Well I had my new rear tire mounted on my rim today at a local dealer.... I don't really like the place but its close. Anyways the service guy was pissed at me because I didn't buy the tire from him (I ordered it online). I told him he could give me the deal I got. He said probably not. I paid $115 shipped compare to his $175. Sorry dude but why would I want to spend more than I have to? So they charged me an extra $5 to mount the tire because I didn't buy it there. What a bunch of crap. I bitched them out and I will not be going there again.

 

man, cool down. it's not uncommon for a dealer (or any tire shop) to charge a small fee to mount tires that weren't purchased there. it sucks, but it's just the way it is. consider the choices: spend $60 extra for the tire to save $5 on the mounting, or do what you did. you still came out $55 ahead and that's all that matters.

 

How much did they charge you to mount the tire? The dealer where I live charged me $67 to mount the rear tire on my 97 CBR 900. I did the same thing that you did; I checked the tire price with them and then purchased it on line for $60 less. I tried to be a little smarter when it came time to replace both tires so I bought the set on line and then mounted them myself thinking it would be much cheaper. This was my first attempt at changing motorcycle tires and it didn't go too bad. The dealer still screwed me because I took the tires in to have them balanced and they charged be $55 to balance the set.

 

When i went to change my tires, it was 45 on the bike and like 25 off the bike. But the the thing is, after taxes and valve charge and charge for using their tools, it wounded up being like 120......stupid valves....didnt know why they were freaking $10 each...dunno what kind they used but WAY overpriced......

 

wow. i had no idea that the charges would be different from dealer-to-dealer. my local dealer charges me $25 per tire + $5 per tire if not purchased there.

 

Thats normal i work in a shop and i dont like when people bring their own parts not cause of the money it is the liability. Lets say there is something wrong with that tire goes flat out of round witch is kind of normal for motorcycle tires to not be perfect it could be the dealers fault you could come and say it was his fault not that you would but it is possible. We can not warranty parts customers bring in so if it has a problem you get charged labor again and get all pissed off and go to small claims and say it was not installed properly and on and on and on. If it was a part the dealer sold you or any repair shop if there is a problem, there is no problem for us we get the part replaced for free and some of the time we get our labor back from the company who supplied us the part and your happy cause it did not cost you anything. Now him charging you an extra 5 bucks is kind of gay but i understand him being a lil pissed off.

 

Tire changer from Harbor Freight is on sale right now for $49.99. Motorcycle Adapter is $49.99

I bought a wheel balancer for $100. I bought some tire spoons for $30. I buy valve stems for $3 each. Wheel weights were like $15 for enough that will last me for years.

Total investment less than $300

The cheapest I could find someone to mount tires and balance was $25 each plus $5 each for valve stems, and I still had to take it off the bike, take it to the shop, leave it, go back to the shop and pick it up, take it home and put it back on the bike. $60 plus a lot of running around.

5 sets of me changing my own and I'm saving money, plus I get to know my bikes better and I know the job was done right. I know I spent the time and care to clean the inside edge of the rim before mounting the new tire. I know I take extra care not to scratch my wheels. I know I spend the time to get the wheel balanced as perfectly as I can. I know the valve stem was replaced, not just that they told me they replaced it. All I know about a shop doing it is what they tell me.

I have 3 bikes - it won't take long for the tire changer to pay for itself. Plus I can change some tires for my riding buddies too.

I did have a problem with the first Harbor Freight tire changer, but they replaced it for me, so I'm ready to roll again. Plus I can do it when I want - not on a shop's schedule. If it's Friday night at 10pm and I discover a problem, I can work on it right then if I need to and still make my ride the next morning.

 

OldFatGuy, you are one smart ****!

Sounds to me like most everybody here is getting bent on their prices.

If you're in San Diego area, go to BuyMoto.com. I paid 15 a tire off the bike. Mounting, balancing and new stems. I think it's $35 if it's on the bike. I don't know what kind of deal you get if you purchase rubber from them and have it mounted.

 

Oldfatguy I just purchased the tire changer and the motorcycle tire add on at Harbor Freight for $60. I used the 20% off coupon that came in an email ad and purchased each piece individually. Did you bolt the unit down to the floor or a piece of plywood? It seems like it would work better if bolted to something. Also, where did you purchase the balancer and the weights?

 

I think I'm going to get the no mar tire changer. Me and 3 other friends are going to go in and buy it and I'll start changing all of thier tires. Like oldfatguy said it beats all the running around and gives you a chance to meet some new people. Plus after a few tire changes its all paid for and you can make some cash on the side if you know enough people.

-Jesse-