any cheap Mechanics in the bay area

[budgie45]

HI im looking for a cheap mechanic in the bay are im in san francisco i went to a few stores and they looked down on me cuz i said i had a 93 katana LOL i love my bike i dont need people looking down there nose at me,i would love to get the carbs done maybe a new sprocket and chain and an oil change i would love to be able to do this myself but i cant its a shame

whats the best oil to use for an oil change
thanks

[il_ragazzo]

All of this stuff is really easy to do your self. Using the resources here at KR and a good repair manual will really help you along. if you need any advice pm me.

[Sierraromeobravo]

All of this stuff is really easy to do your self. Using the resources here at KR and a good repair manual will really help you along. if you need any advice pm me.

I second that. Those are the first things I did upon buying my first Kat and the guys on the site helped a ton. Sproket changes are easy enough. Carbs are a little harder but there are a million threads talking about it.

[budgie45]

re

yeah but this is my daly runner to work so i would like a pro to do it,the shops in sf is a 100 an hour i dont mind paying some one 50 an hour to do it thats all i can afford

[il_ragazzo]

if you want to do the ride ive got the tools to change a chain. but my manometer is on backorder so your carbs will have to wait.


*im not A licensed motorcycle mechanic so if u want a pro do it i suggest going out of town to a smaller city that will charge u less than you leg for a few tightened bolts.

[The CyberPoet]

In San Francisco, the predominant hourly rates represent (in large part) the cost of the real estate to run the shop on. Thus, while more rural & cheaper areas get $60 - $85 an hour for standard shop rate, big-city shops often get $100 - $120. It's the cost of doing business.

As for reliable, my advice is that if you don't find a local who swears by a specific shop, use a Suzuki OEM dealership. Your bike will get parts faster, the mechanics will be trained specifically for Suzuki's, and you'll be billed standard rates based on the Suzuki Time Manual. If you need a "full" service (valve adjustment, oil & filter change, etc.), be sure to ask for the "15k mile service" rather than listing the items separately -- the time manual combines time required to remove fairings, etc. when you ask for the 15k service, where it would include the time to strip fairings for each separate task if you ask for them individually.

Carbs: consider buying a set off a member or former member of KR who specializes in buying them used (or taking in trade-ins), cleaning, going through them fully & delivering a set of ready-to-run carbs. This is probably the cheapest way of getting a reliable set of correctly jetted carbs, and virtually guaranteed to be lower than a local shop if you're not doing your own work on stripping/cleaning/setting carbs.

Oil: Big city use in the summer - Mobil 1 MX4T 20w50. Highest vapor temp available, more likely to take stop-n-go traffic without letting your engine get damaged than any other in that scenario. As for the filters, I sell the OEM Suzuki oil filters for $8.50 -- see my deals thread: http://katriders.com/vb/showthread.php?t=58596

Personally, I agree with the others: do your own work, or at least learn to pick-and-choose what you can do vs. what you'll pay someone else to do (i.e. - zero sense in paying someone else to do an oil change for you). Fumoto valve will make doing oil changes a breeze and you'll never think about using a shop for them again

Cheers
=-= The CyberPoet

[il_ragazzo]

every thing CP just said right there is right on mark! i bought a Fumoto valve and love it! i buy oil filters from him as well! He is a great way to get started in normal Katana up keep.

CP didn't you at one point have a manometer for rent? i think i recall something about that? and arsenic does clean alot of carbs for people and he's still cheaper than dealerships in SF.

[GregS]

I do motorcycle repair as sidework and am a fun 3 hour ride away. 30 an hour is my going rate. Could be worth the trip for the money you would save. I've only been a rider/tech/tuner since 1974 but I'm willing to learn still.

[The CyberPoet]

every thing CP just said right there is right on mark! i bought a Fumoto valve and love it! i buy oil filters from him as well! He is a great way to get started in normal Katana up keep.

CP didn't you at one point have a manometer for rent? i think i recall something about that? and arsenic does clean alot of carbs for people and he's still cheaper than dealerships in SF.

Thank you for the compliments...
And, yes, I have a manometer (Morgan CarbTune II) available for rent.



Cheers,
=-= The CyberPoet
_____________________________________________
The Best Motorcycle Tire Valves in the World (Aluminum!), plus lots of general motorcycle help files & Katana (GSX600F / GSX750F) specific help files.
CyberPoet's KR-special deals' are here (click)

[il_ragazzo]

I do motorcycle repair as sidework and am a fun 3 hour ride away. 30 an hour is my going rate. Could be worth the trip for the money you would save. I've only been a rider/tech/tuner since 1974 but I'm willing to learn still.

Where are u located greg? im down for a good ride.

Thank you for the compliments...
And, yes, I have a manometer (Morgan CarbTune II) available for rent.

Anytime.

Cheers,
=-= The CyberPoet
_____________________________________________
The Best Motorcycle Tire Valves in the World (Aluminum!), plus lots of general motorcycle help files & Katana (GSX600F / GSX750F) specific help files.
CyberPoet's KR-special deals' are here (click)

[budgie45]

re

thanks folks for all the info love this forum,
still looking for some one to do the work,i have to find out what kind of sprockets i need a s well

[budgie45]

re

does one size of Fumoto valve fit all,and this is the first time im going to do a service on myu bike i dont know if the old owner did it.
so what should i buy,new oil the Fumoto valve i have a new clutch cable,do i need a new air filter and what else thanks

[The CyberPoet]

88 -06 Suzuki Katana 600 & 750 take a model F111 (M14x1.25).
98+ have to cut/grind away the ridge next to the drain bolt hole to get sufficient clearance to spin the fumoto in all the way. There are pics all over from me on this...



Cheers,
=-= The CyberPoet
_____________________________________________
The Best Motorcycle Tire Valves in the World (Aluminum!), plus lots of general motorcycle help files & Katana (GSX600F / GSX750F) specific help files.
CyberPoet's KR-special deals' are here (click)

[il_ragazzo]

he stated in his 1st post he had a 93 600 so there is no grinding required.
stock gearing i do believe for a 93 600 is a 14 /45 at 112 link chain. so if you like that setup grab a 14 tooth front sprocket and a 45 tooth rear sprocket (make sure your sprockets are made of steel, they will last longer).

since you live in a fairly big city and extremely hilly* city , if you do mostly city riding i would get a 47 - 48 tooth rear sprocket for increased available torque. remember to adjust your chain length if changing gear ratios.

air filters last a pretty long time around my town but your closer to the ocean so i would check to see if i needed a new air filter.

oil and oil filter along with a fumoto valve.

If you just bought the bike i would check the brake pads too. just to give my self an estimate on how long i have till replacement is necessary.

as far as mechanics out there in SF i would put an add out in Craigslist saying you need a mechanic if your not comfortable with riding to Greg or myself. (we are both 3 hours from ya)

*btw 22nd street in SF is the steepest street in the western hemisphere!

[The CyberPoet]

so if you like that setup grab a 14 tooth front sprocket and a 45 tooth rear sprocket (make sure your sprockets are made of steel, they will last longer).

+1 -- personally I recommend the RK+Vortex steel-steel combo kits as cost effective and well engineered.

since you live in a fairly big city and extremely hilly* city , if you do mostly city riding i would get a 47 - 48 tooth rear sprocket for increased available torque. remember to adjust your chain length if changing gear ratios.

Given the amount of wet roads (mostly fog) and cobblestones in use in San Francisco, I'd recommend not increasing the torque with oversized sprockets. I would however *HIGHLY* recommend checking the tire age & make and looking for something that handles the wet extremely well -- my preference for that situation is Metzeler Z6's in 120/70ZR17 front & 150/70ZR17 rear on all the 88-06 Kat's.

If you just bought the bike i would check the brake pads too. just to give my self an estimate on how long i have till replacement is necessary.

If you plan on swapping pads, swap brake caliper seals at the same time...

KNOW THIS:
Brake fluid is good for 2 years max, 1 year max in high humidity environments. As it sucks up water from the air (through the hoses!), it turns darker and/or murkier -- good fluid is clear to light amber (think water to budweiser).

Cheers
=-= The CyberPoet