasing a set of clutch plates for my ZX7R, nil stock aust, and no hope from japan, so john gave me a near new set he had at home, and a new gasget, and loaned me a inpact socket for the clutch basket.
he's done some other things like that before to..

but when i was buying a new 10, he wouldnt match what deal i was givin elsewhere, tho i spoke to him, to see if he would/could, so i bought eleswhere, and still find him helpfull when needed, so never held it against me for buying eleswhere.

webcase wrote: and $150 for the puncture repair is double what my last one cost(back tyre).
Its worth politely questioning the service guys why its so high.Did they give you an estimate before they started?

I agree.

I'd explain to the service counter you want to get an approximation on doing the fork seals on your bike, but first show them the bill and ask them to explain the cost because it seems steep to you. Mention your friends and the members on the KSRC forum think it's high also. Adding a bit of weight to the way they treat you should go a long way

For $150, I would have gone for the option of buying a new tyre rather than getting one plugged.

You'd be lucky to get a decent chain for under $200 (the good ones retail for $270), oil, filter and pads would be in excess of $200 for parts alone and then labour these days usually gets charged around the $90-100 mark. That said, I would think $6-700 would have covered the work you had done unless they came into trouble with seized bolts etc.

Occasionally, there are times when I think we pay a bit much for the work we get done on our bikes, but then I remember how much of a pain in the arse it is to do it myself and the fact that our mechanic does an excellent job and goes over the whole bike and picks up little things that you often miss and I then remember how the cost is justified.