How much to pay for tire mounting?

[spyug]

Our local dealers charge between $70 and $150 for a set. I found a new small shop who mounted & balanced the 2 for $50. No fuss no muss.

I did take off the old rubber just to see if I could do it. Almost impossible with brute force and tire irons. Easier with a power saw and chisels (to cut the bead).

I'll use my new found friend from here on in.

[sharpy]

dare say it, They tube or tubeless. giggles

[bwringer]

Let me approach this from another direction: do you really want to be utterly helpless if you're faced with a tire problem on a ride?

I think every rider should be able to mount their own tires. It gets MUCH MUCH MUCH easier with a bit of experience, and the basic tools and equipment you need are very cheap -- you can make everything you need except the tire irons. (And if you happen to have a forge, I guess you could make those too.)

Of course, once you have this valuable skill, it's certainly up to you whether you still want to pay someone else to do it for you.

Personally, I always do it myself -- I go through a lot of tires, so the cost is a factor, but it's also immeasurably more convenient and faster to handle everything right there in my garage instead of having to make a trip. And I KNOW for fact that it's done right.

[FLHGSRay]

Another trick to making life easier if you diy? Spare wheels. It's a big time-saver when you need new tires, and can save the day if you're planning a ride and wake up to a flat. I have extra wheels for the HD set up with brake discs and drive pully. When I need new tires, I just grab the spare wheels. I leave the old tires mounted for spares in the meantime. It has saved my day a couple times. Haven't picked up spares for the GS, yet.

[Baatfam]

Let me approach this from another direction: do you really want to be utterly helpless if you're faced with a tire problem on a ride?

Bingo!

I was on a ride with the N. Illinois clan a couple of years ago when a newbie to the group found himself with cords showing 300+ miles from home on a Saturday night....
If he had been alone, he would have had to stay until the shops open on Monday....
But he was with Mr. Nardy and gang, so we found a tire and changed it in the parking lot of the Best Western that night...

It is a valuable skill to know...

[mike54]

I used a wheel balancer from Harbor Freight, it takes 5-10 mins to balance at most and is pretty easy.

- Deflate tube, take out valve stem
- Break bead by propping rim on something, and stepping on the tire (or pushing)
- Spray with soapy water
- Push the opposite side of the tire in toward the center, use the irons to grab the lip of the tire and lever out of the rim
- Do this all the way around
- Use the irons to remove the other side
- Use old tire as a prop
- Use irons to get one side of new tire on rim
- Stuff tube inside new tire/rim, line up the valve stem
- Partially inflate tube (IMPORTANT)
- Spray with soapy water again
- Lever the other side of the tire on
- Inflate tube to operating pressure

Balancing is cake. Just check the tire for a mark (some have a paint dot where it's heaviest). If it has a mark then put that opposite the valve stem. Put the wheel/tire on the balancer and gently spin. Note where it stops (bottom is heaviest). Tape a weight to the top of the wheel (dont use the adhesive right away) and gently spin. Basically add more weights until it doesn't have a place it likes to stop at. Mark where they were, clean the rim and use the sticky adhesive on the weights.

I did this in about 30 mins while drinking beer.

Painted dot is the light spot on the tire. It goes next to the heavy part of the rim. Often this is where the valve stem is but not always. If you want to know for sure spin the rim on the balancer without the tire. Heavy side stops at the bottom. But spin a few times ( 3 or 4 ) to make sure it stops at the same spot. If it's random then you don't have a heavy spot and can use the valve stem.

Mounting tires just takes practice. There's a lot of youtube vids that will show you how. It's a good feeling to be able to do it your self.

[Paul]

UK... £10 ($15) per tyre balanced, or included in the price of tyres from a tyre center

[ART]

Sweden ... $40/wheel for mounting and balancing at the big places. If one brings them a wheel sans attached motorcycle.

Which is silly expensive. So next time I'm shifting said tire in my livingroom...

[greg78gs750]

0 dollars, basscliff's site. yes, you will probably swear and quite possibly eff it up the first time. the second time will be easy-peasy. and, yes, beer can help. also, spring for the actual tire lube, put it in a spray bottle. it makes a difference.

greg