I gladly pay them to do tires! But with a 15 year old bike its not worth taking it in to the dealer. After the warranty runs out I do the indy thing, if I keep the bike that long. I'm on the five year plan right now. That said they picked the most expensive tire out of the book. You could of got a much cheaper tire right from them. Service manager loses a customer.

 

Somebody has to pay for the "free" coffee, donuts, Saturday hamburgers, bike nights etc. Guess it won't be you from now on.

 

Agree 100% Always do whats best for you....

 

Absolutely...I do have loyalty to my indy because he always does me right...great friend to have.

 

Loyalty is EARNED, it is a two-way street and it should not be freely given.... If someone doesn't want to earn my loyalty (synonym for repeat business in this case), so be it.... there is always someone who wants your business... and is willing to earn it...

OP... you said, "Trouble is there is not a lot to choose from up here in Ontario. We have dealers every 70-120 miles and virtually no Indys. A few but they are not in every town." Sounds to me you prior purchases were more a matter of convenience for you, not loyalty to the dealer... and there is nothing wrong with picking a business for the convenience factor.... but as you found out, you can reach the point where the convenience is outweighed by other factors..

I hope you can find someone willing to earn your business (loyalty) that won't be too inconvenient for you.... Good luck...

 

Agree, always change the tube...not worth $$$ for risk.

 

Carbon black and steel, both of which go into tire making have risen in cost. I would expect the prices of tires to change from 2 years ago. As well, always replace tube and rim strips during tire changes. That said, shop around or buy online and install yourself.

 

I anticipate when I will need tires then research and get them on the best sale price. When it's time to change I do that my self. It is a fairly easy job that any ordinary person can do with low cost tire irons from HF.

I save several hundred dollars per wheel over dealer cost and that includes the metric dealers I had during the years.

I do have a HF tire changer and balancer now but did it with spoons for decades.

 

I'm big on loyalty in all respects. Fortunately I have a local indy who supplies the tires and mounts them for what I consider a fair price. I could get them on line for less, but I want him to make a profit on the part in addition to his labor so he will remain in business.

 

The days of getting to know the parts man, sales men, service manager and mechanics, are long gone. With the turnover in employers and new dealership owners / manages. Why do you think there was such a push for HOG? Its all about the money.
KenK