This is the one I got. Looks like the regular price is now 49.99, but I got it on sale for 39.99 http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/cta...emnumber=34542

They sell a MC tire attachment that I bought but have never used. Dont need it. Harley tires are a peice of cake and even sport bike 180X17 tires are not bad with just the bottom.

 

Of the two dealers that I go to, one charges 1.5 hrs of labor, the other 1 hr for a rear tire change. When I heard that, I did it myself.

 

Taking the rear wheel/tire off the bike is no big deal. Get the manual and do it yourself. Not only will you save some coin but you will learn about your bike in the process. Local shops will charge $30-$40 to change the tire and balance for you if you take the wheel in to their shop.

 

When the money comes in I'm getting the Harbor Freight tire changer and mounting it on my patio. Never pay for a tire change again! WooHoo! As it is I would always take the wheels only, but this takes it to the next level...

 

120 bucks is highway robbery.

I bought the HF changer just for the bead breaker. I do the rest on a piece of carpet with a couple of tire spoons.

Somebody is gonna be asking about balancing. I do not balance. I just line the sidewall dot up with the valve stem. My bikes ride smooth and my tires last a good life. I've been riding on tires mounted this way for 20 years with no problems.

 

The going rate is 1 and 1/2 hours. It does cost alot, you can save money by doing it yourself, but the dealer is not ripping you off.

 

80 bucks an hour to do a low tech job sure seems like a lot of $$ to me.

 

I heard my local Honda dealer will change the tire for free if you buy the tire from them.I'll be giving them a call tomorrow.

Don't get me wrong,I'm a mechanical contractor and spent years working on my own stuff since I blew the engine in my 2.5 hp Briggs mini bike when I was 10. However at 52 I'm getting lazy.Just as soon pay someone else to do it and be done with it.I'm all for the dealer making money,just not 120 bucks labor to change a tire.There is no way it should take 1.5 hrs on my bike.

 

+ 1 on avoiding the "Stealership".

 

When i started changing my own tires a few years back I was initially concerned about balancing. I talked to some guys at our local speed bike shop and they were all using "dyna beads" for track days and loving it. Other than size and material composition I didn't see a whole lot of gap between what a dyna bead did and what an equal weight of airsoft pellets would do. I use the .2 gram dense pellets. $5 for a good size jug of them at Walmart. The first bike I used them in was my Buell. The bike never rode smoother or felt better. I use 2 oz in a 16" wheel. The pellets only work in tubeless wheels because they are too big for the valve stem. On tube wheels I still have to use dyna beads. Try the beads or pellets and you will be amazed.