[griz440]

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I'm replacing the tires on my 2006 1800 and the local Honda dealer is telling me he won't mount the tires if I don't buy them from him. The BMW/Kawasaki and Victory dealers have said they'd mount them for me and even with the cost of mounting I'm STILL $100 under what the cost would be if Ibought the tires from the Honda dealer and had him mount them.



Have any of you run into this problem?

 

[Bigmick]

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Some dealers are like that. If you dont purchase them and put the money in their pocket,you're out of luck. Some dealers if you tell them you bought them over the internet really get an attitude. But you would think they would try to compete instead of chasing you out the door. With the economy the way it is I dont understand their attitude.

 

[Cousin Jack]

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The Dealers in my area upped their installation prices several years ago......$40 apiece if you had purchased your tires elsewhere, whichadds nearly a c-note every time you need new rubber. I bought a Harbor Freight tire machine, bolted it down in my utility room, and install and balancetires myself..... it ain't rocket science, and it gives me great pleasure to be self-sufficient and not at the mercy of the dealers. I've saved hundreds by purchasing tires on-line and doing it myself......

Also, head mechanics don't do that work in most dealer service bays. They give the job to Joe Snuffy, theminimum wage kidwho's usually sweeping the floors. Heprobably doesn't know anymore than you do about tires and their installation!

 

[luddy]

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Here's one for ya....Stopped at a Honda dealer in Pa. for an oil change. Dealer asked if I bought the bike from them, and I said no, they said they don't work on bikes not bought from them. I asked how their business has been, liked I cared!!!

 

[Winger77]

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CJ,,,,,,,, I assume that tire machine works well with the wing tires?? Motorcycle tires are really tough at times. How does it break the bead,,,,,or do you need a seprate tool for doing that??? Also, what type of tire irons are you useing??

 

[Cousin Jack]

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Hi, Winger! Yeah, motorcycle tires can be tough.......

The machine works with Goldwing tires. Whether it works well or not, I don't know since I've never used any other machine. I break the bead with the little hinged affair visible in the photo on the right side of the machine.....seems to work....

I've only"busted" down and installedtwo sets of tires.... one set for my old 1500 and one set for my old Honda Nighthawk. I also repaired a tire on my KLR but I did that manually, using justmy tire irons, which are 15 inchers, brand RCI (from China)... I think you could do better through Harbor Freight (I bought mine from the Honda Dealer and told him why I was doing it!). There's also a big bar that comes with the Harbor Freight machine.

I did manage to scrape up the rim on my 1500, but I think I can learn enough to keep that from happening.... one thing I might do is dip the tire iron endsinto that plastic stuff in a can, Plasti-coat or something like that...... I am generally satisfied with the machine and plan to do my own Honda ST1300 tires when they are due.... I balance them manually, on a cold steel bar set through the wheel and placed on two jackstands.... I spin and mark, add some stick on weight opposite the mark, and spin and mark and add weight, and spin and mark and add weight.... .seems to work, even if takes forever! I might doll up my balancing bar by adding in-line skate roller wheels to the jackstands..........

 

[durangod]

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Nice workstation!! yep i need one of those...

There are also plenty of vids on youtube that show you how to remove replace and balance your bike tire, i have listed one of each, change and balance, but go to youtube and there are lots more. Peace

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=anyY0UO5gqk&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T2AuivYzaBs&feature=related

 

[morram]

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With all my bikes the Harbor Freight tire machine has more than paid for itself. I've got three bolt mounts for mine, one is outside so I can keep the garage closed up during tire & chain parties.

 

[Cousin Jack]

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luddy wrote:

Here's one for ya....Stopped at a Honda dealer in Pa. for an oil change. Dealer asked if I bought the bike from them, and I said no, they said they don't work on bikes not bought from them. I asked how their business has been, liked I cared!!!

It's crap like this that drove me into doing most of my own work...... and this will eventually kill the Honda Dealer network in this country......

 

[durangod]

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Yeah i agree, they have given me a hard time too on my bike, last i ever spoke to them i basically told them to stick it where the sun dont shine and walked out the door....

here is one specifically for an 1800 tire, even if you dont have the equip maybe it might give you some help maybe making your own setup or something... hope it helps

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0bAe2I84ykc



cool just found a vid on youtube that shows the harbor freight tire changer station too... just fyi

 

[Bagmaster]

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I watched the first one that showed the guy using the Harbor Freight changer. He fought it too much as he didn't have it bolted down to the floor.

 

[Kit Carson]

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The harbor freight tire set up is very functional and all you need for the occasional or more than occasional use to change any motorcycle tire including the somewhat stiff radials for the 1800. I even use it to mount and dismount very stiff Run Flat Car Tires.

There is a learning curve when you first use one, but once you learn to keep the tire bead down into the center of the rim, it is a very easy job. I can take a tire of in less than a minute and mount a new one in the same amount of time. Less then 3 minutes and the new tire is on the rim.

I have done a few things to mine though, I drilled a hole completely through the whole thing down where the bottom part slips up into the top rim clamp assembly. That holds it without twisting and breaking the little clip and stop gadget is. (that little pin that flops around and does not hold a thing) I installed a 3/8 grade 8 bolt through it there.

I took some leather and cut some strips and using contact cement lined the rim clamps with leather. This holds the rim well and stops it from slipping and marking the rim.

The mount/dismount red bar that comes with the thing is not so hot, and it will mark and scratch up your rims. So I purchased a No Mar mount/dismount bar to use . It has replaceable dismount tips made of nylon and has two mount tips spaced just right to install a tire with.

I also took the top part of the rim clamp off the square part the comes up and over and is supposed to hold the top of the metal rod while you use the mount/dismount bar. I find I have no need of that and it just gets in my way.

Very little actual force is needed to mount and dismount the tires, the secret is to keep the bead down in the center part of the rim, when you learn to do that, it becomes quite an easy task. I normally hold the tire down with one hand and use my leg or waist to walk the bar around while holding the tire bead down into the rim center.

I use the harbor freight set up quite a lot. I suppose total cost of it is under $200 dollars with it and the No Mar bar.

I like it. For now. One day I will get a machine but no need for ones own use and a few friends.

Kit

 

[Wingnumberone]

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Our local bike shop apparently doesn't know what the green dot is for.

 

[Tandem54]

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I have not done a Motorcycle tire, or one on a Goldwing, how do you line it all up when you re-install them? What about the drive shaft on the rear?

 

[Cousin Jack]

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Hey, Kit!

Where did you get the No-Mar mount and dismount bar?



Okay, I found it...... $100..... but it looks like it may be worth it......

http://www.nomartirechanger.com/

 

[DougW]

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I can understand a dealer putting you on the bottom of his to-do list, below the customers that bought from him, but to flat out refuse makes no sense to me.

The dealer I go to knows I bought the bike through E-Bay from a Harley dealer, still they have done tire changes and I brought the tires in with me. I told them at that time it looked like there was a bit of oil on the right front shock so go ahead and do the fork seals. They called me and said the seals were fine, no need to do them. They could have put the seals in and charged me any way but they were honest about it.

I have taken my bike there for the state inspection and they put it inside right away and it stays inside as long as it is there, he says customer bikes don't sit outside at all. They replaced the bolts in the highway boards because one was loose with boogered threads and the other showed a bit of rust, asked how much and they said don't worry about it.

If there were more dealers like this around the rest of them would have to step up their way of doing business too.

This is at Hector's sales in Jamestown NY, they are a Honda and Kawasaki dealer. They get as much of my accessory and parts business as I can give them, most prices are as good as I can find on the Net anyway.

 

[Kit Carson]

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Cousin Jack wrote:

Hey, Kit!

Where did you get the No-Mar mount and dismount bar?



Okay, I found it...... $100..... but it looks like it may be worth it......

http://www.nomartirechanger.com/

I like it. Took me a couple tires to learn to use it. Like the flat tip on the end, slip it down past the bead and twist it and pull up and it lifts the bead up above the rim and off you go with the tire. You do have to learn just how much pressure you can put on it before it snaps. But it works well once you learn.

I tried the dip in the plastic trick with the old bar, Coating just rips off. I tried cutting pieces of plastic out of pepsi bottles and ty-wrapping that on, nothing really worked well.

I did find though that pieces of the pepsi bottle cut and folded over the rim protects the rim from the metal spoon bars that I have. I do not have any of the fancy ones with the nylon ends. Do not need them now, the bar does it all.

Here they are playing around, I am not this fast yet, but getting better.

No-Mar video: Change a Tire in 21 seconds!

 

[phatty of 2]

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Cousin Jack wrote:

Joe Snuffy, theminimum wage kidwho's usually sweeping the floors. Heprobably doesn't know anymore than you do about tires and their installation!

well C.J. i had to start somewhere bagging groceries wasnt my cup of tea and look at me now i repair busses(ooo sorry )motor coaches(if my boss say that he'd kill me)and own a wing:action:. not bad for a "joe snuffy":cheeky1::cheeky1::cheeky1::cheeky1::cheeky1::cheeky1::cheeky1::cheeky1::cheeky1::cheeky1::cheeky1:

 

[Cousin Jack]

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phatty of 2 wrote:

Cousin Jack wrote:

Joe Snuffy, theminimum wage kidwho's usually sweeping the floors. Heprobably doesn't know anymore than you do about tires and their installation!

well C.J. i had to start somewhere bagging groceries wasnt my cup of tea and look at me now i repair busses and own a wing:action:. not bad for a "joe snuffy":cheeky1::cheeky1::cheeky1::cheeky1::cheeky1::cheeky1::cheeky1::cheeky1::cheeky1::cheeky1::cheeky1:

No disrespect intended! We were all Joe Snuffie's at something once.... I justwanted to point out thatthe person that doesyour tires in a dealer's shopis likely notthe Albert Einstein of tires!

:cheeky1:

 

[Bagmaster]

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The local dealer here doesn't care where you get your tires, he's just glad at this time of year to get enough work to keep from laying folks off. He didn't even blink an eye when I handed his tire man my own valve stem to install with my new E-3.