Just happened; my '08 RKC started doing the hula on the highway, got her over easy enough to see a 2 inch screw sticking out of the rear. Since it's a tube, I couldn't try to plug it, so I called HOG assistance that covered the towing charge, but my stealership wants $260+ for the tire and 90 minutes labor plus plus...$485 Canadian!

Considering the $$ I've spent there this year, not even a freak'n break. 90 minutes to swap a tire??? Should I be pissed??? Only had 9000k on the tires that still looked new, they said they wouldn't plug the hole that's directly on the tread, so here's your new $260+ tire!

 

I say yes you should be pissed find an indy my indy puts the tire on for 25 rear 20 front and thats removing it from the bike and reinstalling it

 

It should take no more than 1 hr. They don't patch tube type tires because the heat build up can cause problems between the tube and the tire. If the tube pinches it will blow, ask me how I know?

 

Question,,,, if you have a tube, why in the hell would it matter about a hole in the tire, unless of course it was the size of a quarter?????????? Your stealership ripped you a good one,, Id be pissed!!! If it were my tire, and on a cast wheel, I would patch plug it and go, if it were on a spoke wheel, I would only replace the tube.

 

Ronayers.com gets $107.25 for an MT90/16 Dunlop Elite 3, & $94.98 for an MU90/16 Elite 3. $260 for one tire is just plain theft!

 

Ummm......Why can't you just put in a new tube?

 

You could have spent that money on a new wheel. Don't take your bike back to that shop.

I do my own repairs now. the dealers rip everybody off.

 

Just say "NO!"
- My local indy charges $15.00 for a tube and $45.00 to remove / fix / replace.
If it ain't in the sidewall, there's no need to replace the tire.

sheesh - $485.00 < do I have STUPID written on my forehead? >

 

Maybe I'm missing something here - but the only thing I would be pissed at is the the screw that punctured your tire. I personally never do anything with the first place that quotes me a price. It takes what - 15 - 20 minutes to call around to 3 dealerships and a couple independants to get a quote on parts & labor for something (ok - maybe longer if you have to sit on hold - but still)?

Dealerships are dealerships. Your flat - caused by road debris - is a perfect example of how they stay in business - by unforeseen problems that HD owners need to have fixed. When they constantly have to do warranty repairs or "favors" & discounts for other bs - they need to make up the money in other ways.

I wouldn't be happy about getting a flat - just had a rear tube/tire put on my bike a couple months ago. Stuff happens. I got a new tube/tire and dyna bead balancing by a local indy for about $190 if my memory serves me correct (went with a metzler wide white). But I'm not gonna be PO'd that a dealership, of all places, is gonna quote me a price out the nose for a simple tire repair. Ummm - really? Who woulda thunk it? After all - its perfectly reasonable to pay $50 and up for chincy $6 T-shirts simply because they have the dealerships name and/or HD branding on them, right?

Puh-leeze...ALL dealerships charge out the nose! Cars, bikes, tractors, mowers & snowblowers, etc etc. Even if you have no indy's near by - drop the wheel yourself & bring it up. that saves most of the labor cost. Save more money by being a little patient and buying the parts yourself online at an even bigger savings.

I just fail to see the "shock" at a $485/canadian ($468/US) quote for a rear wheel removal, tire & tube removal, inspection, tire & tube install, balancing and wheel re-install - at a dealership.

Depending on the type of work my bike needs, I weigh few things:

1. Can I do this myself? Is it simple enough for me & will I feel safe afterwards? Do I have the tools?

2. Do I need to have someone else do this?
3. If #2 is a yes, then can I trust an indy to do it (simple tire change) or would I prefer a dealership do it (a certain level of expertise on things like electronic diagnostics maybe since they generally have a higher throughput of bikes and usually, only work on HD's?)
4. Cost. Who's gonna get the job done the best, safest and most cost effective?

My current bike has been to a dealership twice and indy's once. I'm not a wrench / gearhead either, but most of the maintenance tasks are relatively simple; between the service manual I paid $69 bucks for, and these forums, there's rarely something I can't do myself.

As for whether or not you needed a tire along with the tube - being a dealership, and dealing with all the people they deal with - they probably want to cover their butts. I'd insist on changing it all out if I were them too. Of course, I don't know the condition of the old tire. How long did you ride it while "hula'ing"? How big is that hole? You don't want sand & moisture getting into it - and you surely don't want that little hole spreading wide open while you're on the highway and causing you to have a really bad accident - and then come back to them for a lawsuit. Yes, that hole can be patched/covered up - but, again - being a dealership - they probably want to cover their butt. I don't blame'em one bit.

 

Just out of curiosity, what dies 485 Canadian equate to in USD?