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Author Topic: Buying Tires  (Read 4303 times)

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Offline 78_SaltLick

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Buying Tires
« on: August 16, 2005, 11:39:52 AM »
Am i crazy, or is it a big scam buying motorcycle tires?

With a car, you buy a tire and its pretty cheap (say $50 a tire) and that includes mounting the tire and balancing. Am i calling the wrong place or what? I call my local honda motorcycle dealership, and they say thier front motorcycle tires run from $75-$150 a piece, and that doesnt include mounting the tire on the wheel, that would be another $60 to balance it and all that. What the hell? I thought it would be cheaper for a motorcycle.......So is paying $150 the going rate to get a new tire, and have it installed/balanced? Where else can you go but the dealership? I know they rip you off, and would never go to a dealership for a car, but dont know where else to go for a motorcycle.
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alfabeast

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Re: Buying Tires
« Reply #1 on: August 16, 2005, 11:55:42 AM »
The problem with bike tyres is that they come in all shapes and sizes and are not sold in the same volumes as car tyres, this will make them more expensive, remember; most Harleys will still have the same tyres in twenty years (sorry couldn't resist  ;))

I've had luck getting tyres on e-bay, Dunlop 501, 19"=$80ish and 18x130 =$100ish

I had my local shop fit a tyre with a band, inner tube and balance it for $15 and they didn't mark the rim and did a great job. Maxspeed, Kernersville (under great new managment)
« Last Edit: August 16, 2005, 11:57:42 AM by alfabeast »
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Offline Cvillechopper

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Re: Buying Tires
« Reply #2 on: August 16, 2005, 12:08:16 PM »
You also have to remember that it could be your life if the front blows out doing 80mph.  I'm willing to pay a bit more if it's a better piece of equipment.  Also, tires are most of your steering.  Think of it as cheaper than replacing your rack and pinion, tires, ball joints, etc.  I may be wrong, but my understanding is that motorcycle tires are also made with better QC and thicker rubber???  Anyone know if this is true?
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Offline Geeto67

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Re: Buying Tires
« Reply #3 on: August 16, 2005, 12:36:44 PM »
when you remove the hweel of a car it is usually four or five bolts. When you remove the wheels on a motorcycle it is disassembly and usually you get charged the shop rate per hour for that. To keep costs down I disassemble the bike myself and just bring the wheels to the bike shop. The tires cost me $75-150 but the mounting an balancing is usually only $15 because the mechanic doesn't have to fiddle with chain slack and axle grease. If you really want to keep costs down get your tires online but some places won't put a tire on the rim fi you didn't buy it from them.
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Offline dusterdude

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Re: Buying Tires
« Reply #4 on: August 16, 2005, 12:45:00 PM »
alfa,the harley thing may be true,but a 130/90-16 tire is still a 130/90-16 tire i dont care what its for.
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eldar

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Re: Buying Tires
« Reply #5 on: August 16, 2005, 01:21:17 PM »
I pay about $110 a tire for everything.  I get bridgestone spitfires. They look good and seem to ride good, EVEN WITH THE STOCK SHOCKS!!!! Oh the humanity!
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Offline Chris Liston

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Re: Buying Tires
« Reply #6 on: August 16, 2005, 01:48:27 PM »
If you can help it don't order from the dealer.  They always charge very high PartUnlimited  prices.  I ordered from AmericanMotoTire.com and got BT45's for about half the cost of my local Honda shop.  I went to a local place and brought the wheels to them with the tires and it cost $55 to get them mounted and balanced.  In the end I saved about $65 from not ordering from the dealer.
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Buffo

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Re: Buying Tires
« Reply #7 on: August 16, 2005, 03:54:16 PM »
tires for my suburban are at lest $150. a piece. m&b not included.
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Offline 78_SaltLick

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Re: Buying Tires
« Reply #8 on: August 16, 2005, 03:56:45 PM »
Quote from: Chris Liston on August 16, 2005, 01:48:27 PM
If you can help it don't order from the dealer.  They always charge very high PartUnlimited  prices.  I ordered from AmericanMotoTire.com and got BT45's for about half the cost of my local Honda shop.  I went to a local place and brought the wheels to them with the tires and it cost $55 to get them mounted and balanced.  In the end I saved about $65 from not ordering from the dealer.

So i can take my wheel to ANY tire store to have them mounted/balanced even with spoke tires? Theres a BIG "O" Tire right across the street from me, just figured they only worked on cars......
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eldar

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Re: Buying Tires
« Reply #9 on: August 16, 2005, 04:24:03 PM »
Most car places I know of will not mount motorcycle tires. THey might balance them though.
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Offline Tim.

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Re: Buying Tires
« Reply #10 on: August 16, 2005, 04:25:41 PM »
I'd only have a bike shop work on my wheels.

I just bought a set of Pirelli Sport Demons.  They're being installed next Monday.  I am paying about CAD$380 for the tires, new tubes, new rim bands and new rim locks (I think the bit that goes around the air stem?).  That's installed - they take the wheels off the bike and reinstall, all while I wait.

The tires on their own were CAD$260.  Tubes/bands = $40, installation = $80.  Spitfires were about $80 less.  BT45's were about the same price, GT501's about $30 less.

When I'm hitting the ton on Canada's busiest highway, I don't want to have to worry about my tires  ;D
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Offline Uncle Ernie

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Re: Buying Tires
« Reply #11 on: August 16, 2005, 05:50:58 PM »
Independant shops. We have one here that ONLY sells MC tires. I told him he's not charging enough for the work he's doing.   Most places charge more for taking the wheel off. If you want to keep going there, order from them, too. They're not getting rich, believe me. Just make sure they do a good job on older wheels/tires. Some folks don't really know how to seat an older set-up with tubes.
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Offline Tim.

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Re: Buying Tires
« Reply #12 on: August 16, 2005, 06:03:21 PM »
The guy who runs the shop I'm going to is restoring a '74 550K  ;)
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michaelkad

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Re: Buying Tires
« Reply #13 on: August 17, 2005, 12:35:43 PM »
I just bought 2 Dunlop D404's from and independant shop in the neighborhood, The tires were about $65 apiece and the mounting and balancing was $78 dollars with the tires on the bike (im lazy). Otherwise mounting and balancing would have been $20 apiece. The local Honda dealership doesnt even want to look at the bike. They told me once it would be $500 for a tuneup!! :o
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Offline Dennis

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Re: Buying Tires
« Reply #14 on: August 17, 2005, 01:14:17 PM »
Quote from: michaelkad on August 17, 2005, 12:35:43 PM
I just bought 2 Dunlop D404's from and independant shop in the neighborhood, The tires were about $65 apiece and the mounting and balancing was $78 dollars with the tires on the bike (im lazy). Otherwise mounting and balancing would have been $20 apiece. The local Honda dealership doesnt even want to look at the bike. They told me once it would be $500 for a tuneup!! :o

If I could get tire service for those prices I would never mail order another tire!
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Offline Tim.

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Re: Buying Tires
« Reply #15 on: August 17, 2005, 02:42:36 PM »
Yep - I'm paying US$55 for both wheels mounted / balanced for full removal and reinstallation.  Would have been US$30 for both wheels if I brought them in.  US$25 well spent I think.  Based on the $65 you mentioned for the D404's, I presume we're talking US$?

Can't wait till next Monday!

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Offline 78_SaltLick

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Re: Buying Tires
« Reply #16 on: August 17, 2005, 03:25:23 PM »
When you guys are talking about independent shops.....do you mean independant motorcycle shops? I didnt know there was such a thing. I thought there was just your basic honda dealership motorcycle shops and that was it.
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Buffo

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Re: Buying Tires
« Reply #17 on: August 17, 2005, 07:02:16 PM »
One thing that a lot of people overlook when buying tires is the age of the new tire. this is a big concern when buying from a local yocal. I dont want a tire tht has sat in his shop of a year. If you contact the tire maker they will tell you how to read the numbers and then YOU can tell when your tire was made.

The big online tire retailers sell a hugh amount of tires. Fast. When I emailed americanmototire.com about the age of their tires they told me how to read the date of manufacture and said if I got old tires they would replace them for fresh ones...He also told me thta they sell their tires with in 2 months of thier birth on average.


Don
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Offline Tim.

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Re: Buying Tires
« Reply #18 on: August 17, 2005, 07:06:39 PM »
I'm working with www.riderschoice.ca for my tires.  This is what I think is meant by 'independant'.
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Offline joeb

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Re: Buying Tires
« Reply #19 on: August 20, 2005, 06:33:23 PM »
The place I go to if you buy the tires and bring in your old tires on the rims they will mount and balance for free, you need to look around, but if you want them to do everything be prepared to pay. Just my 2 cents . Flame suit on. :o 
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Buffo

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Re: Buying Tires
« Reply #20 on: August 20, 2005, 09:13:08 PM »
Flame suit on  ???

 :-\
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Offline 78_SaltLick

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Re: Buying Tires
« Reply #21 on: August 20, 2005, 09:16:32 PM »
So what all is involved in taking your front tire off, and putting it back on? Do you have to bleed the brakes again? Is it just two bolts like a bicycle and it come off? I took a look at it, and it looks like you would have to mess with the brake to get it off, and that would be re-bleeding the brakes. Last time i bled the brakes it was a hastle, it worked but took me a couple of days to get it right, and id have to be able to jack the front tire off the ground, how do you guys do that?
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Buffo

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Re: Buying Tires
« Reply #22 on: August 20, 2005, 10:23:04 PM »
4 bolts hold the front tire on. they are at the bottom of the caps. then you have to take the speedo cable off.

I have my wife sit as far back on my bike as possible and lean way back, with the center stand down...this pulls the front wheel up. then I just pull the wheel off and stick something under the forks so it can sit on something.

you dont have to touch the brakes.

But this is on my famous 1978 CB750K8

Hornswaggle
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