Buying tires over the Internet

[TRIIICK]

It's been awhile since i've posted here. I just blew a tire on my 05 Rocket III standard,went to the Triumph dealer and he wanted $343.00 for the 240 and $160 for labor. I really don't mind replacing the tire at that price rest assured it's done right and safe to ride. My question to any of you who have bought tires over the web,what if any pros and cons have you experienced.Talking to a lot of riders in my travels it seems quite a few buy their tires on line. Jake Wilson tires seems to be the place of choice along with a few others. The way hyper inflation is traveling i'm all for saving money..ride safe

 

[TxRIIIRider]

I think we all buy our tires over the web for roughly a hundred dollars less than that, no matter what site, and then have them installed somewhere else besides the dealer at roughly half that labor charge. Don't have time to link to the threads, but there are threads on the site.. and just doing a search on the internet, you will find prices much cheaper than that..

 

[TRIIICK]

Hey Tx been awhile. Yeah it gets old replacing tires on the Rocket at $700+.Finding someone to do it half price that's another issue.

 

[kmrmike]

I recently purshased a front tire from Jake Wilson.. price was very reasonable. haven't mounted yet...waiting for my brothers Harley tire to wear down...He gave it to me with 25,000 miles on it. I've added 2500 more and still tread left! Go figure!!

 

[hegels]

be warned though. the wrench at my local shop almost lost a finger recently because he was trying to install a tire that was purchased over the internet... as a result they wont install tires that they do not order in. many places in my town wont actually.

 

[grizzdan]

I bought a Metz 240 off of Bike Bandit last year I think it was 200 and the dealer install was 100. If you buy online do a search for online discount coupons. Sometimes you get lucky and find them for the company your using.

 

[bertb]

Bought my rear 3-4 months ago with a 10% coupon from I think Motorcycles.com? $220 shipped. Dealer wanted $150 for install. Took it off myself and brought it to a local custom cycle shop where I had it done for $40

 

[Gkiller]

When I replaced my rear Metzeler with an Avon Cobra (240-50-16), best price I could find on the internet was Southwest Moto Tires
Welcome to Southwest Moto Tires

Extremely fast and FREE SHIPPING. I think I paid $269 shipped to my door, and had it in 3 days. They also offer Fed Ex two-day expedited shipping for only $20.

Almost everything I've put on my bike has been ordered off the internet...never had a problem whatsoever. And...I've never had a problem finding a shop to install a tire that I did not buy from them.

 

[dandiego]

I've bought Metz and Dunlop tires for my R3T from a couple of online places. Like others have stated, you'll find that onlines places are about 1/2 off the cost of other (brick and mortar) stores.


www.BikeBandit.com has pretty good prices and I have a local guy who installs them for a reasonable cost.


Plus, there's an AMA discount.

 

[webmaster]

I say buy whatever you're comfortable with. If one sticks to a particular make/model/part, there won't be that much difference.

It's like helmets, if you're shopping for a Shoei X-11 no matter where you go most of them are going to be older helmets that have already experienced some degree of foam degrade. If you are looking for a good deal on Bridgestone BT-02s, they may have some "shelf wear" on them as they too haven't been manufactured in a while.

I know riders in Texas who pickup tires at great prices, store them, and look for a shop to put them on when needed. A lot of shops there will do this, but most won't where I live. Shops that do work on cruisers more often tend to be more appreciative of those that work on sportbikes. A shop that sells a lot of smaller bikes usually sees their customers bring in the wheel only for tire replacement.

Tire Sales and Replacement is big business for shops. It's an opportunity to have a customer's motorcycle actually in their shop represents an opportunity to check a bike for possible warranty work, suggest repairs, and offer upgrades. A customer bringing in a tire can also represent an opportunity, but it's difficult when the customer's bike isn't there. A few dealers in my area will even pickup a customer's bike, rather than encourage them to "bring in the wheel".

What should be avoided is general offers, especially if you are sensitive to premature tire wear. Tires don't last forever, and age even when they aren't mounted. Find a tire that you like and stick to it; that will help ensure that you're not falling for a low-price offer that isn't for you. For example; I like Bridgestone Battlax and Dunlop Qualifiers; and don't go for anything else.