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Buying Tires


Tcreek

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I have been buying tires from dealer, have been looking on Net for tires, have found some that are cheaper even with shipping, looking for advise or good deals on Tires.

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The only word of caution I'll throw out here is that some dealers will refuse to mount tires purchased "elsewhere". Or, if they agree to mount them, they'll charge you an outrageous price to do so, negating the cost savings of purchasing the tires online. (Citing that the mount/balance is "free" on the tires purchased through their shop, etc.)

 

Just some questions to ask...

 

FWIW, my BMW dealer refuses to mount tires on any rim other than a BMW rim (whatever) and my Multibrand dealer is incapable of balancing a tire so I learned to do it all myself. The Harbor Freight rig, plus balancer, plus Mitch's bar nearly equal what I'd pay @ the shop for ONE BIKE to have new shoes. Replacing tires on two bikes a year would quickly add up to big $$.

 

If you've got the time, space, and inclination... online + DIY is the way to go.

 

- Jeff

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1. Southwest: selection+cost+fairly fast shipping+satisfaction and trust

2. Tires Unlimited: selection+very fast shipping+satisfaction+trust minus cost is higher than SWMoto

3. Tire Express: selection+extrememly fast shipping+satisfaction+trust minus costs are often higher than others

 

All offer online or phone in service. All ship via UPS.

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The only word of caution I'll throw out here is that some dealers will refuse to mount tires purchased "elsewhere". Or, if they agree to mount them, they'll charge you an outrageous price to do so, negating the cost savings of purchasing the tires online. (Citing that the mount/balance is "free" on the tires purchased through their shop, etc.) <snip>

- Jeff

 

I agree with Jeff. Our dealer here in Maine (there's only 1!) won't mount "internet tires", regardless of brand. I decided last year I had overpaid enough for tires. Not only were they $40-50 each more than the internet, but they charge $45 to mount & balance! Ouch.

 

So, I too went to JC Whitney, got their bead breaker, got a balancer and some weights from www.marcparnes.com and have subsequently saved about $75 or more per tire by doing it myself. I do have a LiftRack lift which makes it really easy to service the wheels.

 

But as Jeff said, before you buy over the net, be sure your dealer isn't going to refuse you or stick it to you on price if you aren't able to mount and balance them yourself.

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Mainuh: what does Liftrack use to lift the bike? I was looking at the website but didn't see any pictures or reference to hydraulics.

 

Steve,

 

It uses a bottle jack to lift it. If you go to their site (the link is above in my previous note) they have exploded pictures, moving demos etc.

 

The last 1/3 of the lift is removable for tire servicing. Works slick!

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You might want to check with a guy named Phil in Concordia KS. He's hard to beat on price and service and he's a good guy to boot. Search on California Phil and you will find his website.

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I went to BMW dealer today, ask about tires, said they could not mount tires bought on the net, said that tires bought on net were BLIM tires, seconds, said they had some kind of imperfection. left there went to Honda and Yamaha shop, they also told me same thing. Is this BS confused.gif

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I have had net tires installed all over the US by BMW dealers/honda dealers and yes even 2 harley dealers. If they have a problem, just say the tire was purchased from another BMW dealer where you used to live or some other BS story to go along with their BS story.

 

Push...and they will do!!!

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I went to BMW dealer today, ask about tires, said they could not mount tires bought on the net, said that tires bought on net were BLIM tires, seconds, said they had some kind of imperfection. left there went to Honda and Yamaha shop, they also told me same thing. Is this BS confused.gif
Absolute bollocks.
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This "We don't mount tires bought on the web" line is stupid. Yes, they don't make any profit from selling a tire. BUT, they don't have to spend one cent to order a tire, track shipment and delivery, inventory, or pay. Mounting a carry in tire is pure gravy. The guy mounting the tire will be there whether you carry one in or not. So, not mounting carry ins is stupid, IMO. Others may disagree. But on the other hand, mounting tires is not rocket science and any of us can DIY with modest investment.

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Even if they are blems, they are a cosmetic blem or they would not be sold at all. Manufacturers can`t sell unsafe tires and stay in business. bncry.gif The lawyers would have a field day. eek.gif

Blems are a name they use when the tire has cosmetic issue`s like visual imperfections. eek.gif ToTaL BuNK. dopeslap.gif

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Is it BS? Absolutely. The shop is w/in their "right" to play by whatever rules they want to play by. If they don't want to mount your tires, they don't have to. They think that they're painting you into a corner by "making" you buy your tires there.

 

But guess what.... *I* get to play by MY rules too. And I get to spend (or save) my $$ where *I* choose. I choose not to frequent their shop. F'em.

 

And they're going to say whatever they want to say to not mount 'em. (Oh, they're Blems. Oh, we don't know if they were damaged in shipping. Oh, our insurance won't cover it. Oh, those tires are black.) BTDT.

 

If you have the ability... do 'em yourself. You'll save SOOO much $$, time, and aggrivation by changing them yourself. The only PITA about it is the disposal of the old... I've found that car shops will take them if you pay them the disposal fee. (Something like $4/tire here in VA). If this is not an option, try to find a repair shop (no sales) in your area... perhaps someone who specializes in Dirt Bikes. (This is where I've had the most luck prior to doing it myself.)

 

FWIW,

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For my other bike (1200 Sportster), I had good luck buying Michelin Commanders made for American V-twins at a good price at american motorcycle tire. Prices have gone up some to mount and balance a loose tire/wheel combo along with the new tire when you bring it in. Our local Harley dealer knows it gravy doing these and does not object. It would really piss me off if I brought in a tire to a shop and they refused to mount it. My price last month to mount and balance a new rear tire (loose) was 1/2 hour labor, which with the tax and everything worked out to $42. Hourly rate there is now $75 an hour. Its .8 hours if they do it per tire, so it would be 1.6 hours labor to do both tires or $120 labor alone. I can see why people are doing it themselves now- especially you guys that put on thousands of miles a year and go through 3 sets of tires a year!

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Blue Beemer Dude

I bought tires at my local dealer once... paid full retail plus mounting and balancing fees. The next time I decided to buy via Internet and the bastards refused to mount it for me. The local multibrand place did it for me though. Now my local dealer has changed owners and they will mount tires bought elsewhere (although they insist that they have the DOT stickers on them so that they know they're not used) but they still want $35 each to do them... so I still go to my multibrand dealer and let them do it for $20 each. At $40 about once a year, I can't really justify buying the equipment and doing it myself... mostly because I'm lazy.

 

Michael

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If you've got a Cycle Gear store nearby, you may wanna go in and check their prices. I recently bought another pair of Pilot Roads and the Cycle Gear price was within $5-6 of SWMoto Tires.

 

AND they mounted and balanced for ~$11/tire! (IIRC)

 

M

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I always take the print out from SW Moto to my local dealer and he has always met or was within 5-10 of SW. I like to have my local dealer and this way he makes money and i don't get raped. I think it is only fair to give my local guy a chance and if he doesn't measure up then I can go elsewhere.

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You might want to check with a guy named Phil in Concordia KS. He's hard to beat on price and service and he's a good guy to boot. Search on California Phil and you will find his website.

 

He is a member of the ffb/mc sight. I know Phil & he is a good dude.

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I bought tires at my local dealer once... paid full retail plus mounting and balancing fees. The next time I decided to buy via Internet and the bastards refused to mount it for me.

 

It's always surprised me that people get upset when dealers, who are in business to sell and mount tires, decide (completely within their legal bounds) to not mount tires from a source they are not comfortable with.

 

If you brought in a steak you bought elsewhere, to your local restaurant, would you expect them to cook it for you? Or would they be "bastards" if they refused?

 

A dealer has to balance customer satisfaction against liability exposure. Suppose the tires you got from mail order were blems, or had hardened sitting in a sun-baked backstreet warehouse for six months. And you got injured, or worse, because of them. Believe me, your heirs and their attorneys would also go after the dealer.

 

Dealers don't refuse out of spite. It's a liability issue. Some are willing to take the chance. Others are not. If it was your business, would you risk it everything you've spent decades building on a tire whose status, current shelf life and condition you know nothing about? It's a tough call.

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Dealers don't refuse out of spite. It's a liability issue. Some are willing to take the chance. Others are not. If it was your business, would you risk it everything you've spent decades building on a tire whose status, current shelf life and condition you know nothing about? It's a tough call.

 

No offense meant, but I have to say that this reason sounds like a bit of a smokescreen to me. It doesn't seem to be a tough call for automobile tire dealers, who will almost always cheerfully mount and balance customer-supplied tires. Maybe motorcycles are a bit more touchy regarding liability, but automobiles have tire-related accidents too and tire dealers don't seem to be afraid of losing their businesses when they mount a tire for me.

 

I don't disagree that it is completely the business owner's right to refuse to mount customer-suppled tires for whatever reason he chooses... but it does tend to leave a bad taste in potential customers mouths when they do this. There is a local dealer here who seems very nice in most other ways but 'proudly' (referring to his attitude) refuses to mount tires that he hasn't sold. If it is truly and solely for liability reasons then I guess I would understand, but I don't think that's really the case (nor does he even make that claim), and that fact makes me kind of hesitant to want to deal with this guy. But then again maybe I'm being unfair, I don't know...

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No offense meant, but I have to say that this reason sounds like a bit of a smokescreen to me. It doesn't seem to be a tough call for automobile tire dealers, who will almost always cheerfully mount and balance customer-supplied tires. Maybe motorcycles are a bit more touchy regarding liability, but automobiles have tire-related accidents too and tire dealers don't seem to be afraid of losing their businesses when they mount a tire for me.

 

I don't disagree that it is completely the business owner's right to refuse to mount customer-suppled tires for whatever reason he chooses... but it does tend to leave a bad taste in potential customers mouths when they do this. There is a local dealer here who seems very nice in most other ways but 'proudly' (referring to his attitude) refuses to mount tires that he hasn't sold. If it is truly and solely for liability reasons then I guess I would understand, but I don't think that's really the case (nor does he even make that claim), and that fact makes me kind of hesitant to want to deal with this guy. But then again maybe I'm being unfair, I don't know...

 

I don't disagree that there are a few dealers who may do it out of spite. Certainly mailorder businesses run out of cheap warehouses do hurt their business when they (dealers) are expected to maintain clean, modern, customer-friendly facility with all their attendant costs. I probably should have made it clear that MOST dealers don't do it out of spite.

 

As for automobile dealers, there you're dealing with an accepted mainstream mode of transportation. No one calls cars "murdercycles" or "death machines" as ignorant/uninformed members of the public, or even one's family, often do to motorcycles. And motorcycle tires (as are motorcycles) are VERY different. A car tire fails, you limp to the side of the road. A bike tire fails, chances are fair you might go down, in traffic, or into something, depending on the severity and effect of the deflation. Lawyers, like people, like the path of least resistance. A liability case against a motorcycle tire warehouse, and a dealer, seems a lot easier to win in front of a jury than one against the same people on the car side.

 

Seriously, it is primarily a case of liability. Still, I wouldn't disagree that at the same time a dealer's concern about said liability might enable him to drive home a point about supporting those whom you want to support you. It does work both ways. But among all the dealers I deal with, meet with, train with, and have discussions with, it's a fear of litigation that drives those decisions. And as more and more are sued, more and more will refuse to mount externally supplied tires. You can blame dealers if you like. But to a great extent, they're as much victims here as the customer feels he is. Dealers are not in business to turn away money, even if it's less than they feel it should be. So when they do, there's usually a compelling reason behind it.

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My dealer did say it was a liability, i just really thought he was telling me that tires bought on net were not good tires, he also talked about proper balancing tires, you really have to consider all when you are putting tires on a motorcycle that will run 130mph, thanks for all the input from everyone thumbsup.gif

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As for automobile dealers, there you're dealing with an accepted mainstream mode of transportation. No one calls cars "murdercycles" or "death machines" as ignorant/uninformed members of the public, or even one's family, often do to motorcycles. And motorcycle tires (as are motorcycles) are VERY different. A car tire fails, you limp to the side of the road. A bike tire fails, chances are fair you might go down, in traffic, or into something, depending on the severity and effect of the deflation. Lawyers, like people, like the path of least resistance. A liability case against a motorcycle tire warehouse, and a dealer, seems a lot easier to win in front of a jury than one against the same people on the car side.

 

Seriously, it is primarily a case of liability. Still, I wouldn't disagree that at the same time a dealer's concern about said liability might enable him to drive home a point about supporting those whom you want to support you. It does work both ways. But among all the dealers I deal with, meet with, train with, and have discussions with, it's a fear of litigation that drives those decisions. And as more and more are sued, more and more will refuse to mount externally supplied tires. You can blame dealers if you like. But to a great extent, they're as much victims here as the customer feels he is. Dealers are not in business to turn away money, even if it's less than they feel it should be. So when they do, there's usually a compelling reason behind it.

Good points Fernando, and well stated. Maybe I'll rethink my views on this topic.
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I would agree with this if you didn't all use and sell the same tires. If I bring in a set of tourances, and they have a recent date, there is no good reason not to mount them.

 

Jim cool.gif

 

PS of course most will, for $45 a tire. dopeslap.gif

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I Bought my last set at Motorcycle Pro Shop www.motorcycleproshop.com

 

Good service, great prices, good price on delivery for Michelins. I'm up in Vancouver, and I had them shipped to a Blaine Washington address, then drove down and picked them up myself. They cost me WAY less (not much more than 50%) than the usual ripoff prices that dealers up here in Canada charge. Then I mounted and balanced them myself to save even more.

 

Bob.

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Fernando makes a good point, but it does not necessarily have to do with liability.

 

I own my own business where we analyze organizations to identify changes that help the organization while increasing employee satisfaction. Projects typically include a diagnosis through a proprietary employee survey process.

 

Occasionally people bring me surveys that they have constructed (often poorly). They want me to administer their survey, then write them a report. I don't. Either we do the whole project or they can do it. If they are smart enough to construct their own measurement device, they should be smart enough to administer it, analyze the data and write a report.

 

There is nothing wrong with buying tires and mounting them yourself. If a shop will do it for you -- great. But I don't fault the shops that want to control the entire part-labor stream. If their prices encourage me to buy my own mounting equipment, that's what's great about an open marketplace.

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I would be much more inclined to buy the tires from the dealer if they were close to competitive. Paying way too much for the tires, and also a premium mounting cost is not an option.

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If liability is the sole issue, why doesn't a dealer get the customer to sign a liability waiver?

A liability waiver doesn't mean you can't sue, it just means you're unlikely to win. And if you can convince a jury that this professional should have noticed that glaring imperfection (which must have existed before the accident)...the waiver goes out the window.

 

Mike

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If liability is the sole issue, why doesn't a dealer get the customer to sign a liability waiver?

A liability waiver doesn't mean you can't sue, it just means you're unlikely to win. And if you can convince a jury that this professional should have noticed that glaring imperfection (which must have existed before the accident)...the waiver goes out the window.

 

Mike

 

Actually a liability waiver (with very limited exceptions) means that the average person will be fooled into thinking they cannot sue and as a result will not bother to try. A good lawyer can nearly 100% of the time beat a waver for the simple fact that you cannot sign away your rights to sue for something that has yet to happen....but most folks think you can and so it cuts down on the # of lawsuits once something happens....

 

Having said all that I fully agree that a dealership has every right not to mount tires I bring them...why should they? But if they will not (or want big $$$ to do it) then they have every right to expect me to take my $$ elsewhere...

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