reason number 4080 to DIY

[raylarrabee]

I went to the trouble of taking the wheels off my little GS and taking them to the dealer to get new tires mounted, figuring that this would cut costs some. Apparently I misunderstood the guy when he said $49 to mount tires.  Apparenlty it is $49 per tire!

I left the shop at 1:34 pm.  At 2:38, I get the call that the new tires are on.  Now, the fast service is good...but the price?  Well, at $72 an hour labor rates, they somehow did $102.90 worth of work!   Not sure exactly how that's possible.


Sh*t!   :guns:
Fu*k!  :x

This is somewhere near the top of my list of times I've felt ripped off.

[sprint_9]

Talk about a joke, I hate stealers.  If I was you that would be the last time I do any business with them.

[Ry_Guy]

Thieving bastards....I called my local mechanic and asked what they charge to mount my tires:
$25-35 per tire (if bought from them)
$49-64 per tire (if I bought the tires elsewhere)
And I heard a tire mount takes all of 15-20 minutes a tire. Kind of makes me wish I was a professional bike monkey. I could wipe away the competition with honest rates and still make money.

[crash]

15-20 minutes a tire?
you're talking about putting a new tire on a rim?

i don't know if it's different for bikes, but the last time i had new tires put on my car, it took them longer to take the wheel off than to get the new tire on.... a machine does it in about 30 seconds.

[dgyver]

Derek (aka Stickboy of //www.dbmotorsportsracing.com) has removed, mounted, and balanced a tire in about 5-6 minutes...and that is while we are talking. People give me a hard time about driving as far as I do to have tires mounted but service with respect is well worth it.

[Blueknyt]

ive made my own bead breaker, ive used Tirespoons and 2x8x 10' long plank and jumped on it to break beads before that.  i change all my own tires, if i cant pull the wheels, and if i can, the shop will mount them for nothing if they are off the bike they only charge for ballencing if i want it. almost never do.  if it vibrates too much i unbead it again and turn it 90* and rebead.  most of the Anal shops i know only charge 10$ a tire to mount if you bring them the tire.

[raylarrabee]

unfortunately, there are only two other shops inthe area that I know of (Cycles USA and CAD Cycles), and they have a reputation for being expensive and corrupt, respectively.  I tried this place because it was a small shop that doesn't even sell used bikes.  Plus, it's right around the corner from my house.  

I guess 99% of bike shops just rip you off because they can--there's so few that they know you have no choice other than DIY.

Oh well, at least the tires are on.  :dunno:

[Ry_Guy]

How hard/ pain-in-the-arse is it to take the tires off and put back on? I'll do that if it saves me time and money....and if I don't screw it up

[raylarrabee]

there are several posts about it.  It looks doable (with some tire irons, something to break the beads and a ton of elbow grease), but I figured I'd spend at least $30 making the equipment to break the bead and then more on irons, and thought the shop would be cheaper.  

Apparenlty, I was incorrect.

[Gisser]

How hard/ pain-in-the-arse is it to take the tires off and put back on? I'll do that if it saves me time and money....and if I don't screw it up

Let's just say the first time or two it can be a very challenging job.  Took me an hour to mount and dismount my first tire and I had some decent tools to work with.  It goes easier after that.  Some say that the simple JC Whitney tire changer, though not automatic, helps alot and costs little.  As for what shops charge, it's a free country, if anybody thinks they can earn a decent living changing tires for 10-to-20.00 a pop there ain't no one stopping you from trying. :nana:

[starwalt]

I think the real issue here is...to use a famous quote..."failure to communicate." You don't always get what you deserve. You get what you negotiate.

The shop should have told you up front what the costs were going to be - plain and simple.  My personal mechanic always calls me to tell me that this particular job is going to cost "X" and asks if it is OK to go on.

"Corrupt", "stealer". etc. are an understandable response. We, the consumers, must be plain and blatant with information about what we will and will not pay for or how we want a job done. Real craftsmanship and integrity are hard to find.

I am sorry you had the experience. Reminds me of the donor GS chassis I bought. It was the only one in the boneyard at a local "outlaw" shop. I asked the guy the day before how much for the hulk (bent forks, broken front rim, no engine, no plastics, left in rain forever...hell there was even a tree growing out of it!). He said, $35. Cool, I'll be back with a truck tomorrow.

The next day the price was $100. Wow! Hmmm?  I didn't mention the price increase, but just told him, "Oh man, I've got a line on another GS with an engine and everything  for $75.00 (I acutally did have a prospect, but it was $100..now we were sorta even). I guess I'll just ride an hour or so and pick that one up instead." I really needed the extra bits and pieces. It left with me then for $75. I made the a$$hole give me a receipt.

Did I get ripped off? Maybe yes, maybe no. I negotiated another price cheaper than his attempted rip off. I will never go to his place again, of course . GSTwinners are way better to deal with!

[Shon]

WOW! 100 $ for mounting two tires?!!
I bought Metzeler 150/70 tire a week ago i took my bike to a nearest tire shop.I paid them 700 DINARS,thats about 12$ to take off the old one and to put the new one on.
I gues that afterall there are some good things in Serbia  

[denman]

forget the dam dealer's  find a non dealer bike shop they are cooler and for the most part cheeper.    see ya.

[scootr9718]

I paid $13 bucks this summer to have a rear 140/80-17 mounted...I took the wheel off, they swapped out tires....maybe i'm spoiled, but I like 13 bucks...

[weaselnoze]

i went to my two local dealers today to do a lil tire shopping.  i now have decided to buy my tires off the internet, and have someone i know mount them.  for a set of bt 45's the dealer wanted almost 300.  plus 30 a tire OFF the bike, plus tax for everything. eff that.  i'd rather ride on bicycle tires.

[weaselnoze]

oh yea.. can a auto tire place mount/balance them? cause if so i could get it done for about 20 for both..

[Mk1inCali]

My local Yamaha shop charges 15 bucks/tire off the bike.  They were done fast and didn't f with my rims.  Maybe I'm lucky???

[davipu]

ok, brit bike shops will always have better service, cheeper. go find a triumph dealer. they can always order what you need 10% under the suzuki price.  

and changing tires, all it takes is
a squirt bottle of soapy water (dish soap works the best.  
2 18 inch bar clamps
a rag
1.00 in quaters
2 ratchet straps, pull straps work too but ratchets are faster
and 45 minutes  per tire

[Gisser]

My local Yamaha shop charges 15 bucks/tire off the bike. They were done fast and didn't f with my rims. Maybe I'm lucky???

Yes.  Especially if you brought them an Internet tire.

[Gisser]

oh yea.. can a auto tire place mount/balance them? cause if so i could get it done for about 20 for both..

If they can't sell you a tire, they won't be very interested.