I’ve just had a second hand engine put into my 99 Transalp in Spain. I was originally told that it would cost about 150 euro for labour (6 hours x 25 euro).

He ended up looking for 285 for the labour (which I’ve paid for now) saying that it took longer than he expected (which I know it did). His reasoning is that because a different mechanic took the first engine apart, that it ended up taking him much longer to do. I would have thought that that would be irrelevant if he’s putting in a new second hand engine. Is it?

He’s not trying to rip me off in the sense that I know it did take him 11 and a half hours, but it seems to me he just didn’t know what he was doing (more used to 125 cc’s and mopeds) and it took him twice as long because of that.

In which case I’d presume that the logic should be that it should be his cost, not mine, if it took him longer than the norm

For what it’s worth, the engine was from (I think) a 92 model and the bike was a 99.

Also, in case you’re going to give me a "foreigner in Spain" lecture, I’ve lived out here and he knows I’m in a position to negatively effect his business (if he’s in the wrong and doesn’t give me money back).

Are there some dynamics between the different year engines and a different mechanic taking the initial engine apart that could reasonably account for the time?