Since there have been several tire questions over the last day or so, I was wondering what Kind of Labor and Shop Prices are Dealers charging for a Rear tire swap? That would be for example; taking off my stock 240mm and then mounting, balancing and setting the new 250mm tire back on my bike? Can all HD dealers equipment handle the installation of a 250mm? Sorry but this is one area where I am Totally GREEN!!!

NewfieRocker

 

I just finished installing my front and rear tires, hells yes. Well we to a local shop for mounting and balancing...cost me 29.00 each since I brough in the wheels to them. If they were going to do the labor it would have been somewhere around 225.00. I looked into the whole 250 tire thing and its a great idea if you have went ahead and changed the sprocket and width of the drive belt...if not I would take heed. There are alot of threads concerningn the 250 tire.

Personally I went with a 100/90 metz front and 240 Avon cobra rear. Service manual does a good job explaining removal/installation. If you do decide to remove the tire, you will need a 14mm hex for the front and a 19mm for the rear axles along with some anti-seize lotion for the axles. Dont forget to mark the spacers (left or right and also axle side and fork side) I failed to do the latter however, just guessed that the greasy side of the spacer went against the bearing casing.

Seems like everytime I try something on that scoot I need some new tool that I aint ever seen before! Good luck!

 

Indy charges $25 each if I carry in my wheels and new tires, $60 if you bring in bike and let them do it all. The Stealership where I bought my bike will not mount carry in unless you bought it there and charge $40 each if they just mount and balance, or $89 front, $99 rear if they mount, balance and install on bike. Buy a lift and service manual and do yourself and save $$$ and know it was done right.

 

That's just about what they want here too, and your right, you need to get a service manual!!!!
As far as I'm concerned the service and parts manuals should at least be listed as a $10 option when you buy the bike like laced wheels or paint type. If you have any interest in doing your own maintenance, the things are worth their weight in gold.

However I do take issue with the statement that they save you money.

Unless you have been doing your own work for a long time and already have a reasonably extensive tool collection (fortunately I do) I seriously doubt they save you a hell of a lot, if anything.

Its my belief that what money they do save you on dealer and indy labor costs ends up being more than offset by what you spend on new tools and a continuously expanding list of goodies once you figure out how easy it is to do a lot of the work yourself.

Anyway as to the subject at hand. I needed to get my bike inspected this month so I took it in to my local indy dealer yesterday. I was told there that while my rear tire is still legal (8100 miles), it's only that way because he didn't want to push too hard on the tread depth gauge.

This came as no surprise, I 'had' fully expected to be needing one much earlier in the year and would have if the 'riding season' hadn't been so wet and cold this year?. I didn't get the chance to wear it out 'properly'.

He gave me a price of $179.95 mounted and balanced for the stock 200mm Dunlop tire if I pulled the wheel off myself. About thirty bucks more if I had them do the whole thing.



PS I'm going to move this thread over to the General Section. Its not 'strictly' a Softail kind of thing, and maybe it'll get more attention and responses over there.

 

30 carry in and 80 drive in or 200 for tire and free install