Topic: your input wanted: buying tires online

[Jeff]

Hi everyone. I am one of the web designers/developers at Dennis Kirk. We're planning on revamping our tire sections of our website. We've been talking about what we think it needs, how to go about it, etc. We've looked at the way other's do it, and frankly, I don't like any of the ways companies sell tires online. So, I'm throwing this out to you... as a customer, when you're shopping for tires, how would you like the website to work?

Thanks in advance,
Jeff

[cmorgan47]

search by size and have the old sizes available.
user modifiable sort patterns (size, brand, price)
if it's search by bike, be damn sure to have your database in line (tblBike, tblTire, tblBikeTireXref)
can't remember if you have it, but a "remember my bike" option

the one thing i _hate_ is when things are only listed by brand.  you guys aren't that way as there's typically the 3rd option (show me everything in the category) but a _lot_ of sites make you click avon, realize there's nothing for you there, click back, click bridgestone, realize there's nothing there for you, etc....

all in all, dennis kirk isn't too bad, though your search isn't the best....maybe integrate google for sites.


might think of more later.
also a web programmer.
more backend than front.

[edit]
oh yea, if you could make it so the shop doesn't charge you so much when you bring your internet tires in for mounting and balancing, that'd be cool too.

[dusterdude]

at least do it by size.

[winston]

I'd like to be able to compare cross-brand by size and possibly price...but perhaps more importantly, there should be the ability to reference manufacturer and (in a perfect world) third party reviews of what application the individual tire is best suited for.

Here, the prevalent replacement tires are Bridgestone Spitfires and Kenda whatevers, the Spitfires allegedly for quality and the Kendas allegedly for price...but just because everyone's buying them doesn't necessarily mean they're the right tires for me, my bike, the way I ride.

For example, I have Goodyear GSA's on my BMW 3 series and although they're sticky as flypaper, I'd never buy them again because for the money (expensive) they're too soft a compound for my driving....I've never heard them so much as chirp or howl, so I can obviously get away with a slightly harder compound and save some dough.

However for the bike, I'd spend extra money and buy sticky tires because I don't drive a lot of miles and I drive mostly in dry weather so I want to be as sure-footed as possible...and I have a feeling the Spitfires are probably slightly harder than I'd like to have, but I don't know....

Shipping is another area lots of sites fail to properly address, especially for international sales...Gotham City (an eBay seller of shoes) for example declares and pays Duty and Taxes for you, collecting it at the time of sale. This results in MUCH faster cross border shipping as the Duty and Taxes are prepaid and precleared for Customs...I got my daughter's ballet slippers in 4 days, whereas my son's skateboarding shoes came from the same state (New York) ten days later because of Customs baloney.



So...better comparison across brands, better product info...and comprehensive shipping tools for international customers, please.

[Glenn Stauffer]

The only online tire site I've bothered with is tirerack.com.  I use their interface to search different tire brands for my cars.  Rating systems are nice - not foolproof unless they are not heavily filtered.  For motorcycles, I had trouble finding people who would mount and balance tires bought online, so I stopped bothering.  Tirerack, by the way, has done something to get a database of local firms that will install internet-bought tires.  That's a nice touch and would make it a one-stop shop to get tires and find someone who would install them instead of getting tires and spending more time calling around to find someone.

[GroovieGhoulie]

I'll go with the others here.

Be able to sort by size, and PLEASE offer the smaller sizes that are hard to find here in the US.  Continental and Metzeler make some GREAT 3-inch x18 tires, but try getting them here...

So, in closing, please stock three and three and a half inch, 18-inch diameter tires (that are NOT Cheng Shin) for the 350 and 400, and that would be awesome.

[cmorgan47]

So, in closing, please stock three and three and a half inch, 18-inch diameter tires (that are NOT Cheng Shin) for the 350 and 400, and that would be awesome.

dito.  i ended up going for Duros--which are fine--but would've liked some other choices.
btw, i bought them from denniskirk, but ended up calling as i couldn't find them easily on the site.

[Jeff]

i couldn't find them easily on the site.

And there's the reason why we're redoing the tire section.
Jeff

[cmorgan47]

i couldn't find them easily on the site.

And there's the reason why we're redoing the tire section.
Jeff

yeah, the best would be the worlds most comprehensive list of bikes and a crosstable with the stock tire sizes of each. 
next best would be the worlds most comprehensive list of tire sizes.


maybe categories too, vintage being one of them.

hope you're getting input elsewhere, or denniskirk is going to be slanted pretty heavily to the needs of this forum....not a bad thing.

[Jeff]

Don't worry, I'm asking in a few spots, but everyone's thoughts are welcome so we can get a good variety of people's opinions.

Jeff

[cmorgan47]

really the thing is, i was looking for tires a month or so ago.  i could find sites with good interfaces(yours being one), but no selection of tires for vintage bikes.  when i called, most of these sites had _some_ tires i could use, though not the names i was hoping for.

the sites that cater to vintage bikes, have crappy interfaces--mainly just a long list of models and sizes with no guarantee of availability or price and a phone number somewhere on the page.  [ctrl]+f is the only search mechanism.

 seems like you could wedge yourselves into a nice niche market there.  dedicate a bit of your site to vintage.  not to expand your project, but at the top you have "harley" and "metric."  add "vintage"

[Jonesy]

I haven't cruised the DK site in a while (sorry if this is a dumb suggestion), but how about a metric/english tire size converter? I see lots of metric sizes and have no idea if they work on my bike or not...

[6pkrunner]

I have tried several times to make comparitive searches of tires, even from one website, but different tire manufacturers. You are correct when you say that no one has gotten it quite right yet. On each occasion I have given up and went out locally and ordered the tires.
A very sincere good luck in straightening out a web mess. If you do get it straightened out and make it quick and easy to compare comparible sizes of each type by manufacturer - it'll be idyllic.

[Bodi]

I would like pics of each tire tread pattern. I have looked at tire websites and often the tire I am interested either has no picture or a generic image of a generic and hopefully similar tread - like they have an image of a rib tire and a block tire but not each one. I suppose if you don't stock the tires then getting an image is impossible, but taking a pic of the things as they come in on orders isn't impossible and eventually most would be taken - if the manufacturer's literature doesn't have images.
I would like to ask the website what tires will fit on a given bike, and see a page of pictures of the treads and a list of available sizes - and what size is stock, what size is recommended, what size is big but OK, and what would be the biggest safe choice.
I do some work on bikes and it's crazy what tires people put on these old machines. They might just fit in the forks or clear the chain but are way too big for the skinny stock rims let alone what they do to the handling.
Another query might give me the choices in a given size, like 3.50-18 - smart enough to show the metric equivalents and the TT100 equivalent. With pictures again, and a list of the recommended rim widths would be sweet.
SO some sort of tire database and a query engine that could give results in different ways would be my dream tire site.

[Roach Carver]

I would be happy to sort by tire sizes, then pick brands/prices. Tire.com and tire rack both do it this way.

[Gordon]

I would like to ask the website what tires will fit on a given bike, and see a page of pictures of the treads and a list of available sizes - and what size is stock, what size is recommended, what size is big but OK, and what would be the biggest safe choice.

I would love to see something like this, too, but I think in our litigious society a supplier listing anything other than the manufacturer's stock tire size for a given bike will be subject to lawsuits from consumers blaming them for a tire failure based on a non-stock tire size recommendation. 

[Uncle Ernie]

Stock tire sizes.
Cross reference inches vs metric so I'll know that a 100/100-19 isn't the same as a 3.25-19.  Or is it?!
Descriptions of type regarding riding style.  Possibly including rating from riders, also.

After I get on-line tires, I need a dealer/shop willing to mount tires I didn't buy there.

[Rocking-M]

I think you'd be okay listing widest tire for a given tire width. Tire rack does it with car tires.
Given the age of the wheels we're dealing with, I'm sure tires have advanced considerable and
the tires in the 70's were what they were. For instance. 165/80/13's were run on
5.5 inch car wheels, on a 5.5 wheel a 205/60 can be run safely (but that is as wide as it gets
and then it's a push for some tires). Anyway, I'd like to see a lower profile wider tire option
listed for the wheels we run.

[Uncle Ernie]

I have to say I've found that the stock sizes work best for handling.  My experience, anyway.

[nickjtc]

Haven't been on the site before, living in Canada. Whatever system you come up with, is it possible for the system to show customers if the product they finally choose is actually in stock?

[Rocking-M]

What I'm getting at is that a 100/90/19 will not handle as well as a 100/80/19,
less sidewall flex. At least it seems that much should be the same as a comparable difference in
car tires. Then if a 110/80/19 is available it's going to provide more contact patch and
then again handle better, though it may need more steering input. This would mirror what
I've seen with car tires. Also, I've not really done in research on motorcycle tires but,
is there a tread wear number too? If so, the lower tread wear number will stick better,
at least among the better tires that is.

[74cb750]

hmmm...
so what you all are saying is there are no good sites online that sell tires?
michel

[Jeff]

There are plenty of good companies that sell tires online. I just don't like the way the tires are presented. Every moto-website I've researched, in my own personal opinion, does a poor job. I know Tire Rack is a great website, and for cars, it's perfect. But I think there are different criteria when it comes to bike tires, and I haven't found a website that does a good job, again in my own opinion.

Thanks again for all the replies everyone, and keep the thoughts coming. When I get into work on Monday, I'll go through the replies again and have more response.

Jeff