I think I'll open a shop

[humplatch]

Seriously. About two and a half weeks ago, I noticed my Metzeler 880 rear tire was showing a few cord patches. So, I call the local bike shop and inquire about a new one...price and availability. Even though they had to order it and were 15 bucks higher than Cycle Gear, I said go ahead as long as they would have it by Friday. So, Friday turns into the following Tuesday, which turns into the next Friday, and now it is two weeks out. I guess Metzeler is out of rear tires for the LT. No sweat, but I need my bike. So, let's order Bridgestone BT020's, front and rear and get it done. Front tire is three to four days out, rear comes out of Texas in about 10 days. @#%^B!.
Owner tells me "hey, if you can get them faster somewhere else I understand". Nice guy.
Internet shopping...bingo! in stock ship to my house in three days! Sooo, I call my owner buddy at the bike shop and tell him I will bring my front wheel in with the tires and he can change them both, to which he responds "we don't change tires on internet or outside purchases". I remind him that short of tapping a rubber tree and making them for him I felt I had done more than try to purchase my tires from him, and that I would gladly pay him to mount and balance the tires. Heck, I could even afford to pay him alot, since I saved about 40 bucks per tire buying them off the internet. He still said no, that was his policy and that was that.
Where do these guys get their brains? If I had a bike shop I would do anything to keep people coming through the door. Jeez, we are all junkies when it comes to bikes and supplies and accessories. But if I'm not coming through your door, your not getting any of my money. Mount tires for a couple bucks and take your time...I'll spend more money.
There are a few motorcycle dealers out there who should try and learn a little about retailing. There, I feel better now. And I'll let you all know if I open a shop. You all get your tires mounted FREE!

[Steve_R]

Do you have a Cycle Gear close by? I'll bet you can get them to change them for less than 40 bucs a piece.

[RSnyder]

I bought my tires on the Internet and went to my local dealer (Sierra BMW) and they changed them no questions asked. Then I found out that their price was actually less then what I paid for the tires on the Internet. Who would have thought the dealers price would be LESS! Guess it pays to ask even if you thing their price would be higher

[zippy_gg]

Do you have a Cycle Gear close by? I'll bet you can get them to change them for less than 40 bucs a piece.Last time I used Cycle Gear they charged around $70.00 for both tires, including the California Disposal fee.
Then I found that leetle Italian bike shop where you just bring in the wheel and pay $20.00 to the mechanic...!
I buy my tires from swmototires.com and pay around $210.00 for a set of front and rear.

[tbarstow]

I started changing my own tires a couple of months ago. Its a heck of a lot easier than you'd think and gets easier each time you do it.

Here in Reno, I've found that Sierra has the best price on the Metzelers, then I bring them home and mount them. I haven't had to rebalance one yet. Just line up the orange dot with the valve stem, spray the bead with some WD-40 and go for it. Having a second set of hands does help (as my neighbor does have a couple of bikes as well).

[NOGILLS2]

I guess i can consider myself fortunate I have two business' that will change my tires for me. The local Yamakawasaki dealer will change tire for me for $25.00 a wheel. I also have a friend that has a tire store that rides and will change tires for me, he charges a little more.

[early1]

BMW didn't refuse to mount, infact they offered to work me in, but @ $48 +tax each wheel I looked elsewhere.
I know cycle tires can be tough to mount, esp sometimes the reinforced rear on the LT, and I know the SmartTire is an extra burden to be careful not to break it.
I also know they are in a BUISNESS, not a friendship.
But, even at .3 hr shop time ( the rate in most service books, off the bike) it would have been less.
(Hey, and I actually like the dealership, still. Just think it's a bad PR move ,esp .for an LT owner "eyeing" (excuse me, that would be "ogling") a new GT)
Sooo , I did a little local shopping.
The Resuts were posted in the South Central Forum:

Update DFW M/B with SmartTire
Todays' calls (per wheel):
Cycle Gear $ 30 +tax(Must leave tire, maybe by 5)
Richardson Motorsports $28 +tax willing to work in
Two Wheel World $32.50 + tax willing to work in
BMW North Texas $48 +tax willing to work in
Maxim (Honda Plano) $41. +tax willing to work in
Bates#2 $20 + tax(" Must leave tire no certain time, maybe 1 to 2 days")

And the winner was:
Central Yamaha--$23.40 (M/B & tax) Nice folks in and out in an hr ,rear only)
( tech Steve Nichol (?sp?) rides a K12S , nice guy)
( "If the balance isn't OK bring it back")
__________________

[KMC1]

what does he mean "IF the balance isn't OK"???

[tbarstow]

I do believe we're all missing the point of the original shop that wouldn't mount the tires. Its simply called Liability. With the proliferation of cheap Chinese tires (search for Cheng Shin on www.jcwhitney.com , tires from $29.99 to $59.99) and modern society's penchant for suing the pants off of anybody and everybody, would you try to limit your liability?

The $20-$50 you spend to get one mounted lets the shop owner pay a little of his insurance premium.

[bowlesj]

I have to say I feel I got lucky on this one. Don't know the people at Extreme Motorcycles in Hickory very well. However, they'll mount and balance my tires off the bike for $20.00. That's their standard policy. No special deal for me.

Also, walk in, get the service ticket written, look around for 15 minutes, and the wheel is ready. They even put it on the right direction, which I have had other shops screw up.

In Ohio I couldn't find anyone to provide this service other than Competition Accessories.

In Mn I had the best luck at the Hitching Posts.

[SmokinJoe]

"But if I'm not coming through your door, your not getting any of my money. Mount tires for a couple bucks and take your time...I'll spend more money.
There are a few motorcycle dealers out there who should try and learn a little about retailing. There, I feel better now. And I'll let you all know if I open a shop. You all get your tires mounted FREE!"

This is probably an owner who forgot the reason he is in business to satisfy the customer....he most likely has the pleasure of to much business in your area! The liability BS is just that, BS, you have greater liability when you supply AND install an item. He has just fired you as a customer and provided a reason for you to shop elsewhere. I personally take my tires off to a tire shop (auto and bikes) where I buy gas, car washes, oil changes for the cars, and they change them for an even $20.00.
Heck I even had Tire Kingdom do it for me!

Keep the rubber side down!

[meese]

Many of us keep a spare set of tires in the garage for just such emergencies. I don't yet have a tire changing setup, but I am blessed with several great friends who do. :)

[JPSpen]

The little motorcycle tire shop here in OKC mounts and balances the tires for 5.00 each on BMW's.For some insane reason BMW's get a big break... He said next time just bring the bike in and he does them for 7.50 each... I'll be buying my next set from him....He sells only Avon's but I've gotten several good reccomendations so I think I'll be trying a set...

The Motorcycle Tire Store.
2301 S. Agnew
Oklahoma City, Ok. 73108

405-634-8380


John

[mconlogue]

The little motorcycle tire shop here in OKC mounts and balances the tires for 5.00 each on BMW's.For some insane reason BMW's get a big break... He said next time just bring the bike in and he does them for 7.50 each... I'll be buying my next set from him....He sells only Avon's but I've gotten several good reccomendations so I think I'll be trying a set...

The Motorcycle Tire Store.
2301 S. Agnew
Oklahoma City, Ok. 73108

405-634-8380


John


Avon's have a weight rated rear for the beast? huh. what model is it?

[meese]

Avon makes an AV46 Azaro to fit the LT. The weight rating is correct, but the tire can be a bit squirmy for the first thousand miles or so. I think the side walls are too light, and the tread a bit too soft and thick.

The AV45 Azaro front tire for the LT rocks though.

[early1]

what does he mean "IF the balance isn't OK"???
--go ride it and if you don't like the balance come back and they would re-balance it.
Just a nice gesture -- after all they had not done a SmartTire equipped tire before.
BTW, the balance was fine on today's 250 mile round trip to East Tejas.

[early1]

I do believe we're all missing the point of the original shop that wouldn't mount the tires. Its simply called Liability. With the proliferation of cheap Chinese tires (search for Cheng Shin on www.jcwhitney.com , tires from $29.99 to $59.99) and modern society's penchant for suing the pants off of anybody and everybody, would you try to limit your liability?

The $20-$50 you spend to get one mounted lets the shop owner pay a little of his insurance premium.

---anything but Avons, B-Stones, Dunlops, Metzlers or maybe Continentals.
The tires most of the shops sell.
Even so the "liability " of mounting a brand they don't sell would be easily mitigated by the words "No , Thanks, I can't Mount 'THOSE '(meaning cheap Chinese tire) tires" most of us would understand.
(Although I know severl people running Maxxis and some other "cheap" Chinese tires with GOOD results.)

Really , though $48 = tax for a 10 minute or 20 minute job , or not servicing a customer that owns a BMW, at a BMW shop, just because the tires were mail ordered??
That's what most of us were talking about.
Not the liability of mounting CHEAP Chinese tires.

[early1]

Avon makes an AV46 Azaro to fit the LT. The weight rating is correct, but the tire can be a bit squirmy for the first thousand miles or so. I think the side walls are too light, and the tread a bit too soft and thick.

The AV45 Azaro front tire for the LT rocks though.

---on the NEW rear Avon today, on I-20. FM 314, 315, 317, 2661, TX 155 & US 175.
LOVE that sqirm, I guess, cause I guess, I don't notice it.

[early1]

I bought my tires on the Internet and went to my local dealer (Sierra BMW) and they changed them no questions asked. Then I found out that their price was actually less then what I paid for the tires on the Internet. Who would have thought the dealers price would be LESS! Guess it pays to ask even if you thing their price would be higher

--- if i could even pay about the same price.But I paid $23.40 to Mount and Balance , and about $120 to my door (on sale) for my rear tire , beats the heck out of $ 165 +tax + $48 M/B + tax---
$50 bucks is still $50 bucks, Don't ya think?

[meese]

That's why I said can be squirmy, Ed. I had the problem on both Avon rears I ran (as well as on my old K100LT), and so have several others. While other folks don't seem to have an issue, and think they're fine. Note that I did wear out both rear Avons, as they seemed to settle down after a couple of thousand miles. But since I like the way the rear BT0202 radials feel from the beginning to the end of their life, I have no reason to go back to Avons rears. The front are another story, as already mentioned.

Each of us has to go with whatever works best for us. I'm just trying to get the basics out there so that folks can make an informed decision. That's the beauty of this little community that we've created.

[simongs]

Tire change went up at the dealer last I went a couple weeks ago..have almost 2k on them...

400 bucks plus change...

I don't know whats fair, everyone has to make money.

but, for your info anways :)

regards...geo

[tmgs]

Seriously. About two and a half weeks ago, I noticed my Metzeler 880 rear tire was showing a few cord patches. So, I call the local bike shop and inquire about a new one...price and availability. Even though they had to order it and were 15 bucks higher than Cycle Gear, I said go ahead as long as they would have it by Friday. So, Friday turns into the following Tuesday, which turns into the next Friday, and now it is two weeks out. I guess Metzeler is out of rear tires for the LT. No sweat, but I need my bike. So, let's order Bridgestone BT020's, front and rear and get it done. Front tire is three to four days out, rear comes out of Texas in about 10 days. @#%^B!.
Owner tells me "hey, if you can get them faster somewhere else I understand". Nice guy.
Internet shopping...bingo! in stock ship to my house in three days! Sooo, I call my owner buddy at the bike shop and tell him I will bring my front wheel in with the tires and he can change them both, to which he responds "we don't change tires on internet or outside purchases". I remind him that short of tapping a rubber tree and making them for him I felt I had done more than try to purchase my tires from him, and that I would gladly pay him to mount and balance the tires. Heck, I could even afford to pay him alot, since I saved about 40 bucks per tire buying them off the internet. He still said no, that was his policy and that was that.
Where do these guys get their brains? If I had a bike shop I would do anything to keep people coming through the door. Jeez, we are all junkies when it comes to bikes and supplies and accessories. But if I'm not coming through your door, your not getting any of my money. Mount tires for a couple bucks and take your time...I'll spend more money.
There are a few motorcycle dealers out there who should try and learn a little about retailing. There, I feel better now. And I'll let you all know if I open a shop. You all get your tires mounted FREE!

After you go out of bussiness mountin free tires you will see wy he is like this and you will understand it.
see ya buy your tires elswhere and then get a bad tire and now you want him to mount the new one you get free, BTW try and return a bad tire from internet sales they will tell you to deal with the tire manufacture, god luck there!

that is what happens when you deal like this with your customers,
I know because we have tried to be decent to customers before at times like this,
So do try to understand where he is coming from.

[dsauer608]

...and that is why I bought a tire changer this week. Used, pneumatic, looks impressive, now if I only knew how to operate the beast. :) Oh, well, the learning curve will have a decreasing radius over time, I hope! We spend a fortune on m/b, when you consider that just about every time we take a long trip, our tires are in a mid life crisis, so we put on new, then come home and remount the old ones, you know the story. Each set ends up costing an additional $120 by the time they're total trash - $30/ wheel from our discount guy.

[tmgs]

...and that is why I bought a tire changer this week. Used, pneumatic, looks impressive, now if I only knew how to operate the beast. :) Oh, well, the learning curve will have a decreasing radius over time, I hope! We spend a fortune on m/b, when you consider that just about every time we take a long trip, our tires are in a mid life crisis, so we put on new, then come home and remount the old ones, you know the story. Each set ends up costing an additional $120 by the time they're total trash - $30/ wheel from our discount guy.

i have a manuual onehere, it works have like 70 bucks in it, but we only change about 4 or 5 sets a year, I turned my friend in FL with a bike shop onto a good deal on a air full auto tire changer and a snap on wheel balancer, I almost bought it myself and darn near opened a shop here, then remembered hearing the folks complain about paying 20 bucks a wheel heck a couple of them dirve over a hour away to save 10 bucks for the two wheels yes TEN dollars!

I don't change my friends tires but one time, that time I show them how and tell them they too can own a tire changer and balancer for thier next set of tires

I went thought the through a couple bucks in the kitty to help support a "free" shop thing, HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA

won't do that again, those days are long gone

[humplatch]

After you go out of bussiness mountin free tires you will see wy he is like this and you will understand it.
see ya buy your tires elswhere and then get a bad tire and now you want him to mount the new one you get free, BTW try and return a bad tire from internet sales they will tell you to deal with the tire manufacture, god luck there!

that is what happens when you deal like this with your customers,
I know because we have tried to be decent to customers before at times like this,
So do try to understand where he is coming from.


Uh, I think you missed the story. I did try to buy them from him. For three weeks I tried to buy them from him. I didn't ask him to mount them for free. I was willing to pay him whatever he thought he needed.

By the way, Les Schwabb tires out west here is the fastest growing tire shop in the USA and guess what? They fix flats, regardless of where you bought the tires, for FREE. Try to steal a customer from them.:rotf:

[early1]

By the way, Les Schwabb tires out west here is the fastest growing tire shop in the USA and guess what? They fix flats, regardless of where you bought the tires, for FREE. Try to steal a customer from them.:rotf:

-DISCOUNT tire down here in Tejas are doin' that too. (Auto & Lt truck that is)