tire mounting

[PPS26]

im trying to plan summer pricing and may perhaps change the way i price tire installs on motorcycles, whats everyones input who go to shops and have their motorcycle tires mounted on what a fair price is on and off the bike like if you drove the bike into the dealer, or of you just brought rims, ill tell you what our rate right now is

just wheels-buy the tire from us $25.00
bring your own tire in $40-60

bring bike to us-buy the tires from us $25.00
bring your own tires-sport bike $40.00
cruiser- $40 frt $60 Rear

[DuncanMoto]

Is your on the bike off the bike pricing the same?

[R7]

I think $40 per wheel is OK if you're bringing your bike in and a tire.
My local dealer last time I had a tire changed there, I brought in the rim and a new tire and it was $22.00 mounted and balanced.

[DucDave]

Tricky Mike on the Forum...

PM Me for Tire Changing

[markbvt]

Full disclosure: I do my own tire changes the old-fashioned way with tire irons and balance them manually. This is because it takes me a lot less time to do everything myself than to pull the wheels, drive them over to a shop, have the tires mounted/balanced there, then drive back home and reinstall the wheels.

That said, I've never been to a shop that I think has a fair price on tire mounting/balancing (not including places that do it manually). With a machine, it takes minutes and does not take much effort on the mechanic's part, so to be completely honest, I find the usual shop prices kind of insulting.

In my opinion, a fair price (when bringing in just the wheels) would be $10-15 per tire, plus cost of necessary wheel weights. If the customer is buying the tire from the shop, mounting should be free aside from the cost of supplies (I have yet to find a shop that can match online prices, so this would be a way for shops to draw customers who might otherwise just shop online).

If the customer brings in the bike and the mechanic has to pull the wheels, then charge the normal shop labor rate for however long it takes.

When I used to have my car's snow tires mounted and dismounted seasonally (only had one set of rims), it cost me $50 for all four tires, including putting the car up on the lift and pulling the wheels, then reinstalling them after. No reason motorcycle tires should be so much more expensive to mount.

In the meantime, I'll continue to change my own tires for free.

--mark

[hondarider102]

i think tricky mike does a great job for much cheaper and i get my tires way cheaper than what you would sell them for!

[GixerJockey]

Here's what I used at Ct Power and Sport


Wheels only, buys tires = Free ($4.00 per wheel for weights)
Wheels only, brings tires = $30 per wheel plus weights


Customer brings bike, (sportbikes, most cruisers, no bags):

$30 front axel
$40 rear axel

[Speed Demon 828]

This is what we charge


off the bike $40 per wheel out the door. If it's our tire or your tire. That's including tax, weights, stems, tire disposal fee.

on the bike-

sport bikes- $100. plus tax

cruisers - $133 plus tax

I think the days of $10 tire changes are gone. There is a lot more than the actual time of changing a tire that goes into this pricing. i.e. insurance, labor, electricity, machine costs.

Wherever you end up going remember brick and mortar shops charge more because they have to have things like insurance in case something happens to your bike while it's in their shop. When you bring your bike to someone with out a license or insurance you have no protection.

[markbvt]

There is a lot more than the actual time of changing a tire that goes into this pricing. i.e. insurance, labor, electricity, machine costs.

That's all factored into the labor rate.

As far as I'm concerned shops should charge accordingly -- if an off-the-bike tire change takes ten minutes and the labor rate is $60/hr, charge $10 plus parts.

Charging massively increased rates for simple tasks like tire changes is gouging the consumer.

--mark

[Fitz]

I *think* Jim Pidgeon in Manchester, NH had a price increase... but as recent as last early last year he was $20 per tire for M&B off the bike. I don't know about any other options as I've always brought him tires and rims and disposed of my old carcasses personally.

Fitz

[CEO]

That's all factored into the labor rate.

As far as I'm concerned shops should charge accordingly -- if an off-the-bike tire change takes ten minutes and the labor rate is $60/hr, charge $10 plus parts.

Charging massively increased rates for simple tasks like tire changes is gouging the consumer.

--mark

Huge to that.

I find it funny that most common services at a motorcycle shop (or any shop for that matter) are charged based on how much time they take and the service rate. (i.e. a valve adjustment takes such and such time, so the cost is rate x time) but that tire changes are not, they are always some unreasonable fixed fee.

[Speed Demon 828]

I don't know anyone that MOUNTS & BALANCES & CLEANS A TIRE IN TEN MINUTES. I'm not trying to split hairs. Has it been done I'm sure. But you take the average amount of time and use that for your flat rate.

If you want your tire mounted only I can see ten minutes. But done the right way it takes longer.

Also most shops have a minimum labor rate of .5

[Fitz]

This is what we charge

off the bike $40 per wheel out the door. If it's our tire or your tire. That's including tax, weights, stems, tire disposal fee.

What's your shop labor rate?

Fitz

[Speed Demon 828]

$70

[rice_rocket]

Who does changes near natick? or have a shop? I have a warranty issue I want to deal with.

[markbvt]

I don't know anyone that MOUNTS & BALANCES & CLEANS A TIRE IN TEN MINUTES. I'm not trying to split hairs. Has it been done I'm sure. But you take the average amount of time and use that for your flat rate.

If you want your tire mounted only I can see ten minutes. But done the right way it takes longer.

Before I mounted/balanced my own tires, I used to take the wheels to one of the local shops. I watched them do it several times. It never took them more than about ten minutes to mount and balance. I don't need them to clean my tire for me.

Maybe they have different machines that do the job quicker than your shop's, I don't know.

For reference: I changed the rear tire on my V-Strom on Saturday afternoon. Working at a very casual pace, the actual mounting/balancing part of the job took me maybe 45 minutes -- using a C-clamp, plastic wedge, and rubber mallet to break the bead and tire irons to get the old tire off and the new one on, and balancing by putting the axle on two jack-stands, spinning the tire to find the heavy spot, and applying weights till the tire was balanced. With a mounting machine and spin balancer, these tasks take very little time.

Also most shops have a minimum labor rate of .5

I have no interest in paying a shop for work they're not doing.

--mark

[Crash Dummy Denno]

Huge to that.

I find it funny that most common services at a motorcycle shop (or any shop for that matter) are charged based on how much time they take and the service rate. (i.e. a valve adjustment takes such and such time, so the cost is rate x time) but that tire changes are not, they are always some unreasonable fixed fee.

Quit your bitchin! You never pay to change your tires you nancy, you always just come over and bat those eyes at me and I do the change for free... (in my underpants)

[BLACK SQUIRREL]

Before I mounted/balanced my own tires, I used to take the wheels to one of the local shops. I watched them do it several times. It never took them more than about ten minutes to mount and balance. I don't need them to clean my tire for me.

Maybe they have different machines that do the job quicker than your shop's, I don't know.

For reference: I changed the rear tire on my V-Strom on Saturday afternoon. Working at a very casual pace, the actual mounting/balancing part of the job took me maybe 45 minutes -- using a C-clamp, plastic wedge, and rubber mallet to break the bead and tire irons to get the old tire off and the new one on, and balancing by putting the axle on two jack-stands, spinning the tire to find the heavy spot, and applying weights till the tire was balanced. With a mounting machine and spin balancer, these tasks take very little time.



I have no interest in paying a shop for work they're not doing.

--mark

But isn't The point of this thread to determine The cost if you were to go to A dealer To have tires mounted. Not How much you hate dealers or How good you are at doing your own tires. Some of us Do it Ourselves Some of us have connections of Bring our rims to the races ect. Outside of the racing track day groups Not a lot of people Have front and rear stands or feel comfortable working on their wheels.

I think all of the prices eric mentioned are fair

[PPS26]

just trying to get as much positive feed back as possible

[Speed Demon 828]

I'm not going to argue with you Mark. I'm just telling you why we charge what we charge.

We use the best equipment and take pride in our quality and workmanship.

If you don't like having to pay someone to change your tires than good for you!

[PPS26]

rick can change a rear tire on a gsxr in 7 minutes and balance it... not that he always does it that fast but just because a good flat rate mechanic can do the work in a fast manner doesnt mean the shop should only make 10 bucks

[FireboltEric_MA]

Quit your bitchin! You never pay to change your tires you nancy, you always just come over and bat those eyes at me and I do the change for free... (in my underpants)

Attachment 18806 Underpants please!

[Speed Demon 828]

rick can change a rear tire on a gsxr in 7 minutes and balance it... not that he always does it that fast but just because a good flat rate mechanic can do the work in a fast manner doesnt mean the shop should only make 10 bucks

I hear ya. You know it's about averages though. What you do when you get a Goldwing in your shop? Or a laced wheel, or a wheel off an older bike that is all corroded and needs to be wire brushed/painted. Or the wheel is breaking balls and the bead doesn't wanna seat or it won't balance and you have to rotate the tire?

We just try to charge a fair price, every tire/wheel is different. Some are way easier than others.

[MysteriousR1]

Both tires mounted and balanced for $30-$40 is fair in my opinion. Its not cheap to run a buisness and sometimes you need to make up some income where you can, trust me i get it. But, $75-$100 for tires mounted is just nuts and i would look else where. Off the bike prices ofcourse.

And shops need to start charging reasonable prices on tires. Its quite sicking to found out the mark up that you have been paying when you find them on the web. Im all for helping my local shop but im not going to overpay either.

[Degsy]

Wirelessly posted (BlackBerry8330/4.5.0.77 Profile/MIDP-2.0 Configuration/CLDC-1.1 VendorID/105)

Shops pay more for tires than the online places sell them for. I charge $20 a tire plus $7 disposal to mount and balance on a loose rim. Going to go up to $25 this year probably. That includes cleaning the rim while its on the machine so I can balance it correctly.