Tire Mounting Cost

JJTJ2

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My son is needing a new set of shoes for his bike. He called and got a quote for a set of Michelin Road 5's for front and rear. He also got a quote for a set of Dunlop Trail Smart 3's. The tires were about what I was expecting. What I wasn't expecting was an additional quote of $200 to mount them. Does this seam reasonable to everyone?
 

Kyle_E

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Bringing in the bike? Or bringing in the wheels?

Here the only independent (non harley only) shop left charges $40 (1/2 hour labor) if you bring him the wheel. $80 (1 hour labor) if you bring him the bike per tire. He does give a discount if you buy the tires from him, but not enough for the times I've had him quote a set.

Cycle gear charges $55+ it takes them 3 days per tire if you bring them the wheel. They will not remove wheels from bikes.
 
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Cycledude

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Well at $100+ per hour shop rate it doesn’t seem to far off if that includes removing the wheels and re installing them on the bike.
For the Tenere I remove the wheels myself and take them to the dealer to get the tires mounted, they charge $20 per wheel and a couple $ extra if I ask them to change valve stem.
For the Goldwing I mount the tires myself with homemade tire changer.
 
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regder

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I pay $50CAD (~$40USD) to mount a pair of tires off the bike. I think it's about $200 on the bike.

I've been quoted as much as $180CAD off the bike, have to shop around.
 
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MFP

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My son is needing a new set of shoes for his bike. He called and got a quote for a set of Michelin Road 5's for front and rear. He also got a quote for a set of Dunlop Trail Smart 3's. The tires were about what I was expecting. What I wasn't expecting was an additional quote of $200 to mount them. Does this seam reasonable to everyone?
Unfortunately tire removal/install costs can vary wildly from place to place. $200 seems about inline with what most M/C dealership's service depts. charge.
Of course M/C dealership's service depts. charge the most while independent M/C specialty repair/tuner shops are usually a bit more reasonable and the tire removal/install is
usually done with more care and concern.
Also note that most M/C dealership's service depts. usually pass off tire removals/installs to the less highly skilled techs.
 

RCinNC

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I don't know if I'd say it's reasonable, but it's probably not out of the norm for a shop to charge that much if they have to take the wheels off the bike. Based on what shops charge for labor, I'd expect to pay in the $150-$200 range for a wheels-on-bike tire change. In the distant past when I actually had a shop change my tires, I took the wheels off and took them in. The last time I did this, I think they charged me $25.00 to mount and balance a tire, but it's been many years since I paid someone else to change my tires.

On the plus side, getting an estimate like that was one of the inspirations for me to learn how to change my own.
 

RCinNC

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I'd probably tell your son to shop that price around to a couple other dealers just to get a comparison in your area. Never hurts to try.
 

MFP

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The more I listen to y'all. . . . the more I appreciate my dealer.
I’m fortunate as I know a fellow M/C enthusiast who has a side hustle removing/mounting tires with all professional grade tools such as a nice No-Mar bolted to his garage floor and an old school static tire balancer. He charges $40 per wheel on the bike but I always give him $50 per because he does a phenomenal job!
*He also uses real nice wheel weights! :cool:
 
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ballisticexchris

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Have your son get a service manual an a few tools. The Super Tenere is very easy to do wheel changes. The tire replacement is as simple as a 10 speed tire. No tube to deal with makes them a breeze. Heck you don't even have to put them in the sun to heat up.

BTW those Road 5's are amazing tires with awesome grip. My durometer rates the center of the tread at just over 60 I think I remember the sidewalls being about 55. This is almost racing slick softness.


62899212-2C2C-4ABE-96FC-1DD0FF5AE3C9.jpeg
 
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JJTJ2

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I can understand if we didn't by the tires from them, but I would have hoped that buying the tires from them they would have cut a deal on mounting. If we had the time it would almost be worth driving to NYC to have your friend do it. Even if he charged me $100/tire, I would rather him have it than the dealer that I don't know. There is a local independent shop in my town. My wife is friends with them. I am going to go see them tomorrow to ask about what they can do.
 
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ballisticexchris

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I see. Rolling the bike in 200.00 seems a little excessive. Depends on shop rate I guess. In my garage it takes less than 30 minutes to R&R wheels and about 1 hour or so taking my time to mount and static balance wheels. In a shop it's less than 15 minutes to mount and balance 2 tires on a machine.
 

MFP

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I can understand if we didn't by the tires from them, but I would have hoped that buying the tires from them they would have cut a deal on mounting. If we had the time it would almost be worth driving to NYC to have your friend do it. Even if he charged me $100/tire, I would rather him have it than the dealer that I don't know. There is a local independent shop in my town. My wife is friends with them. I am going to go see them tomorrow to ask about what they can do.
Sometimes it is best to order the tires on your own and finding an independent repair shop that does not mind just getting paid for the removal/install job.
Check out American Moto Tire.
They have great prices, great service
and the tires usually have great date codes:
I just ordered a new Mich Anakee Adventure front tire from AMT which was delivered in 2 days and it had a 0621 date code. Hope to have the new tire installed next week.
 

Sierra1

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. . . . Also note that most M/C dealership's service depts. usually pass off tire removals/installs to the less highly skilled techs.
Yup, back when I was riding the KZ, I was watching a kid trying to change the back tire. He put a floor jack under the motor, and started lifting. The bike started teetering. He did this several times before he went and got some help. Last time I went to that shop.

Our local shop at the time, same cursed KZ, was raising the lift. . . . but, had forgotten to secure the bike. I don't know at what elevation the bike fell off. . . . the bars were the only casualty. Same shop, now with the RT, unbeknownst to me. . . . put anti-seize on the the lug bolts; single sided swing arm. After a high speed run, I felt the back end wiggle. Kinda felt like a flat tire. My buddy, following behind me, used the highly technical term "womper-jaw" to describe the wheel's condition. When I stopped, and checked the lugs, they were about half way out. When I went back to the shop, they said it was my fault, since I didn't re-check the torque on the lugs. Last time for that shop.

My current shop charged, IIRC, $320 for the two A41s, and mounting; wheels not on the bike.
 

EricV

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His mechanical skills are non existent and that is on a good day. So this will be on the bike.
Then pay the bill and be happy. You're not paying for tire mounting. You're paying for taking up a service bay that could be pulling in serious money on a repair or service job.

The dealers I used to have in OR and UT were charging me $9 to $25 a wheel, off the bike, for tire R&R and balance. Here in MS they want $35-100. They made me buy the stuff to do it myself again, (by charging so much). Now it doesn't cost me anything except my time.
 
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bimota

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my tyre shop fits the tyres to loose wheels free if you buy the tyres from him,

if i ride the bike in its about £40 to take wheels off fit tyres and put whheels back on.

rob
 

OldRider

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Here's what I charge at my shop.

Front tire-$40 Most all bikes
Rear tire-$50 Most all bikes
Rear tire on single sided swingarm-$30
Harley rear-$60-$75
1000-1500 Goldwing rear-$75-$100
Customer brings wheel in-$15
Add $20 for any internet tire.

I will mount darkside tires for the same price with one exception. If it's a 15" car tire, I will mount the tire, but the customer has to take it somewhere else to put air in it. A 15" car tire is smaller than a 15" MC tire and I'm not going to have it blow up in my face.

There are a lot of things that can cause the price to go up.
Frozen axles, frozen brake calipers, aftermarket exhaust, axle end covers with stripped screws,
trailer hitches, all those little stick on lights in the way, stripped nuts and bolts, rusted rims, etc, etc.

Internet tires are $20 higher because liability ins. for a motorcycle shop is very expensive and the internet tire seller gets to make all the profit on the tire sell, while I have to assume all the Liability. I had to buy a new tire changer last year and it has to be paid for.
 
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ballisticexchris

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Oldrider, That is very fair pricing and interesting information. I would feel embarrassed to drop off a bike or my car/truck to a shop that is anything less than clean and well maintained.

It is one of the reasons I like to go to a shop in person and see how the "back of the house" is run.

My buddy who owns a small TM (formerly Beta) dealership helped me upgrade my decompression device on my cam. His only complaint was all the zip ties I used when I rerouted the OEM wiring harness so I can easily swing my subframe out of the way for service. LOL

Internet tires are $20 higher because liability ins. for a motorcycle shop is very expensive and the internet tire seller gets to make all the profit on the tire sell, while I have to assume all the Liability. I had to buy a new tire changer last year and it has to be paid for.
I don't blame you one bit. You know I'm at the age where I'm more and more letting shops do some of the work on my bikes. I would not mind paying a little more for purchasing the tire in house and mounting. That day is going to come....
 

OldRider

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Oldrider, That is very fair pricing and interesting information. I would feel embarrassed to drop off a bike or my car/truck to a shop that is anything less than clean and well maintained.

It is one of the reasons I like to go to a shop in person and see how the "back of the house" is run.
We'll you wouldn't be happy to see my shop. It's a total cluster f***, but I know where everything is. If I needed to put a shoebox on my work bench, I'm going to have to move a lot of stuff around. I might wipe a wrench off when it gets too greasy to hold on to. My toolbox is a roll around cart that I put some dividers in to try and keep tools separate, but the tools are just piled on, one on top of the other, but I have everything I need right there handy and can grab what I need quickly. I've seen some mechanics with a big, clean, well organized tool box along with a big nice clean sterile work bench and they have a hard time figuring out how to adjust a clutch.
 
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