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What do you think of dealerships charging more for installation of tires purchased from somewhere else? Shouldn't labor be the same whether or not you purchased the tire from them or not? What are your thoughts?
What do you think of dealerships charging more for installation of tires purchased from somewhere else? Shouldn't labor be the same whether or not you purchased the tire from them or not? What are your thoughts?
What about dealers who install tires for free if you buy the tires from them.......I would go there
You buy tires from God knows where, insist that the dealer install them, crash because they were ancient (5+ years past their made date, or simply sat around in the sun till you bought them), or because they were a junk brand and who do you go after legally? The shop that installed them, of course.
Beyond that, a shop is a Local business who can not compete on price with the warehouse parts depots. But you NEED them to do something simple, like install your tires. So, they calculate what it costs them to install your mail-order tires and adjust the price accordingly. There's also a little anti-mailorder hate in the industry. They simply obliterated the small corner shop, and those that have survived do so by encouraging their customers to at Least talk with them first about pricing.
FWIW, it's stupid easy to change your own tires. 2 tire irons, a few scraps of 2x4, and an empty milk jug (cut up for rim protectors). Balancing can be done on 2 jack-stands with just the axle... single-sided swingarm wheels (I checked out of new motorcycles about a decade ago, anyone still do this? Was Ducati and Honda with the VFR) need a more dedicated balancer. Or you can spend some money on a manual tire changer (Harbor Freight had the cheapest, the Coats 220 was the industry standard, I still own a No-Mar from when I ran my own repair business, there are probably others out there now) and high precision balancer. Good skill to have if you're anything more than a weekend warrior.
Location: We_tside PNW (Columbia Gorge) / CO / SA TX / Thailand
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Quote:
Originally Posted by alloo66
What do you think of dealerships charging more for installation of tires purchased from somewhere else? Shouldn't labor be the same whether or not you purchased the tire from them or not? What are your thoughts?
Most independent MC shops will NOT mount a tire they have not sold.
For above reasons + 'systems profit' = Profit from Tire sale (ez profit) vs profit from Install (expensive profit...) requires tools, machinery, skilled labor, liability, shop space / overhead / scheduling...
Mess up someone's rim and you will have NO profit.
Change your own, or go 100% dealer service (and part purchase).
Easy enough to do your own. Tire spoons, valve stem tool, rim protectors (you can cut some from a milk jug) get tie tire on and off. A $40 balancer from Harbor Freight finishes the job.
Easy enough to do your own. Tire spoons, valve stem tool, rim protectors (you can cut some from a milk jug) get tie tire on and off. A $40 balancer from Harbor Freight finishes the job.
You must be doing bicycles.....I wouldn't even attempt my 180/55-17 sport touring tires on a bet. Two hours of swearing and sweating, not worth it. I wanna see somebody doing a Hayabusa tire EZ-Peezy no beer and no swearing..........lol
You must be doing bicycles.....I wouldn't even attempt my 180/55-17 sport touring tires on a bet. Two hours of swearing and sweating, not worth it. I wanna see somebody doing a Hayabusa tire EZ-Peezy no beer and no swearing..........lol
Well, once you go through puberty and muscle development starts, it's easier.
I'd do roughly 6~7 Sets at the track over a weekend (was the mechanic of the group). Ranging from 160's up to 180 (rear, fronts were always 110/120). Takes maybe 10~15 minutes a rim for someone with experience. It's all in the technique... bad technique, lots of cussing and potential for bent rims. The wider tires are actually easier, so much more room to drop the bead into the center of the rim.
You must be doing bicycles.....I wouldn't even attempt my 180/55-17 sport touring tires on a bet. Two hours of swearing and sweating, not worth it. I wanna see somebody doing a Hayabusa tire EZ-Peezy no beer and no swearing..........lol
I just did the rear on my KTM 1290 last week. I didn't say there wasn't any beer or swearing involved! 150/70-18, and a stiff sidewall ADV tire. Wider tires are easier, they stay in the drop center of the rim a lot better. Still, not the worst job in the world. Easier than the tubed tires I'd done on my dual sports in the past. Might spring for the HF tire changer sometime soon.
Well, once you go through puberty and muscle development starts, it's easier.
I'd do roughly 6~7 Sets at the track over a weekend (was the mechanic of the group). Ranging from 160's up to 180 (rear, fronts were always 110/120). Takes maybe 10~15 minutes a rim for someone with experience. It's all in the technique... bad technique, lots of cussing and potential for bent rims. The wider tires are actually easier, so much more room to drop the bead into the center of the rim.
This is the "art of the deal". You don't try to stretch the tire onto the rim, you put and keep the first "side" of the bead in the center of the rim, this gives you clearance to push the other side on. This (keeping the bead in the center) may take a helper for inexperienced tire changers.
This works from bicycles on up.
*Most* mechanical jobs, if you are putting max force on the tool, unless you are literally a "90 pound weakling" - you are doing it wrong.
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