I’ve recently come to realize that there are so many mysterious tasks at a motorcycle shop.
When I think about it carefully, there are a lot of things I wonder why we’re even doing.
No matter what you work on, it doesn’t get done in a flash.
It’s best not to set expectations too high!?
Free estimates are for businesses only.
I often talk with people in similar trades, and they say,
“Who the heck came up with free estimates?”
We can do estimates for new bikes, used bikes, or parts alone, but honestly, labor is tough.
Just creating repair and labor estimates takes so much time….
If you can do it in an hour, that’s pretty fast, and when you factor in unexpected issues during the work, it’s basically impossible.
A rough “How much?” is kinder to everyone.
Make sure to charge for outsourced parts removal and packing.
Outsourcing—it’s surprisingly labor-intensive.
Someone asks for anodizing, or painting, or…
If you take on paint, machining, or upholstery work, it’s the worst.
It’s best to refer them and have them go themselves. I’m sure troubles happen to some degree.
Communicating with the outsourcer, writing up requests, packing, shipping, paying—it all eats up time.
There’s also the storage and risk of a bike left on its frame with the suspension removed.
Even acting as a middleman between you and the vendor, the markup is honestly not much.
Unit costs keep rising while profit margins shrink.
Make sure to add the time and risk you’ve invested to the invoice.
Don’t touch mysterious ailments.
When someone says, “No shop can fix it…”
that’s kind of an irritating thing to hear, isn’t it?
If you could solve it, your skills would
skyrocket!? Maybe…
Sure, you learn something by doing it, but will you ever encounter the same issue again? Probably never.
It just seems to improve your storytelling skills….
And no matter who you tell about your struggle, they just say “Huh.”
Even when it’s fixed, “Thanks! So that was it!” —that’s all you get.
And here’s the reality: it takes days to return, doesn’t end until it’s fixed, and you can’t bill for all the time you spent.
Don’t take on jobs that seem sketchy.
It sounds simple at first glance, but…
there are actually quite a few jobs that are far from sweet.
When someone asks, “Can you do this?”
and you think “Doesn’t seem like much,” so you tackle a model you’ve never worked on before—I bet everyone’s been there.
Those kinds of jobs have traps all over the place.
Removal might require special tools, or you might need to fabricate something to press-fit or extract properly.
Not having a manual is a real pain too.
Honestly, buying or making a tool just for a job you’ll probably never do again…
it’s pretty questionable.
A manual is absolutely essential, and if you ask why they’ve been shop-hopping, the customer probably knows the answer already.
Customer-brought parts trash isn’t free!?
These days it’s rare (small stuff), so I don’t make a fuss about it, but…
“Wait, we’re supposed to throw away the trash for free?”
“Thanks so much again this time!” (*´ω｀*)
If you just leave that kind of stuff in a corner of the shop, the motorcycle shop becomes a junk yard.
In Tokyo, a 45-liter bag costs 342 yen.
It’s best to separate it and have them take it home—that’s what I’ve been thinking lately.
Be careful with risky broken or snapped parts and fabrication work
Broken or snapped parts especially need careful attention.
Doing it right takes a fair amount of time.
If you don’t get a clear read on the customer’s stance here, things get messy.
A: Do they want the item repaired?
B: Or do they just want a cheaper alternative to buying new?
You need to talk through these two options clearly.
Whisper in their ear: “Doing it yourself is the cheapest option…”
Broken bolt removal
—once you start, you’re in it until the end.
I hate SUS304 bolts because when they seize up, they won’t come out—it’s like hell.
Unlike the smooth, easy removals you see in Instagram reels, bolts almost never come out that smoothly.
They fuse with natural Loctite so thoroughly that it’s nowhere near as simple.
