i now know why my bike stopped....

[cheeseclip]

well i got the bad news from my local workshop. i took my 03 yzf450 in the other day cause it stopped. a few thought it might have been the cam timing out so that's what i was hoping for. the bad news it that it pretty much imploded and wrecked everything including 3 valves the big end and the barrel and crank. they gave me a rough quote of $2500 nzd for the parts alone. does that sound like a fair price?

[rmx250rider]

id tell them to shove it! you can get parts off ebay, local places, other people that you might know

[tek_01]

maybe you can try source something on ebay or the like? even if it needs a freshen up it could turn out cheaper. i know in Oz its expensive to get bikes worked on compared to the states so NZ is probably similar to Oz

[matt4x4]

Several ways you can go here - your head will likely need some work - a few hundred there is possible - sometimes, undamaged heads are available on Ebay for a few hundred but you should still drop new valves, guides seats in to be sure it's solid.

So here's the list:

Head repair - 250-350

You can get the crank rebuilt for around 170

Main bearings - about 80

Cylinder repair, replate - about 250-300 depending on damage

New Piston/rings - 150

Valves - 200-250 - sometimes cheaper

gasket/seal kit - 120

timing chain - 40

With some incidentals, this comes out to less than 1500 us.....not sure on the exchange rate for you.

I'm pretty sure you can ship your parts to the US to be repaired if you choose to - Eric Gorr (forward motion) is one of the best engine guys in the business, he also has great prices and can do a 472 big bore for you if you'd like for about the same as any other shop would charge to repair what's broken only.

[abs600fzrr]

buy a running 2 stroke motor and weld new engine mounts and go ride for about $400 bucks!

[grayracer513]

By the time you add it all up, there's no way this repair is feasible from a financial standpoint. If you can't find a used 400/426 engine cheap, your best bet is to buy another bike. You can get a 426 for less than the parts for yours, and have an extra wheel set, etc.

[tmc55]

I agree with grayracer you can find a engine on ebay i just seen one on there.

[rmcr250r]

buy the stuff from ebay and yes it will be roughly $1500 or more but at least you can trust that the motor will be fresh unlike buying an entire motor which will possibly blow up on you.

[cheeseclip]

after having another talk to the mechanic he said the cheapest they can do it is around 3200 and after its done i know i could sell it for 4000ish so i think im just gunna have to get it fixed and sell it and get a much cheaper bike to run.

he gave me a list of the parts that have to be replaced and they go like this

2 bearings

cylinder head gasket

cylinder gasket

cam chain

cylinder

crankcase cover gasket

all 5 valves

piston and rings set

[ThumperMatty]

after having another talk to the mechanic he said the cheapest they can do it is around 3200 and after its done i know i could sell it for 4000ish so i think im just gunna have to get it fixed and sell it and get a much cheaper bike to run.

he gave me a list of the parts that have to be replaced and they go like this

2 bearings

cylinder head gasket

cylinder gasket

cam chain

cylinder

crankcase cover gasket

all 5 valves

piston and rings set

Trust me mate, get the parts from the US, I'm in Australia and it was so much cheaper to rebuild mine, Id think i saved almost 50% from buying parts from the US!

[cheeseclip]

what about shipping though? wouldnt the freight from us be a lot to nz? and where would i start looking for these parts online?

[saccityfire]

Buy a new bike and part out the imploded one on Ebay.

[cheeseclip]

^^dont quite have enough money for that, im only 17

[ThumperMatty]

what about shipping though? wouldnt the freight from us be a lot to nz? and where would i start looking for these parts online?

Shipping is not that bad, but will still be cheaper to source parts on line. I got my stuff from www.rockymountainmc.com, was quick and cheap but they have good stuff. Ebay is good to for some new OEM (yamaha) parts, i got a 08 piston for $83 on my doorstep, and gaskets were another $25, it really does pay to search though. I ask the local Yamaha dealer if they can match some pricing, and then can on some things but not on others. You would be better to buy a used motor though, they go pretty cheap now, and build one from that perhaps?

[grayracer513]

Buy a new bike and part out the imploded one on Ebay.

^^dont quite have enough money for that, im only 17

The parts you listed would cost $2500 in the US. The least you can figure to spend on the parts at a discount would still be $2000. Another steel frame YZ450 in good condition could be had for as little as $1700-2000 easily, and the wheel set alone should be worth at least $300. That puts you at $1400-1700. Then you still have a good set of crankcases, a transmission, tank, seat, and front and rear brakes to sell. Unless you can find a good cheap engine, buying another bike seems to be clearly the cheapest approach.