Motorcycle Safety & Driveability: Ballpark repair costs, fork seals, honda shop

Question
Hi. I'm debating buying an '82 Honda CB450T Hawk. I've been quoted a good price and the owner has told me that it has a couple of mechanical issues. Since I'm not a wrench - I'm trying to get a rough estimate on how much it might cost me to have the problems fixed. The issues are: 1. Leaky front fork seals that need to be replaced and, 2. The front caliper needs to be rebuilt. Any *rough* guess on what those fixes may cost and/or how difficult it may be to find the necessary parts for a bike that old would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

Answer
Hi,
The prices can vary depending upon where you are. For example, I find prices in England much higher than in the US, and prices in Singapore to be almost the best anywhere (Oddly).

I would suggest doing this work yourself, and it is not difficult.  Here's - approximately - what it will cost.

Service Manual for Do-it-yourself - $35.00
Fork Seals and inner bushings - $40.00 each fork
Caliper - rebuild kit and pads - $25.00

If you pay a shop to do it, you can expect to pay about $70 / hour.

Finding the parts is easy.  You can try www.bikebandit.com or simply go to any Honda shop near your home.

These cost are based on parts costs in Singapore, but should be fairly close to US costs (Without exchange rate of course).

Cheers