Head Gasket Question

[HikerLT]

I just brought my Hyosung GV250 into the shop for a Spring tune-up, and general checkout. I bought the bike last year from the original owner, and it had about 3000 Km on it, I out on about <2K Km on it...so not a huge amount of miles. It's a 2005 I bought the 250cc cruiser style to "re"-learn on, after not having ridden for 37 years

The shop called and informed me that it has leaking head gaskets, the rear is worse than the front. They said I can ride it, but that I'll be replacing them before the season is over.

Cost for the job - $500

Questions this Newbie has:

1) does this sound reasonable to have leaky head gaskets at such a low mileage

2) is $500 a reasonable price for this type of work ?

3) How difficult is this job to do yourself - ( I've torn down car and truck engines, but never a motorcycle engine)

4) or should I just see what I can get for the Bike on trade-in and move up in size and power, and avoid dumping money into a starter Bike.

[SSearchVT]

Thats really low milage to have the gaskets go. My guess is that the head bolts either backed out, or stretched (low quality). $500 doesn't seem too far out of line - if the shop rate is $80ish an hour.

If you've done head gaskets on overhead cam car engines you should be able to tackle this one yourself - buy a manual and follow the steps and torques. Do one cylinder at a time - double check your work. If you get to a point where you're not comfortable - worst case, load it up and take it to the shop. I would also advise that after it's rebuilt, ride it for a while, and then double check the torque on the head bolts.

[Ericthejet]

I agree on the low mileage and head gaskets that have started to leak.
Hyosung has been building motorcycles for over 20 years and unlike some of the newer product from places like China one would think this issue would not occur.
Is it possible that what you actually have leaking are the valve cover gaskets?

[KB]

It's a Hyosung. Take it from the shop tell em to get effed. Run it till it dies, dispose of it in a dumpster, buy a new one for 1500 bucks repeat.

KB

[BluGixxer]

"Leaky" head gaskets.. are you sure that is what they said ?

If they where "Leaky" your bike would run like crap...if at all,,

Ride it like a two bit whore....Then ask for change..