If it's been a month, it probably wouldn't hurt to call and politely inquire how the time frame looks.

You could also ask if they could give a rough guess or a high/low range of what the cost could be.

I suppose I wouldn't blame them if they wouldn't give a number, not wanting you to hold them to it if they find something they didn't expect.

 

They better hire on at least 1 more mechanic if they are that busy ... We were (a couple of years ago) the largest GoldWing dealer east of the rockies , our shop did 2 frame swaps and to many strip & weld jobs to count ..We don't weld the frames Honda Canada had several welding shops trained on the special way they wanted them repaired , we stripped them and sent them to the welder by tractor trailer .. If they can't swap a frame in about 4 days they should hire new mechanics ..

Post when you find out more about your bike .. If you decide to fix the bike yourself I'll email you the TRX420 PDF shop manual sections you need...

Here are a couple of pics of GoldWing frames that had to be repaired..
http://i242.photobucket.com/al...otos/SilverGL1800.jpg

http://i242.photobucket.com/al..._03_photos/frame1.jpg

http://i242.photobucket.com/al...03_photos/frame-4.jpg

http://i242.photobucket.com/al..._03_photos/frame-1.jpg

 

Wow. I'd heard about the problem but hadn't seen photos.

Seeing cracks like that in the frame of a motorcycle that spends most of its time on the freeway would have major pucker factor. I don't think I'd have confidence in the bike after that, new frame or not.

Anyway, HondaMechanic, what would you guess the bill would be for full rebuild on the 420?

 

Here are a few prices but all my prices are Canadian .. These are some of the major parts you may/will need ... This starts with cyl. , crank , piston , rings , then several bearings (crank , balancer & transmission bearings) the last 2 items are gasket kit A & B ... The total is about $1300 CDN ... And there are a couple of things I didn't add to the list like cam bearings (an cam if the lobes are marked) sprag etc. so with everything new it would be in the $1500. CDN which in the US would cost closer to $1000. US ...

http://img444.imageshack.us/my...?image=420pricecb1.jpg

 

Went to Honda yesterday to check on it ,and they still havent started on it ,but they said they should be able to next week ,and it should be done by the end of December.

I cant wait to ride!!!!!!!!!

 

Update.
They took the motor out 2 days ago.
The total comes to $1495 out the door.
This includes a 0.50 piston ,and rings,
Crankshaft
oil pump assembly
seal valve stem??
piston pin
valve assembly relief
cotter valve
and some various gaskets ,oil, coolant
and a sparkplug.

The price is less than I thought so Im happy with that, but I dont want to cut corners.

I was expecting transmission bearings and a new cylinder so they wouldnt have to bore over.
Will a engine bored over be as good as one with stock specs?
They assured me this build would be good or beter than a factory built engine.

If anyone thinks I should have something added to the list of parts PLEASE speak up.
Thanks for any feedback.

 

yhea a bored over engine will be just as good because when you wear out the original one you bore it over anyway. So you will have a few more cc's of engine and a little more power to it as well over a stock 420.

If you wanted to have more power yet if someone makes a high compression piston then you could have that installed instead of the stock compression .50 piston.(but I dont know if anyone even offers one for it yet.

 

It sounds to me from the parts list that they went over everything and are replacing anything that could cause problems.

If you have questions about the transmission bearings, you could call and ask them. I suspect the answer would be that they have been carefully cleaned and inspected, and that they will stand behind the work.

Regarding the overbore, if done properly it should be just fine. If reliability is key to you (which it sounds like it is) I'd stick with a Honda piston at factory compression level... Higher compression piston, if done right, can be reliable and will make more torque across the power band, but more torque does put more load on the rest of the engine, and if you go too high (compression wise) you might not be able to run regular.

Anyway, glad you are getting it taken care of, at what sounds like a fair price.

 

Jeffin is right about calling them just to make sure again on the transmission bearings.

 

Yeah im going to stop by tommorow just to mention it to them.
I also thought they would reccomend clutches.

Can you clean those?

Thanks for everyones input ,and thanks Jeffin for responding on both boards!
Im just trying to learn as much as possible ,and make sure its right.

They should be using all stock components.