I've learned to buy a majority of my needs from online too. I've been doing my own work for the better part of 10 years now. It use to be that I had to go to my parts from a shop and eBay. Now there are online shops that offer parts with HUGE discounts on parts that really don't cost much more than parts from eBay. Since discovering these online shops, I don't purchase as much from eBay because a lot of the F3 parts are beat to $hit and it only costs a little more for a new parts.
I rebuilt my carbs for my F3 last summer and for $hits and giggles I got a quote from the local shop for parts only. Their quote was $700 for all the parts I needed... needless to say I picked up the parts from online for $350. The funny thing is, the online shop that I purchase the parts from (mrcycles.com) is a bricks and mortar shop in North Carolina. My guess is that shops can sell these parts cheaper if they would just sell to more than their locally community.

 

forgot to mention about my beautiful F2 with white rims, itook my wheels off and brought them to the dealer for a new set of sportmax2's . the kid did a great job of GRINDING off the paint on the lip of my front rim. i was so pissed , and after i saw this , i went clown crazy , and asked if i could go in the showroom and grind the side off of a brand new bike? the manager said sorry. Sorry ? what about my cherry F2 with a ruined finish rim? i asked about a new powder coat or somthing , and he said sorry, thats it . no discount on tires or work, no help, NEVER again will i go to the dealer. BTW those white wheels where pristine and clean, and made the bike, that was my favorite part of the bike.....beautiful white wheels....

 

and... I haven't scratched my own rims yet. No idea how they could scratch yours if they were using the right tools

Sorry - rant mode was incited at the beginning of this thread.

 

your exactly right, I had to show the kid what that little teflon tool sitting on the machine was for. Also that was 15 years ago , i know better now.

 

I've got no-mar gear... so as long as you don't use it incorrectly, you can't mark the rims... love it

 

Rim gouges, scratches, dings, happen all the time. Often times, the beginning job in a shop is at the wheel/tire changing machine. Many shops just don't show attention to detail when it comes to changing tires...thus, damage occurs. There should never be damage to a wheel if the job is being done right. To that...

$50 for a tire change *is* rape of your wallet. I don't care if they are the supposed best shop in a tri-state area, that is simply BOGUS. If that were my *only* option, I'd buy the tools necessary to do it myself. CycleGear used to change tires for $20. I'm unsure if they still do it for this though.

I've heard every argument about supporting your local dealer. Frankly, I have no problem supporting my local dealer(s) *** IF *** their parts & services are REASONABLE. Its when they're no longer reasonable, that they loose customers. I think any one of us would continue to patronize our local dealer(s), for convenience sake, if their prices were just a few dollars more...keyword - "few". This means, when their prices may be a little more than online parts but would offset the cost of shipping/returns/problems w/ those online sources. However, its when dealer prices b/c rediculous, that any reasonable person wants to be smart w/ their money - that they look elsewhere. There's a fine line here & dealers know it. If they are smart, they'll keep just below that fine line & continue business.