Montana travelers beware

[52184]

Looks like BA12 is the part and you apparently need the One Universal Cone bored for a 1/2" shaft. I don't see a phone number for them on their site, just an email addy.

Thanks

It’s only the rear, with its large center hole, that poses problems for other marque shops. The Universal Cone is used in conjunction with the BA12 when balancing a front wheel, but most shops already have some sort of balancer that uses dual tapered cones to support the wheel. If you carry the BA12 for the rear you’re good to go.

Best,
DeVern

 

[brownie0486]

It’s only the rear, with its large center hole, that poses problems for other marque shops. The Universal Cone is used in conjunction with the BA12 when balancing a front wheel, but most shops already have some sort of balancer that uses dual tapered cones to support the wheel. If you carry the BA12 for the rear you’re good to go.

Best,
DeVern

Thank you sir, I emailed Parnes and he got back to me that the BA12 is indeed the only thing I need to have other non bmw dealers be capable of changing the rear tire.

 

[pauls1150]

At our riders' lunch last week, the topic of balancing came up, and two guys related their very recent experiences. Each had pulled the wheels off themselves and brought the shop just the tire + wheel to change the tire and re-balance...

First story - When they gave him the wheel back, with the new tire on it, the guy who did the balancing did not remove the old weights first... so the wheel now had a multitude of weights scattered all around.

Second story - The guy used the shop's dynamic rig and somehow put the new weights exactly 180 degrees away from where they were supposed to be. The owner gave the wheel a "manual spin test" on the axle before tightening it all down, and it was immediately obvious.

Both shops initially denied they could've gotten it wrong, but relented after some "discussion". Both shops are pretty well known around here, with accounts of dependability varying depending on who you talk to...
(Neither was a BMW dealer.)

 

[snotty54]

dis 'n dat

Responding to a couple of the posters who referenced my post on this. Since the dealership brought in the tires I specified for me, I felt the time and labor involved in doing that, plus having tires in stock they didn't normally carry, justified their 15% so I didn't squawk. Considering the overhead a place like that generates, they have to get something for that work. Regarding the post on my XR looks like its on fire , it came that way. Bought it used 2 years ago for a helluva deal. Here it is last year, on the road:

 

[kbasa]

Don't people get quotes for work ahead of time?

The tire change pricing is right in there what a HD dealer would change for a bagger, probably less! I haven't priced HD tires for some time, but 5-6 years ago the tires would have been $600 plus two hours labor, so another $200+.

The OP's prices seem a bit high, but not crazy high, maybe 10% from what I see.

I would like to know what the OP expected to pay for that service.

One of the big gripes I have about labor charges is it doesn't take two hours with decent equipment to change two tires. I have done it myself on my HD bagger or my RT in just over an hour and I don't have a powered tire machine. I watch a HD bagger come in and they slapped on two tires in 45 minutes and charged the owner two hours for the privilege. That I have issues with.

None of my rides see the dealer shop very often, warranty work of things I just do not have the tools for get done at the dealer. Tires, oil, valve checks and the other day I lubed the driveshaft splines myself.

I can understand that on the road you probably are not changing tires and rely on a shop for that. On the other hand if I have a trip coming up I will slap on a new set of tires so I don't have to deal with them on the road.

Three comments:

1. Who leaves on a trip without having all service, including tires, oil changes and accessories all dealt with before rolling out of their driveway?

2. Yes "shop rates" can appear onerous, but if you get a tech that doesn't often perform some service, you're only going to pay book rate instead of their actual elapsed on task time. Sometimes it works for you, sometimes less so. It's the same rules your auto mechanic uses, and judging by the OP's post, I think I can presume that they don't do their own four wheeler service either.

3. Most important: You can choose to become the ruler of your technology and be able to service at your leisure and convenience, or you can choose to be ruled by your technology and pay other people to service it for you. Your choice.

Motorcycling is an expensive hobby, no matter what you do. Paying for service when there are many, many opportunities to learn how to do it yourself is, I think, a choice, so you're gonna pay what the market will allow.

Sorry you had a tough time, OP, but some of this is on you when you signed the work order and asked someone else to do stuff like install accessories. Note also that if you show up with your own parts to install, that's really crappy etiquette.

 

[brownie0486]

Three comments:

1. Who leaves on a trip without having all service, including tires, oil changes and accessories all dealt with before rolling out of their driveway?

2. Yes "shop rates" can appear onerous, but if you get a tech that doesn't often perform some service, you're only going to pay book rate instead of their actual elapsed on task time. Sometimes it works for you, sometimes less so. It's the same rules your auto mechanic uses, and judging by the OP's post, I think I can presume that they don't do their own four wheeler service either.

3. Most important: You can choose to become the ruler of your technology and be able to service at your leisure and convenience, or you can choose to be ruled by your technology and pay other people to service it for you. Your choice.

Motorcycling is an expensive hobby, no matter what you do. Paying for service when there are many, many opportunities to learn how to do it yourself is, I think, a choice, so you're gonna pay what the market will allow.

Sorry you had a tough time, OP, but some of this is on you when you signed the work order and asked someone else to do stuff like install accessories. Note also that if you show up with your own parts to install, that's really crappy etiquette.

I ask my mechanic if he can match the price of what I want put on the motor that I've found elsewhere. He'll match the price or tell me buy it, and he'll install it. Tires on sale elsewhere immediately come to mind, along with the denali products.

It's saved me some scratch over the years. I always ask if he can match.

 

[henzilla]

Check with Marc Parnes.

http://www.marcparnes.com/BMW_Motorcycle_Wheel_Balancer.htm

You K1600 owners need a different size! The big hole is bigger

 

[90709]

Missoula

On our 4,000 + mile trip thru SD Wy Id Mt Wa and Or this past June, one of the guys realized his front tire probably wasn't going to finish the trip. We were on Lolo Pass so we called Big Sky around 1:00 on a Saturday and they said bring it in. We got there around 2:00 and were back on the road a little after 3:00. The only tire they had for his GSA ( front ) was an Anakee 3 but that was better than nothing. Total cost for everything was $ 300. We all thought that was more than fair.

 

[akbeemer]

On our 4,000 + mile trip thru SD Wy Id Mt Wa and Or this past June, one of the guys realized his front tire probably wasn't going to finish the trip. We were on Lolo Pass so we called Big Sky around 1:00 on a Saturday and they said bring it in. We got there around 2:00 and were back on the road a little after 3:00. The only tire they had for his GSA ( front ) was an Anakee 3 but that was better than nothing. Total cost for everything was $ 300. We all thought that was more than fair.

Did your friend remove and reinstall his wheel? I don’t recall if the OP did it himself or had the shop do it. If he had the shop do it that could account for a significant part of the cost.

 

[90709]

Montana

Nope. They came out to where we had parked ( 3 of us ) and had Jim pull his bike around to the other side, then helped unload all his gear and they moved it into the into the shop. Next time we saw it it was all done. Easy Peasy.

Having spent the last six years working at our local dealer, I know only too well the sound of tears coming from customers with 1600's. Expensive bikes to buy and expensive bikes to own. Wait until valve check time comes around.....you'll be able to hear the moans all the way out at the Outpost.

 

[Omega Man]

Sort of related-

https://www.cbsnews.com/boston/video/how-to-make-sure-youre-not-paying-too-much-for-auto-repairs/

Of course as this is a "spot" on care repair, this station sold an ad for car warranty plan(s).

I will frequently do a diagnosis/diagnostic look at a vehicle problem for people. Most of the time it helps the owner.

OM