Ok all, please provide feedback.

I do not wish to personally change tires out, and will pay a reasonable amount for the service.

New Rear tire time but switching to BW F&B. 07 RK 8500 miles I am thinking E3s.

I am in Northern NJ, USG Salary (Army), with kids and wife, therefore on a budget. moderately skilled with wrenches, plan on pulling wheels and arriving for M&B with tires in hand. (chrome FE Winter Mod planned in between deployments)

I understand micro finance, and small business economy, but...

I can buy front and rear E3s from Ron Ayers for $219

One Local indy will not mount an balance tires not bought from him..."Ok what is your price for E-3s?" $167 Front. $189 Rear, .5 each ($85) M&B. $443; I wonder is this guy the RUB indy that has grown too comfy. He may end up starving.

One non Harley dealer = $80 M&B+ RA cost = $299, not sure about M&B skill sets / quality.

One former NY FF , changed career Indy free Labor but even higher markup on tires. $360

One Custom Indy is my choice for price ($75 M&B), but he stocks no parts, and I cannot give him much more business, as his OH pass through costs me more than ordering OL.

I have not even priced the local HD dealer, but I may. He cannot be worse than local.

Again, please feedback/and or vote.

 

IMO, more than 20 bucks labor a wheel to mount and balance a tire on a wheel carried in is a rip off.

 

Any one else?

 

I found around me that the dealer was a heck of a lot cheaper then three different indy's I tried. Just give the dealer a call on the phone and ask for a carry in. You might be supprised.

 

There is nothing wrong with trying to save money, but I would not expect someone who sells and mounts tires to mount tires that I didn't buy from them. I know alot of guys do, but to me that just isn't right.

I would see that like taking my own bacon and eggs into Denny's and telling them to fix me up a grand slam at a discount.

I do my own wrenching when I feel like it or if I really need to save a few dollars, but if I am going to pay someone to do it, I am going to walk into their shop and play by their rules. Nobody comes into my shop and tells me how to run my business and I don't do that to anyone else. Of course, nobody is forced to do business with me and I am not forced to do business with them.

When it comes to new tires, I think it's easier to mount the tires than it is to take the wheels off the bike, but that's just me. I have changed hundreds of tires from trucks, tractors, combines, bikes, etc. without any high dollar power tools. A good tire iron and a rubber mallet is all you need to get the old tires off and the new ones back on. Balancing is tougher.

If your mind is made up to pay someone else to do it, I would shop around for the best price to buy the tires and have them mounted and balanced at the same shop.

Good luck.

Dennis