'Nother tire inquiry

Hi All,
Sittin' here tonite checking out tire prices for the first time. Found both front and rear Pirelli Diablos at motocycle-superstore.com running $47 - front and $51 - rear. Good prices, me thinks... What shocked me most though was the prices the cycle shops charge to remove, reinstall, and balance the tires.

The supplier had a list of 4 (preferred) places in my area and they ran the gamut from $100 to $170 for the pair. I'm assuming this must be reasonably correct for the industry but... still. Anyway, I guess my question(s) is(are)... should I just go to the cheapest place (provided I don't want to do any of the work) or would I be ahead of the game by pulling off the wheels myself and then taking them in to have the work done (I think I'm capable of that much maintenance) ?? Does that cut the work fee in half, normally ??

I guess I'll check with the Honda folks tomorrow to see what their prices run too. It's always good to stick closer to home if possible and if prices warrant. Till then, reckon I'll start reading wheel removal procedures. Never a dull moment around here...

Do take the whell off yourself and take it and the new tire to the shop. I persoannly do not like the hassle, but it will save you some money.

The last set of tires I saved considerable bucks by taking them off and bringing them to the shop for mounting and balance. I think it was only $40 a tire, put the rest of the money in my pocket. I have had the rear wheel off several times but it was my first time for the front. Not a bad skill to know, the front is only the wheel nut and the axle. I ended up removing the front fender just to make it a little easier but not necessary.

Just a note of caution. When reinstalling the front axle be careful of the wheel bearings and dust covers. Line it up and it should find its own way in without all the pounding! You will also need to jack the front of the bike up. Somewhere here there is a thread about where and how to do that. When I find it I will update this post. Good luck Dick!

Found the link: https://www.silverwing600.com/t1893-jack-up

A local Honda dealer quoted a set of tires and installation a couple weeks back. The total was close to $370 US. The tires were each over $100. Don't recall the exact amount but it was closer to $110 each. DickO, I will appreciate knowing the quote you receive from your Honda dealer.

I noted the prices you found at Motorcycle Superstore and will check some private bike shops in the area for installation. Regarding the dealer's prices, that's a lot of money to put on the table if it's not necessary. I'm not quite comfortable with the thought of removing the wheels from the SWing myself, but perhaps I'll reconsider.

Hi All,
This is what I've come up with from Honda (Topeka)... something I've never heard of before. I asked how much it would cost for them to do the tire work if I already had the tires on hand. I was informed they couldn't do that because their insurance wouldn't cover them in that situation; I'd have to buy the tires thru them.

Well... not wanting to argue the point, I priced the Diablo's thru them and they quoted $78.25 - front ($31 higher than internet), and $84.75 ($34 higher than internet). For the work, they want $38 to do the front and $42 to do the rear (half that if I take them off myself which would be a $40 savings). So... they're higher on tires but a little cheaper on maintenance... to the tune of about $250 for the whole job. And maybe with shipping for the tires added on (if ordered online) would make the numbers match up even closer (bought from dealer compared to bought on line).

So, to me, it looks like I'm in the middle of my overall price range whichever route I take. "Redeye"? Your $370 quote seems like it's falling in the "very high" range; at least from what I've seen. At any rate I suppose it just depends on how involved I want to get with the maintenance. Right now, letting them do all the work for the extra $40 is looking mighty tempting. Will give it a rest till Monday. And thanks to everyone for their input ! !

Removing the wheels isn't a particularly difficult job. The savings from doing that will save enough money for a lot of miles worth of gas. I always pull the wheels off my bike. Sometimes when I've felt energetic I've change the tires on the rims myself but often have it done. In the places I've lived in the last ten or so years you can always find someone who'll mount tires for around $25 or thereabouts if you bring the wheels in. I normally order tires online. Since I live within a couple miles of Motorcyclesuperstore here in Medford I can just stop by there and have them get some in if they don't have any in stock. That way I avoid the shipping cost.

A local shop, less than four miles from my home, quoted OEM Hoops at $62 for the front, $105 for the rear, and $63 for all of the labor. A total of $230. That's very tempting. He's a former Honda dealer tech who set up his own shop after the dealership folded. I had heard of his shop but didn't know of his reputation one way or the other. Two local business owners I've come to know and trust since moving here told me "he's the guy" for my Silver Wing. Right now, this is my preferred option.

I average @ $150 total to replace BOTH front and rear(together) from ordering tires online and removing the tires myself and taking them to be mounted. $230 for the total job labor included wouldnt be a bad price, but $370 seems a little on the steep side.

I found a cycle shop in Evansville Indiana that will mount the tire and balance for $20 cash each if I remove the wheels and take them over. It's about a 30 mile drive from my home. Seems like my Diablo's were around $100 for the 2 from Motorcycle superstore.