So I went to the dealer yesterday. I'm new to the area and don't really know the local dealer yet.

They advertise that they have Monday service specials for tires and oil changes. OK. Went to check it out. Need a new front tire.

The "special" for a new front tire installed for my Sporty was $291!!!!!!!!!!!!!

My old dealer back in Montana charged actual cost of tire & tube and then $35 for mounting/balancing.

$291!!!! I didn't know if I should laugh or puke.

Needless to say, I found an indy a couple towns away who will do it for less than half of the dealer's price.

 

Wow!!! I just pad $254 for 2 tires shipped. Add the $50 a local indy wants to mount them and you have $294. Now granted I have to pull the wheels but that gives me a chance to inspect stuff.
BTW- Local dealer would not mount them because I didn't buy them from them. Screw them!!! I will send my business to the local Indy anyday cause of crap like that.

 

Yup they just don't want that arm and a leg anymore, they want it all.

 

About same around here. Need to be a doctor or lawyer around here to afford a Harley unless you do like me an get a cast off from one. Dr's and lawyers grovel to the owner of the local Harley shop.

 

$291 is a lot of $. that said, less than half of that is a killer deal.

i just changed my front tire on my fxst.
mounted it myself.
i paid about $100 for the tire off ebay, let the local dealer have their way with me for a new tube @ $25...for a total of $125. i use duct tape for rim strip.

hard to imagine anyone doing it for $145 tire & tube included

 

Just reading the title, I knew my answer would be yes. Nothing they charge for anything would surprise me.

 

My son and I just changed the front and rear tires on his 06 Street Bob for our trip to the Pacific Coast Highway trip starting this Sat. morning.

The new Dunlop's with new tubes and rim strips on the internet with no sales tax and free shipping was at $300.

Changing the tires, balancing, checking the spokes and truing took about 4 hours. Everything was spot on. Loctite and torque wrenches were used.

It is the third set that we have done in as many years. I have the HF tire changer and wheel balancer.

No real skill involved. I just can not pay what the dealers want to do it.

Plus, I do not believe that the dealer would be better at truing the spokes or balancing as I am. I have done only a few motorcycle rims but I have done several thousand bicycle rims. Same difference except size and specs.

Those wheels were dead nuts when we were finished. I have been doing my own tire replacement since the 70's. I used to do it all my hand until a few years ago when I got fancy with the HF tire changed.

 

That's basic retail. Dealers have huge overheads where my buddy down the street doesn't. Once I have everything I need I'm going down the street and have him do the work I need done. He could care less where I got the parts.

 

Let me guess....Would this particular "Stealer" be located at HWY 99 and 188th st..?

 

The price for the tire installed is a little steep, but not unheard of. Still I don't think anyone (dealer or indy) around here will do it for $35, unless you bring the wheel in.

With the way prices on other tires (cars, trucks, lawn mowers, golf carts etc) have gone up (pretty much doubled in the last year or so) I'm surprised that I still see that the prices on bike tires have been pretty stable.