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Current best tire sources?
- Thread starter ebeeby
- Start date
These guys have killer prices on my Metzlers: https://www.rockymountainatvmc.com/
36654
New member
Those do seem to be very good prices. Thanks for the info.
+1 on supporting your local shop. Mine price matches the lowest on-line prices.
And for what it's worth, Revzilla will price match.
I've had good luck with American Motorcycle Tire: http://www.americanmototire.com/catalog/product_info.php?manufacturers_id=756&products_id=3435. Prices include shipping. Fresh tires and fast shipping. They're sorta local to me.
brownie
Member
Local Dealer (BMW)
I'm with James A.......my local dealer is good to me and others....and we want to give them the business....the mechs are very forgiving about dealing with the "Ride On" I've always used (washes right out), the service guys know I could go cheaper, but they have always helped out pro-bono if I'm in a jam........my $0.02:
I'm with James A.......my local dealer is good to me and others....and we want to give them the business....the mechs are very forgiving about dealing with the "Ride On" I've always used (washes right out), the service guys know I could go cheaper, but they have always helped out pro-bono if I'm in a jam........my $0.02:
r80andr100rt
New member
I get them thru a local Yamaha dealer. He's the only guy around out of 7 dealers with the fitting to change airhead tires on his machine. His prices are competitive.
paper
In need of a nap.
I'm going to be a turd in the punchbowl with this, but I've purchased my last Metzeler tire.. I replaced the rear tire on my R1200GS and the Metzeler Tourance tire that arrived was made in China.. It wore poorly, and wasn't cheap.. I contacted Metzeler about it and they ignored my question.. The tires that came on my Guzzi V7 Classic were made in Brazil and they handled terribly, even though they were the old ME33f ME55r designs.. I replaced them with Michelin Pilot Activ tires and the bike was completely different, handling like it should.
I've been a consistent Metzeler fan since my first BMW, almost 30 years ago, but I'm done with them.. I'm now running Bridgestones and Michelins on my airheads, and Dunlops on my GS, and Shinkos on my xMoto (made in Korea) with excellent grip, ride, and traction. Metzeler tires are not on my purchase list from here on out.
As far as local dealers installing tires, at the prices they charge, on average every third tire is free between extreme tire price and mounting fees.. I mount/balance/and install my own, as well as for friends. The last time I paid a dealer to mount tires for me was on a 1800 Wing and when I found my pinch bolts loose and grease on my brake disc I decided I'd never do that again.. I paid someone to accidentally try to kill me.. I found these mistakes before leaving the dealership, luckily..
I'm on two wheels.. I'm not trusting Chinese rubber, and I've been repairing multi million dollar equipment for 30 years and trust no one else to work on items on my bike that will risk my life.
Off soap box.. Mostly..
I've been a consistent Metzeler fan since my first BMW, almost 30 years ago, but I'm done with them.. I'm now running Bridgestones and Michelins on my airheads, and Dunlops on my GS, and Shinkos on my xMoto (made in Korea) with excellent grip, ride, and traction. Metzeler tires are not on my purchase list from here on out.
As far as local dealers installing tires, at the prices they charge, on average every third tire is free between extreme tire price and mounting fees.. I mount/balance/and install my own, as well as for friends. The last time I paid a dealer to mount tires for me was on a 1800 Wing and when I found my pinch bolts loose and grease on my brake disc I decided I'd never do that again.. I paid someone to accidentally try to kill me.. I found these mistakes before leaving the dealership, luckily..
I'm on two wheels.. I'm not trusting Chinese rubber, and I've been repairing multi million dollar equipment for 30 years and trust no one else to work on items on my bike that will risk my life.
Off soap box.. Mostly..
I'm going to be a turd in the punchbowl with this, but I've purchased my last Metzeler tire.. I replaced the rear tire on my R1200GS and the Metzeler Tourance tire that arrived was made in China.. It wore poorly, and wasn't cheap.. I contacted Metzeler about it and they ignored my question.. The tires that came on my Guzzi V7 Classic were made in Brazil and they handled terribly, even though they were the old ME33f ME55r designs.. I replaced them with Michelin Pilot Activ tires and the bike was completely different, handling like it should.
I've been a consistent Metzeler fan since my first BMW, almost 30 years ago, but I'm done with them.. I'm now running Bridgestones and Michelins on my airheads, and Dunlops on my GS, and Shinkos on my xMoto (made in Korea) with excellent grip, ride, and traction. Metzeler tires are not on my purchase list from here on out.
As far as local dealers installing tires, at the prices they charge, on average every third tire is free between extreme tire price and mounting fees.. I mount/balance/and install my own, as well as for friends. The last time I paid a dealer to mount tires for me was on a 1800 Wing and when I found my pinch bolts loose and grease on my brake disc I decided I'd never do that again.. I paid someone to accidentally try to kill me.. I found these mistakes before leaving the dealership, luckily..
I'm on two wheels.. I'm not trusting Chinese rubber, and I've been repairing multi million dollar equipment for 30 years and trust no one else to work on items on my bike that will risk my life.
Off soap box.. Mostly..
Which Chinese Tourance did you use; the standard Tourance or the EXP or the Next? You mentioned that it wore poorly. Are you saying that the tread wore unevenly and cupped or that you didn't get the miles out of it that you had expected?
There have been other discussions about the Chinese vs. German Metzelers, notably on ADVRider. My GSA came with German Metzelers but my replacements are from China. I'll be interested to see how they work out.
paper
In need of a nap.
It was the standard Tourance. I'd run a French made Tourance of the exact same size before and got decent mileage and it wore really well with no cupping and didn't flat badly at all. The Chinese rubber one was wearing away quickly when I removed at 2/3rds worn and it was crap on wet, when the French Tourance I'd run before was very good in the wet..
The Chinese tire was OK at best when new, but went away fast and never felt "right".. I removed and disposed of it. I was doing a loop around all the Great Lakes and wasn't about to risk screwing up my vacation on a questionable tire. I replaced it with Dunlop TR91's which I'd run before and really liked.
We had a discussion about this on ADV and some people didn't like what I had to say, to the point of calling me a racist. I've just found that Chinese rubber is substandard in quality.. Even my Chinese scooter came with tires from Taiwan.
I've had Chinese valve stems that crack and break in 2 years, while US made valve stems rarely fail even after 10 years of use. I have nothing against the Chinese, I just find that the rubber quality that I've personally observed is substandard.
The Brazilian made Metzelers were awful, too.. It's nothing against either China or Brazil, but purely against the quality standards of Metzeler. I used to feel they were top notch motorcycle tires, and worth the premium they charged for them, but no longer.
It was the standard Tourance. I'd run a French made Tourance of the exact same size before and got decent mileage and it wore really well with no cupping and didn't flat badly at all. The Chinese rubber one was wearing away quickly when I removed at 2/3rds worn and it was crap on wet, when the French Tourance I'd run before was very good in the wet..
The Chinese tire was OK at best when new, but went away fast and never felt "right".. I removed and disposed of it. I was doing a loop around all the Great Lakes and wasn't about to risk screwing up my vacation on a questionable tire. I replaced it with Dunlop TR91's which I'd run before and really liked.
We had a discussion about this on ADV and some people didn't like what I had to say, to the point of calling me a racist. I've just found that Chinese rubber is substandard in quality.. Even my Chinese scooter came with tires from Taiwan.
I've had Chinese valve stems that crack and break in 2 years, while US made valve stems rarely fail even after 10 years of use. I have nothing against the Chinese, I just find that the rubber quality that I've personally observed is substandard.
The Brazilian made Metzelers were awful, too.. It's nothing against either China or Brazil, but purely against the quality standards of Metzeler. I used to feel they were top notch motorcycle tires, and worth the premium they charged for them, but no longer.
Interesting. No need to apologize...a lot of people conflate nationality with genetics, with lamentable PC results. I think Continental customers also face the issue of Chinese manufacturing. The frustration is that there seems to be little a customer can do to source tires from a particular factory, though whether it would make any difference has been hotly debated. When I bought my Tourances I expected them to be made in China but I also assumed they would conform to Metzeler global quality assurance standards. I'll be curious to see how my new tires perform and whether my assumption was right or wrong.
