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Tire Etiquette

R

RIDEOREGON

Guest
If this has been covered, I apologize. I did a search and didn't turn it up.

The question is whether it's inappropriate to buy tires online and pay normal shop rates to have them installed at the local BMW shop.

My two beemers are regulars at the local shop, and I've given that shop a fair amount of business, with a couple expensive Level II services and various things in the past few years. This time, I bought a pair of tires on line for a smoking-good price and took them down to the dealer last Saturday to schedule an installation appointment. All went well, appointment scheduled, tires dropped off.

Today, I took the bike in for the appointed service, and I was treated like a pariah, which has never happened before. The owner happened to be there, saw the service tech writing it up, and said in a snide voice: "You get these at ____?" I said, "No, I got them at [name of internet site]." He rolled his eyes and looked away. But I know the tires would have cost more if I'd had him order them, because I asked before I ordered them.

I know it's not cool to use a store to look and fondle merchandise, then buy it online (at least to most of us), but did I do wrong by just having them install tires I'd bought elsewhere? Times are tough for them; but times are tough for everyone. Am I wrong to seek the lowest price at no disadvantage to him? I'm paying full price for the labor, and isn't that a benefit to him?
 
Excellent question. If the BMW shop will accept doing the tire change (which may not happen at all shops), and charges you for the work (which, of course, they will), then I don't see any etiquette issues. The shop always has the right to refuse the work, and they should not act snobby about it if they do accept the work.

That said, I would not personally do this unless it was really a smokin' hot deal on the tires. To me, it is worth paying a few extra bucks for the intangible good will at the BMW shop.
 
You did right by saving yourself some $$, as I am sure most of us do. Each dealer will react differently, but in my own experience it is better to buy the tires on-line and mount them yourself...If this is too difficult, than a techday with some friends may be in order to get them mounted. It isn't hard at all, it is in technique, not force.. If you tick off your dealer, than he may let you wait a bit when you need him the most...Just sayin'
 
My nearest BMW shop is 180 miles away, and really not competetitive anyway.
I use my local shops, who are friendly and appreciate my business. I just dismount the wheels and bring them in. If you shop around your area, you might find a (insert brand here) dealer, or just bike repair shop, who can get you tires and mount them at a more reasonable price than you think.
Your BMW dealer will get enough of your $ for other parts and services, on top of what they made selling you the bike.
 
I have run in to this before as well with the dealer only installing the tire he sells. Most dealers do not charge the full labor rate to dismount and install tires, Labor flat rate on most BMW is 1 hour per wheel on the bike and at $96.00 per hour that computes to $192.00 with most dealer only charge ?¢ that to do the tires and there for they make some of the money up in he tire sale. The other thing could be a liability thing if you was to have a problem with a tire that the dealer did not sell he might be liable for that. This is why I purchased a No Mar tire changer and with the two motorcycles I own it has paid for it self in one year with the discount I get on tires and the labor rate of myself. The model I purchased slides into the receiver on my truck and when not in use I store in the corner of the garage. Good luck in your tire dilemma most of us have been there before :thumb
 
The BMW shop in Ottawa won't mount tires bought elsewhere. So far, they are my cheapest supplier though, so I buy tires there and take them away to mount them myself and am getting better at it.
I gave 'em 9K for a 10 year old bike and they still think I'm cheap for not buying a new one.

To answer your question though, I think I'd ask first about something like that. It probably varies by shop owner.
 
I did this once and the service manager asked if I really got that great of a deal after shipping, tax, etc.compared to their 'discounted' price for being in the local club. I did and said so, and they were friendly enough to go ahead and do the mounting with no other qualms I know of. But I came away feeling they did not 'approve'. A year of so later, they did away with their 'discount' program for local clubs and lowered all their prices such that they were competitive. I believe that also increased their volume of tire sales. But by then, with the high miles I and others in our club were doing, we went the route of Mike and JLSquire and a couple tire machines were purchased. I bought a balancer, others got other stuff. That was around '98 and I have since mounted about two sets of tires per year, plus the changes on and off for track days. At least 60 individual tires changed.....quite a savings at the mentioned rates. Our dealer is now competitive enough on tires I will buy from them versus on-line if they have the tire I want that day, then I do my own work.
Jim
Mendocino
 
I did the same thing only my local BMW dealer got even with me by charging me over $65.00 per wheel to mount and balance. Needless to say, I don't do business with them any more if I can help it. Their tire prices were prohibitively high which is why I didn't buy them there in the first place.

The last tire I bought online I had mounted and balanced by a local Victory dealer for $40.00. That's what I consider fair.

Mike in NJ
 
Tire etiquetter

I don't think that many independent BMW service shops are making a killing, working on motorcycles.
 
Depending on your relationship with your dealer, you could approach him with your internet cost (tires & shipping) and ask how close he can come to that figure. If he wants your business, and knowing that you will be spending money there for the mounting, he may meet the price or come close enough to make it worthwhile. Never hurts to ask; everything is negotiable.

I order from whoever gives me a reasonable deal and mount them myself.
 
never used my local BMW shop for tire purchases or mounting- the overall pprices were just criminal. now, with 5 bikes in the house, it was well worth it to buy the tools to do it myself. but even before that, i would look around- there are plenty of hungry shops and indys that are happy for the business you give them. my indy BMW shop (used to work for the local, started their own,place and is now an Aprilia dealer) recognizes that not all customers are cut from the same cloth- and gives different rates for "buy tires here" and "bought them elsewhere" on mounting.
it's not an etiquette thing, or at least it shouldn't be. there's no place for bad attitude in the retail world.
 
New Tires

I'm 120 miles from my dealer so I purchase my tires on line and take them down to my local tire store (2miles away). Most of these guys are changing the low profile tires with TPM and he did not hesitate to change out my tires for $12 each. He even gave me a primer on TPM care in case I decide to do it myself. I'd get the tools and do it myself but I'd need to change a lot of tires to break even. Last summer I had two pilot roads put on the RT in Salt Lake BMW for $500 and using my local guy and an internet tire purchase my cost is $270.
 
Tired Yet?

Nobody has mentioned (that I saw) anything about road hazard warranties. On another site, I mentioned to a friend that I had gotten a great tire deal online.
He said that for a little more I could have bought locally (Cycle Gear, I think) and received one. He did and had to use it, which of course paid for itself many times over in just one instance.
That sounded smart.
As for mounting, I think it depends on your financial situation. I am an older gradual student with limited $. I use a local wrench to switch them for both of our bikes. He gets $ 40 a tire. Seems fair. If I had the mounting tools, I'd most certainly do it myself.

Cheers
 
That's why i split with a couple guys and bought a tire changer. Just bought the cheap Harbor Friegt model and it works good with a few small modifications. Now i buy on line and change them myself. It has been a great investment. The local dealer was charging $50 per tire if i brought him my wheels and online tires. Now they won't even do them unless you buy the tires from them. I guess i understand, but with onine prices being so much cheaper, it's had to justify buying them at the dealer.

Brian
 
I buy my tires at Southwestmototires.com and it only takes about five minutes to remove them. Then I have a local car tire place mount and balance them for $10.00 a piece. This saves me a ton of money because I usually go through 7 tires a season. Of course you have to be able to find a local guy that will do that for you but not a motorcycle shop, the local shops want $50 to mount and balance because I didn't buy them from them. If I had to have a BMW dealer do it I would have to travel at least 100 miles. So in the end I save a ton of money removing them and reinstalling my self at a total time of about ten minutes. Again the key for me is to just take in the rim tire and valve stem, car places wont remove them for you. Also for me the tire place is on the way to work so I drop off and pick up without any inconveinence.

Brett Endress
Altoona Pa.
 
I can understand the dealer being upset, he needs to make $$ to keep the doors open, heat and lights on.

As some said, dealers usually discount installation when they make the sale, so when they charge the flat rate, or hourly rate it usually ends up being $30-$50/ tire and loose the customer because he feels ripped off.

Seems some people want the dealer to take a loss on tire installation which is not fair to them.

Lets look at it from a dealer stand point of cost:
Writing the service order
rolling the bike in and on the stand
removing the wheels
mounting and balancing the tires
The $5 fee/ tire it costs them to get rid of the junk tires
Cleaning the bike after so the customer does not bitch about sloppy work
Filling out the paperwork
Cashier time
Accounting time
Liability if something goes wrong
Getting blamed for the chip on the rim from a stone, now the customer wants a new rim at no cost.

AND we expect it all to cost $20????

Been said before, I would not expect a restaurant to cook and serve lobster I bought at the fish store because it was cheaper then their Market price. Personally I would not have the gall to walk into any business and expect installation of parts I purchased cheaper, when they sell the same item. Maybe it is just me.
 
The Shop Wins

I went to pick up my bike, fully expecting to pay shop prices for the work installing my tires. So the dealer charged me for 2.7 hours -- $193 to mount two tires. No one would look me in the eye. I didn't say a word. Just paid the bill and left.

Guess he showed me.

Fair enough. I'll factor that in when making future decisions about where to buy parts and/or service my 2 beemers. No hard feelings. Lots of alternatives.
 
I went to pick up my bike, fully expecting to pay shop prices for the work installing my tires. So the dealer charged me for 2.7 hours -- $193 to mount two tires. No one would look me in the eye. I didn't say a word. Just paid the bill and left.

Guess he showed me.

Did you ask IN ADVANCE what the charge would be?! If not, well, that's your fault.

Did you take the bike to them or just the wheels/tires? If they had to remove/replace the wheels and tires in addition to mounting/balancing the new tires, then 2.7 hours does not sound outrageous . . . at least not to me.
 
I'm not complaining. Fair is fair, even for a regular customer of several years. It then becomes part of the calculus. They made theirs; I make mine.
 
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