$1100 Carb rebuild?

So, just poking around and saw this on Ebay: http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/1973-Honda-CB350F-Extras-and-Upgrades-RARE-4-Cylinder-350-/251284233967?pt=US_motorcycles&hash=item3a81b51eef

Dig the 350f, have had a few, and the on I have now I've had for 15 years. But the seller claims that: "The carbs alone cost me over $1100 with rebuild kits."

WTF? Granted, it's been years since I started rebuilding and tuning my own (and others') carbs, but $1100 for kits and a rebuild (I am assuming the seller didn't go out and buy a new rack of carbs as well -- the bike sounds like it was complete). Kits are around $80 - 100 for all four... $1000 to rebuild four carbs? What's the standard going rate? I used to pay $200-300, but like I said, that was years ago...

My guys locally charge $40 for the first carb and $30 for each additional, if they show up in a box, for 'eat off 'em clean' treatment with an ultrasonic bath.

goldwing carbs only get to 500 to send out and have done

plus remove and install and shipping so around 750-8

Rich Ard said:

My guys locally charge $40 for the first carb and $30 for each additional, if they show up in a box, for 'eat off 'em clean' treatment with an ultrasonic bath.

Click to expand...

Shit, I guess I'm not going to open that carb rebuilding business for SOHC fours in Boston after all...

cxman said:

goldwing carbs only get to 500 to send out and have done

plus remove and install and shipping so around 750-8

Click to expand...

I guess that's the price you gotta pay if you wanna look... stodgy?

Graffiti on the Comet (Seattle, WA) men's bathroom wall, about 15 years ago: "Remember when Goldwings were sexy? Me neither."

There is a difference between a cleaning and a rebuild.
If the shop labor rate is $100(most are in my area) then it wouldn't be that hard to spend a grand to have the shop rebuild and tune(last part of the rebuild).

Gotta pay to play.

Dipping in an ultrasonic cleaner and reinstalling is not rebuilding.
Changing gaskets and brass is not rebuilding.

Rebuilding is fully dissasmbling, cleaning, checking passages, measuring clearance, bench syncing ect ect.

Not saying that everyone should run out and spend a grand on carbs, but it can be done.
Also not saying that if one did spend a grand on carbs they should expect to get that money back

Maybe he had them done by this guy:

**Carb Rebuild Service**

Complete carb ultrasonic, vapor blast and rebuild: $50 per carb plus parts.

If you already f*cked with them in any way, then it's: $275 per carb, plus parts

re-zinc , cap and bowl polishing extra...

DeanJ said:

Maybe he had them done by this guy:

**Carb Rebuild Service**

Complete carb ultrasonic, vapor blast and rebuild: $50 per carb plus parts.

If you already f*cked with them in any way, then it's: $275 per carb, plus parts

re-zinc , cap and bowl polishing extra...

Click to expand...

I have used a similar pricing structure on side jobs

I spent over 9 hrs doing a set of carbs for CB750 K2 and regularly spend about that amount of time (or more) on some of the CB360 carbs I work on (which is why it's a hobby and not a job)
It did include removal, re-fitting and sync though so in a shop $1100 isn't totally outrageous, even finding a shop to do them is probably a chore?

One of the reasons, most questions on sites are about carbs. $90 an hour shop rate x 4 carbs can get pretty expensive, especially if one or more needs to be replaced. Around here, that bike would be a bargain....