Things Dealers tell Customers

Dealers have accounts with one or more of the three big wholesalers...Parts Unlimited/Drag Specialties, Tucker-Rocky, or Western Power Sports. The wholesalers have price tiers depending on the amount of business the retailer does with them. My local indie shop, a really small shop, gets the lowest PU pricing because they buy all their stuff through them...tires, batteries, chains, etc. The wholesalers have their own branding, whether it is a Parts Unlimited branded battery or chain or WPS branded chain, or WPS's Fly Racing, or Tucker Rocky Speed & Sports or Protaper, etc. The house brands tend to be good quality (can be beat, but at a price) with good aftermarket service to the retailer, at least from PU. I ordered a set of tires from a cheapo on line source, and the labels on the tires showed that they originally traveled from the Michelin warehouse to the Parts Unlimited warehouse, and then to me after I placed my order.

Most businesses (big or small) shop around for the best price, in the era of Google it takes less time to do that than to find the page in the catalog. If the dealer can get better prices ( and often delivery time) on tires by ordering from "Online store X" than through Parts Unlimited they're foolish not to do so (think of the extra markup!). Or the claim that the "Online store X" price is below their wholesale price is simply a lie. In my opinion if you don't stock it then you don't deserve much of a markup since you don't have any skin in the game. If someone buys a tire from "Online store X" and brings it into the shop to be mounted then the shop should evaluate the tire for fitness to mount and offer to mount it for a fair price based on the labor + overhead involved or decline the work based on inability to mount it safely (if it's damaged or faulty for example).

In the pages you skipped the thread meandered onto various items, think tracing a figure eight. You just happened to hit tire mounting.

No, you're close to right. This thread has degenerated into a discussion of tire mounting, where tires come from, blah blah blah. Makes the Killboy thread look like it's staying on track.

Umm... I've told one local shop where to find stuff cheaper than they were paying, and they still order from their usual sources. If you were a dealer selling tires, f'rinstance, and a customer told you where you could by tires online at their 'retail' for less than your current wholesale price, wouldn't you at least look into it? "Naahh, we don't get anything from them." was the response. Same thing when I wanted a battery for my 990, figured I'd give the local dealer a shot. Nope, pay $249 for a genuine KTM battery, no other options (such as the identical Yuasa I bought from the Honda store, with no KTM logo, for $130) . I've told them about Shorai batteries, too, and was told "Yeah, we've had a lot of people ask about them." but they've made no effort to source or stock them.
Since we seem to be on tires, what is a fair price to mount them, if you bring in the wheel, off the bike, regardless of where the new tire was from? Local shops charge one hour's labor rate, around $90, for something the least trained shop employee can do in 10 minutes, and it takes them hours to get them done. Which is why I go to a guy who has a tire machine in his garage, does a great job while you wait, and charges $20. For $90, I'll do it myself; for $20, I'll talk story with the local while he swaps tires.


1911fab

A dealertold me that they are reluctant to fit anything bought in because if the part is faulty the customer blames them. Not sure he was referring to tyres per se but I see the point.

If I buy from the one place I know who to blame and who will fix it for me. I do most of my own work though,

I bought a tire from a dealer and then went to an internet retailer to get it mounted...they wouldn't do it

My local Cycle Gear will mount and balance tires I carry in for $20 each.

$20-25 is fair, plus parts like valve stems and weights if needed.

I am lucky I can do my own, and most of my friends take advantage of that, for some rum, and we all are cool!

Jim

Yeah, I do my Husky tires myself, but the Harley tires are worth taking in and having someone else do on a machine.

This is what I do. A guy I know down the road has his own tire changer in his garage, plus a balancer thingy and all the valve stems and weights you could shake a stick at. His payment: Beer or a donation of your choice.

I'm cool with that. Plus, I help and do a good bit of the work, so I am learning how to do it myself for future needs. Win-win in my book

So if I put a tire machine in my shop I'll never have to buy beer?
I could retire early!

Most likely not

Don't know about retiring early though

Had a powersports dealer in central NJ show me his "last" CRF250L "for the season" today, out of 7 he said he had at the start. Seems once a wholesale delivery to a dealership is sold off, that's it - no "ordering" more, and no deliveries to dealers until the start of next year's season, around March 2014. Does this sound right? So, if you sell all your new bikes by June 30, what do you do with your empty floor all summer, ballroom lessons?

Dealers exchanges

It depends:
1---That's the way American Honda is doing things
2---The model will change and there really aren't any more of this model
3---He was lying to you.

The local shop I use is wholly owned and operated by a very nice couple. No Vehicle Sales, minimal accessory sales BUT their service is second to none.

I carry in my Rims for tire changes. The last invoice I paid was $23.74. That was for mounting, balancing, wheel weights, labour and taxes. I keep going back.

Nowadays, when I walk in the owner will generally nod to the tire machine and say, "You know where it is - get yourself started!"

Yep, pretty much.

I don't drink all that much, but I drink well. Fine ales I've earned via tire changes and other informal mechanicking really start to pile up about midsummer.

Fortunately, I can throw a cookout and clear out much of the backlog on MotoGP weekend.

:slurp

What I heard from my dealer when I ordered a few parts this morning;

"I have a overnight order going for the service department, I'll add your stuff on it, and you can pick it up tomorrow..."