Montana travelers beware

[PoorUB]

Out of curiosity I priced tires on Max BMW for the Michelin GTs. Rear is $305, front is $220, so roughly $525 lit price for a set of tires. So yes the dealer was gouging more than a bit. OP paid $727. One the other hand from what I have seen $190 to mount two tires is a bit on the lower side.

I still blame the OP for not getting a quote before hand. Anytime I get work done at a dealer I ask for a quote.

 

[pauls1150]

A 15% charge for cancelling the order seems a bit unreasonable: they're saying that they have no other customers who would use that tire in that size. Granted, the local population density/customer base is much smaller there than it is around here, but c'mon...

 

[BC1100S]

A 15% charge for cancelling the order seems a bit unreasonable: they're saying that they have no other customers who would use that tire in that size. Granted, the local population density/customer base is much smaller there than it is around here, but c'mon...

I'm of the same opinion.

Alternatively, for 15% of the cost of the tires they could have shipped them to Snotty.

PS Snotty54 - the front of your engine appears to be on fire.

 

[beemerchuck]

I recently had an experience while on my way to Canada at Big Sky Motorsports in Missoula. I had new tires (Michelin GT) and a 6K service done on my 2022 1600B.
I was shocked when the service manager (Buster McDonald) presented me with a $1600 invoice. That also included a $35 charge to put a ram mount ball which involved removing and replacing 1 screw. A 2 minute job. I was also charged $35 to have them tell me an accessory I asked to have installed was the wrong part. I confirmed later the part was correct. I tried several times to discuss this with the service manager but he never returned my call after I left 4 messages. Here is a breakdown of the charges. Tires-$727 Install tires-$192 6K Service w/ brake flush $556. Remember their is no sales tax in Montana. Of course all the other charges as shop supplies, tire and oil disposals were added. I have traveled the country for the last 15 years (5 BMW’s) and have had tires and service done many times on the road. Never once was I gouged as I was by Big Sky Motorsports. I believe they are the only BMW Motorrad dealer in Montana. Check their pricing first if you you are going to have work done there. You would think a BMW dealer would be more consistent to what other dealers charge and have the courtesy to return a call.

In 2010 I stopped at the Orlando dealer to have a new tire (Metzler 880) installed on my 2005 K1200LT. Cost $500 out the door. Took them less than 15 minutes to remove, mount tire, balance and replace wheel. An LT you remove 2 screws from the rear fender, 5 screws from the wheel and it rolls right out. Should have stopped at cycle gear instead.

Now have a tire changer and balancer in my shop.

 

[brownie0486]

Out of curiosity I priced tires on Max BMW for the Michelin GTs. Rear is $305, front is $220, so roughly $525 lit price for a set of tires. So yes the dealer was gouging more than a bit. OP paid $727. One the other hand from what I have seen $190 to mount two tires is a bit on the lower side.

I still blame the OP for not getting a quote before hand. Anytime I get work done at a dealer I ask for a quote.

Revzilla has them at nearly identical price to max BMW, free shipping [ not sure about Max's shipping charges if any ].

 

[rich]

Every time I read a thread like this I sit down with a cold one and admire my NoMar changer.


They have a sale going on, hook up with a friend or two or three and start saving yourselves a pile of money.

 

[rhbike]

Every time I read a thread like this I sit down with a cold one and admire my NoMar changer.


They have a sale going on, hook up with a friend or two or three and start saving yourselves a pile of money.

That might not have helped the OP if he had been doing a 10k trip or some such. But likewise, these sorts of stories do remind me that my NoMar Pro has probably more than paid for itself by now. And a lot more convenient to boot, as my dealer like most are usually booking weeks out and the closest to me is 75 miles away.

 

[Rainman48]

Boy, some of you are like the guys in their 20's in a sport bike forum, who haven't travelled very far in their entire lives. The OP is taking flack for being reamed at a multi-brand motorcycle shop on a journey. NONE of you know how many miles total, OR how long he has been on the road, OR what his riding style is. In my opinion, he paid way too much for the tires, and was raped on the tire install charges. I'd complain too. It doesn't matter if you have a NoMar or a Coates machine at home. When your tires are gone, you need them, NOW. There's no real "shopping around" on a serious road trip. You ever been to Montana on your way to Canada? It ain't New Jersey or Massachusetts, and the next "towns" are hundreds of miles away, and the next BMW dealer twice that - at best. None of you had a flat that couldn't be fixed other than for a few miles? None of you bent a rim or two on the road? I have. The OP doesn't need to prove or verify WHY he needed a service. He just reported the shop he stopped at charged more than any other place in the 15 years he had been crossing the country. Period.

You can pick on me if you want. I own a NoMar and I've changed all my tires, on all my bikes, but two times in the last 20+ years. Both were on a 15,000 mile trip over two months after I retired, and I rode my '16 RT hard, over the twistiest roads I could find across the country and back. I started on fresh tires, but needed two changes before home again, and no, I didn't throw two sets of tires over my shoulders like some world-wide adventure riders do. Yes, I "planned" where my tire and oil changes would be, but waste a day "shopping for the best deal"? Hell no. You plan for the opportunity coming up next, and take it. Surprises at the cash register happen. A simple warning is welcome.

 

[BC1100S]

Boy, some of you are like the guys in their 20's in a sport bike forum, who haven't travelled very far in their entire lives.......

And this post in its entirety, folks, is the definitive comment of this thread.

 

[mikegalbicka]

+1 Rainman48. Well said.

 

[elementist]

I've had to over pay for a battery once for a similar reason. It decided to go on me while I was traveling through northern Ontario despite no signs before hand.

Not many options in stock in Hearst on a Sunday morning that fit but what did wasn't cheap.

Sometimes it happens, but in my case I wouldn't say the shop took advantage of me, I just got unlucky.

From this story it sounds like we can learn a few lessons.

1. Get a quote up front before any work is done.
2. Remember you don't need a BMW shop to do a tire change, many other shops can and will be cheaper
3. Sometimes you just get unlucky.

 

[classicvw]

Rainman, I can say that you also don’t know how long he was on the road.

There’s one way this entire thread could have been made unnecessary no matter if he was on an 50 mile or 15,000 mile trip. Ask the price of something before you buy it!
I’ve never in my life brought a car or motorcycle in for tires without or being told or, if necessary, asking them the price of the tires and the total price including installation, balancing, disposal fees, beforehand.

 

[flyhi2cfar]

Rainman, I can say that you also don’t know how long he was on the road.

There’s one way this entire thread could have been made unnecessary no matter if he was on an 50 mile or 15,000 mile trip. Ask the price of something before you buy it!
I’ve never in my life brought a car or motorcycle in for tires without or being told or, if necessary, asking them the price of the tires and the total price including installation, balancing, disposal fees, beforehand.

I’m still in Rainmans camp.
If they present this estimate of the tires & 6K service…
you’re not likely to affect price change.
And you’re still in Montana.

I ride occasionally with a member who travels extensively on the motor.
His is not a RV. When the BMW needs tire’s & maintenance, he gets it wherever MOTORRAD is.
This service bill would be a setback for most any of us under the OP’s scenario.
And 70 bucks less for a screw job doesn’t make it better.

 

[stevenrankin]

The real sad part

The real sad part of this story is the poor guy was stuck with only one choice of dealer to use in the whole state if I am reading this correctly?

And being the broken record I can be, I blame it all on the BMW policy to restrict or close dealerships because of the BMW experience protocols. My area went from five dealers in a hundred mile radius to one poor dealer, starting in the early 90's. We are now at zero.

Given the cost of building a new dealership to meet BMW's requirements or perhaps just keeping up with expected BMW dictates is or can be very expensive. That cost will get passed on to the customer one way or the other.

A GOOD dealership will not screw a customer over so blatantly regardless, they will recoup their operating costs one way or another.

The joy of traveling far from home on an adventure sometimes leaves us open despite our best laid plans to chaos. It really sucks having only one shop to deal with sometimes. St.

 

[mikegalbicka]

Rainman, I can say that you also don’t know how long he was on the road.

There’s one way this entire thread could have been made unnecessary no matter if he was on an 50 mile or 15,000 mile trip. Ask the price of something before you buy it!
I’ve never in my life brought a car or motorcycle in for tires without or being told or, if necessary, asking them the price of the tires and the total price including installation, balancing, disposal fees, beforehand.

That just doesn't matter when you are on the road and because of whatever circumstances you have no choice. I have been there. I knew it didn't matter what they were going to charge. I had zero choice in the matter other than discontinue the trip and that wasn't an option. In that case getting the cost up front would have just pissed me off longer so why bother. Bite the bullet and ride on. Warning others is a service to them to not do likewise if they have a choice. But if they don't - and sometimes you don't no matter what you may think - now you know what to expect from that specific dealer.

 

[Omega Man]

{snip} - now you know what to expect from that specific dealer.

Taking someone's word for something that went on is hear-say. The OP hasn't been back to the thread in 4 days. Passing judgment on what may or may not have gone on without all the information and participation of both parties is unfair.

I suspect that the OP is pissed more at himself for not doing due diligence and is trying to punish a dealer to alleviate his anger. It's too bad the other side of the story can't be heard so a fair opinion can really be reached before the lynch mob "rides" on the dealership.

OM

 

[mikegalbicka]

Taking someone's word for something that went on is hear-say. The OP hasn't been back to the thread in 4 days. Passing judgment on what may or may not have gone on without all the information and participation of both parties is unfair.

I suspect that the OP is pissed more at himself for not doing due diligence and is trying to punish a dealer to alleviate his anger. It's too bad the other side of the story can't be heard so a fair opinion can really be reached before the lynch mob "rides" on the dealership.

OM

You have left me speechless and that’s not easy. Best I just let this one go. Over and out.

 

[akbeemer]

Big Sky MotoSports is my local dealership; I live 120 miles away. I’ve purchased three new bikes from them in the 12 years we’ve lived in Montana.

My experience as a buyer has been good. Fair deals on two bikes and a very good deal on the third. The sales guy we worked with is no longer there, so I don’t know about the current sales guy.

I tend not to use their service department for anything other than recalls, service bulletins or warranty work. They charge 125/hr for labor. The senior tech has been there for as long as we’ve been here. He is very personable, certified in BMW and KTM and on two occasions has called me at home to get information to support a warranty claim. Both claims were allowed after first being denied. On another occasion, when Annie had a failure on her then new R12GS near Seattle we were told she needed a new TPS and it would take week to get one. She tried to ride it home but it got too dangerous because she would randomly lose any throttle input. We stopped in Spokane and I rode home and got my truck and trailer. We arrived at Big Sky at opening. They got the bike in immediately. While we were waiting the sales guy came to us to say he would take a TPS off a in-stock bike if we needed it. (We asked about that in Seattle and the service manager chuckled and said there was no way their sales guy would allow such a thing). I then saw the tech go by the window on Annie’s bike. He was back in 15 minutes and came out to hand Annie her keys. The tech, Andy, has an eidetic memory and had recalled a message from BMW from five months earlier. He had to reprogram the bike’s acceptable values for the TPS interface. We were in and out in under an hour. From what I gather talking to other riders, is that the quality of Big Sky’s work is good, the cost not so much. They do give MT BMW Riders members a discount, as well as a discount for big jobs in the winter. The current service manager is the 4th in 12 years. He seems competent and honest to me and easy to work with.

Big Sky has its strengths and weaknesses and cost is on the negative side. It is fair to feel bad about the cost of their parts and labor but that’s the nature of ownership these days. They are not the evil empire or axis of evil, but neither are they Mother Teresa


If you need tires mounted in west Montana, then look me up. I change tires for people at no charge. I’ve changed 98 tires in the last 30 months on my new changer (I’m keeping track) and at least 2/3s were for other people. Never charge or ask for anything, although….. sometimes there are stray bottles of Irish to be found carelessly laying around.

 

[classicvw]

That just doesn't matter when you are on the road and because of whatever circumstances you have no choice. I have been there. I knew it didn't matter what they were going to charge. I had zero choice in the matter other than discontinue the trip and that wasn't an option. In that case getting the cost up front would have just pissed me off longer so why bother. Bite the bullet and ride on. Warning others is a service to them to not do likewise if they have a choice. But if they don't - and sometimes you don't no matter what you may think - now you know what to expect from that specific dealer.

Fact is, we don’t know the facts. We don’t know if he was 50 miles from home or 5,000. If he was 50, then shame on him for not taking care of the tires and service beforehand. If he was thousands of miles into a trip, then it can’t be said he could have done anything more, BUT he could have asked the prices before agreeing to the service and if it was too high, he could have checked for an independent tire shop or a different brand dealer who might have had the tires. After all, there’s no hint he was doing an iron butt ride, so what’s the rush in having it done there? But having driven in Montana, I know things can be few and far between.

 

[PoorUB]

That just doesn't matter when you are on the road and because of whatever circumstances you have no choice. I have been there. I knew it didn't matter what they were going to charge. I had zero choice in the matter other than discontinue the trip and that wasn't an option. In that case getting the cost up front would have just pissed me off longer so why bother. Bite the bullet and ride on. Warning others is a service to them to not do likewise if they have a choice. But if they don't - and sometimes you don't no matter what you may think - now you know what to expect from that specific dealer.

There is always a choice.

I had a breakdown on a Harley in Montana. The dealer wouldn't look at it for three days. I needed to be back to work in two days. I asked them if they could store the bike for a week and they agreed to. I rented a car to get home, and drove out with a pickup and trailer the next week. Funny thing I ended up trading and came home with a new ride. I would have still needed to haul it as we were pulling a trailer. I could have traded and rode a new motorcycle home if not for the trailer issue.