Steve Bakken Posted April 14, 2014 Share Posted April 14, 2014 So I'm due for my first new set of tires. I got the new ones ordered from Dennis Kirk, got the wheels off, and called up the bike dealer in town to set up an appointment, and was quoted at $70 labor per wheel, $90 per, if they're still on the bike. Is this a normal price to mount and balance a bike tire? I work in the automotive service industry and have done tons of car and truck tires and it takes about ten minutes. Now i understand that there are characteristics that are unique to bike tires, but i can't imagine that the mechanics are THAT much different. Can somebody educate me? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave S Posted April 14, 2014 Share Posted April 14, 2014 Yes, that is the going rate. If you buy the tires through the dealerships, the mount and balance will be much cheaper.There's a few smaller shops in the metro who do work at a much lower rate. There's supposed to be a sport bike shop in Eden Prairie that claims to be cheaper than any dealer.I've also heard several horror stories about a particular dealership in Hopkins.Not sure what you've got around your area. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JOHNBIGDOG Posted April 15, 2014 Share Posted April 15, 2014 sounds about right. sadly. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MJ1657 Posted April 15, 2014 Share Posted April 15, 2014 I was in the vehicle service industry for years. One of my suppliers that sold and pit tires on anything said they would rather mount tires on a tractor or a grader then mount motor bike tires. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
upnorth Posted April 15, 2014 Share Posted April 15, 2014 The local tire dealer where I live would do the tires and mounter reasonable if I pulled the tire/wheels off the bike. About the cost of normal tires. Could call a few tire shops and see if they would do the same. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve Bakken Posted April 17, 2014 Author Share Posted April 17, 2014 Well for 36 bucks i picked up a wheel balancer on hsolist. Kind of a no-brainer when you do the math Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
redneckdan Posted April 19, 2014 Share Posted April 19, 2014 It is not hard to do if you know what you are doing. 20 minutes to get the old one off and the new one on with spoons. If you break a sweat you are doing it wrong.I buy four rears and two fronts from the same lot. I spoon on he first set and spin them on the dynamic balance rig I made. When the tire are switched out I make sure to align the tire the same as the previous and usually find that I need no correction weights, I don't even both checking them any more. When I get a new lot I check them and find that minimal if any correction is needed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
leech~~ Posted April 22, 2014 Share Posted April 22, 2014 There is a lot more "rigamaroll" to a bike then just taking off 5 lug nuts and throwing a tire on. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
boatfixer Posted April 24, 2014 Share Posted April 24, 2014 I just had a shop order me up a michelin commander ii for me and for an additional 45$ they'll do the whole thing. I gladly pay Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
boatfixer Posted May 12, 2014 Share Posted May 12, 2014 Update. Since that guy blew me off, I ordered one through Amazon for 20 bucks less and I ended up removing the rim/tire and taking it to another shop to swap out the rubber and balance. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Whoaru99 Posted May 14, 2014 Share Posted May 14, 2014 ... If you buy the tires through the dealerships, the mount and balance will be much cheaper.One has to consider the bottom line cost of tires + mount/ balance + shipping (if applicable) + hassle factor, etc.At the dealer, the mounting may be cheaper if you buy from them, but I've found the cost of tires is typically higher. But, then, there is some hassle factor to order tires elsewhere and line up a place to do the work.Just have to do the math and factor how much you want to be involved. Myself, I'm capable of relatively complex repair/ maintenance stuff but I don't particularly enjoy it anymore so I factor my time into the cost equation when considering a more DIY oriented approach. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Whoaru99 Posted May 30, 2014 Share Posted May 30, 2014 FWIW, just had a front tire installed. $60. Brought the whole bike in, they did all the work to remove wheel, etc. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PierBridge Posted June 7, 2014 Share Posted June 7, 2014 So I'm due for my first new set of tires. I got the new ones ordered from Dennis Kirk, got the wheels off, and called up the bike dealer in town to set up an appointment, and was quoted at $70 labor per wheel, $90 per, if they're still on the bike. Is this a normal price to mount and balance a bike tire? I work in the automotive service industry and have done tons of car and truck tires and it takes about ten minutes. Now i understand that there are characteristics that are unique to bike tires, but i can't imagine that the mechanics are THAT much different. Can somebody educate me? You can do the tire no problem. Balancing may be an issue depending on. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HAMPS Posted January 15, 2015 Share Posted January 15, 2015 4 spoons. 2 rim protectors. Bunch of dish soap. Dyna Beads to balance. Easy once you have done a couple. No issues whatsoever with the beads. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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