How much should I expect to pay?

Went to a local machine shop yesterday to get the L brackets done to hang my RK mufflers on the RSV. Asked for an estimate and the guy told me that it should not take more than 1 hour and that they charge $70/hour. Called him today to see if they were ready and he now say's that they are ready but that it took 2 hours to make them so $140 + the cost of materials. So I am looking at 150 to 170 for a set of L-brackets........A BIT STEEP in my mind, but am I off base here? I was ok with $70 - $80 total, even if that seemed a bit steep....any thoughts?

OUCH!!!! To go from "shouldn't take more than an hour" to double that is a poor estimate. What unforeseen complications caused the doubling of time? Different story when you don't know what you're getting into until you get into it. I hope there's some room for negotiation here.

WAY too much! I'd pay him for an hour and no more.

Good luck

I'd let him eat the brackets and mount them with the P clamps. Way Way off base. I made a pair out of scrap alum flat stock and it didnt take me an hour to make 2 with only a drill, a file and hack saw.

Unless these brackets he made are something really special and beautiful, I would let him eat them, Doubling the price at delivery is not what you agreed to. I would offer him the agreed to price.

Were the edges dressed and the parts powder coated? We're talking about the bracket that hangs them at the rear of the bike, right? two pieces of flat stock, 4 to 5 cuts, one drilled hole and a machined slot.. I got mine made a few years ago for $40, with the edges dressed (filed).. If you have the dimensions, they are bone easy to make at home with as little as a hacksaw, drill and files.

Making these up are simple enough for a highschool machine / metal working shop class to make, its a shame that a commercial machine shop couldn't figure out the 'estimated' price any better than that on such a simple project..

Thanks all, nice to see that my expectations where not off. I gave him the template from one of the threads on the ''The Venturers'' relating to installing RK pipes. Told him that I would be painting them myself so just needed the brackets made. Only mod, was that all holes would be oblong to allow for adjustments. Not sure if this last part was the problem. I will go and see him after work today and see if he will not go back to the quoted price, if not, I will probably leave them there. Hate to do that as I know someone invested time into it from his end, but I should not be paying for someone's incompetence as it should not have taken 2 hours to produce these. Thanks again for your input.....

My Brother-in-law made mine one day after work at his shop. Machined, beveled edges & painted and it took him about an hour with the full size drawings I made for him.

If you are no good at estimating, don't estimate!!, Did he include the lunch ticket as well??

To be fair, there is a difference between an estimate and a guestimate of costs..

Just picked them up and we agreed to split the difference. They did an excellent job and at this point even if they are overpriced I opted to take them. They have even painted them with rustproofing paint. Lesson for me next time is to be clearer on the costs up front. Not entirely happy, but will survive. Now...cant wait to hear those RK pipes on the bike.

Good stuff! You should enjoy the sound.. not overly loud, just a tad above the oem pipes but throatier.. especially when you come off the throttle at speed..

WOW I would have sent you the pair of alum ones I made and have floating around in the garage for way less than that, if I would have known you really wanted the flat brackets. I used some alum channel I had from a sliding shower door. Maybe 45 min to an hour dinking around with drill and file. Poof Done. But when I got to the installing part I was like "why am I putting all these bolts in to just hold the muff from sliding back.

thank you for taking the time to let us know the outcome.

I always have some flat stock laying around can't tell you the thickness but about 1 1/4 " wide. I just cut two 10" long pieces drilled a hole for the back mounting hole on the RK muffler and put it toward the mounting hole for the stock mounting hole and marked the spot, drilled the hole and bolted it down. didn't round the corners just painted them black with spray paint. works great and you can't see them because of the saddle bags. the flat bar is less than ten dollars at home depot and all useful for other brackets if needed. I did mount the mufflers before making the brackets and Used a bolt from the stock mufflers. Only used one bolt on the muff and it's never came loose yet.

I am late to this thread but I paid 60.00 Canadian to have mine made.

If anyone in Canada needs some I can now get them cut cheaper, as there is no cost to make the template.