When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network.
Had the bike 4 years, hadn't really put much on it the last couple. Needed new rear tire and I had some gift cards for the dealer so I called em up. They had to order the tire. Ok, 2 weeks later it is in and I go to drop it off and I see the work order. $352 for the standard dunlop on my 08. That is the installed price. Their price on the tire is $229. That is a $50 markup from anywhere online that I looked at.
What are you guys paying for 1 tire, installed out the door?
Then I got a call that the wheel bearings need replaced. Ugh, so I am gonna be probably $500 before I get it back.
Tire size and manufacturer will determine price, I.E. an American Elite 180 runs about $225. Not sure what your size or brand. My local Indy will mount and balance one wheel for $50, but I have to remove wheel myself.
I had my rear tire replaced on my ultra classic and it was about $350 out the door.
I could have bought the tire online for about $225 I think, and brought it to cycle gear and they would mount it for $50, but I would have had to deal with taking it off and putting it back on the bike.
For an additional $75 it was worth it to me just to let the dealer do it.
The dealer also told me they would not mount a tire on the rim if I took it off the bike. Not sure why but it surprised me.
Motorcycle tires are expensive. Just the way it is. Dealers always charge top dollar. That's also just the way it is.
As for the wheel bearings, I'd complain to HD. Time was they used proper, serviceable, tapered roller bearings. All you needed to do was clean and re-grease them with every tire change, and they'd last the life of the bike.
Then they switched to the non-serviceable ball bearings, and regular replacement is required.
There are reasons they made that change, but none of them benefit the owner.
I bought tires from motochap. Took to an indy, he charged I wanna say 90 bucks total to mount and balance both tires. I think another 90 or so to swap bearings also, which I also brought in.
Was a pAin only bc I had to do one at a time as I didn't trust my cheap jack with both tires off. Next time I'll prob just buy tires from him and drop bike off.
7 Surprising Harley-Davidson Products that Are Not Motorcycles
Slideshow: The bar-and-shield logo shows up on far more than motorcycles, some of the company's most unexpected products have nothing to do with riding.
Slideshow: From the troubled AMF years to modern misfires, these bikes earned reputations for reliability issues, questionable engineering, or disappointing performance.
Crazy Bunderbike Build Looks Amazing, But Is It Impossible to Ride?
Slideshow: The Swiss custom shop has taken a Harley Softail and stretched it into something so long and low that it looks closer to a rolling sculpture than a conventional motorcycle.
Engraved Rebellion: Inside Bundnerbike's Glam Rock II
Slideshow: A standard cruiser becomes an intricate metal canvas in the hands of a Swiss custom house known for pushing Harley-Davidson platforms far beyond their factory brief.
Slideshow: Harley-Davidson's challenges aren't abstract; they show up in dropping shipments, shrinking dealer traffic, and strategic decisions that aren't yet translating into growth.