£60 to change and balance 2 wheels??

[littlejimmy12]

I think that takes the ****

thoughts?

[Gordon H]

It does when I got a new back tyre on my SS today for £90 fitted.......

[littlejimmy12]

yup, its only coz I didn'y purchase the tyres from them!

[slob]

Half an hour per wheel, a bit steep but probably about right most places

[littlejimmy12]

Half an hour per wheel, a bit steep but probably about right most places

The hour it takes I wasn't questioning, it was the £60 an hour rate, it's not a skilled job, any monkey could do it. Hourly rates should represent the amount of skill involved in the job!

Utopia??

[rac3r]

An hourly rate is an hourly rate. Seems to have gone up recently though

[littlejimmy12]

An hourly rate is an hourly rate. Seems to have gone up recently though

hence I said Utopia!!

[rac3r]

Best way is to become friends with the mechanic, most are will to do work on the side for cash :D

BUT this won't help the shops soo maybe not a good idea :chuckle:

[Rally]

The hour it takes I wasn't questioning, it was the £60 an hour rate, it's not a skilled job, any monkey could do it. Hourly rates should represent the amount of skill involved in the job!

Utopia??

If it's that easy why didn't you do it then Littlejimmy? I expect it is because of the specialist tools required that cost an arm and a leg! Thats what you are paying for.

When I once 'repaired' something many years ago with a hit of the hammer, the farmer said the same; I pointed out to him, it's not the tools you use, but the skill to know where to hit it and how to use them that you pay for! He agreed. Similar principle involved here but the other way round I think.

[Gordon H]

Best bet is always to ask for a quote first - no matter how small the job.

Then if you're not happy walk away.......

[Stafford]

Did you have the wheels loose or did you take the bike in?
If you took the bike in I hope the monkey knew where to hit it with the hammer.

Around here it's a tenner a wheel to swap a tyre onto a loose wheel and balance.

[crust]

The hour it takes I wasn't questioning, it was the £60 an hour rate, it's not a skilled job, any monkey could do it. Hourly rates should represent the amount of skill involved in the job!

Utopia??

So, no taking into account the cost of the building, council tax, heating, lighting, equipment or any other overheads?

You didn't buy the tyres there, so no profit on a sale, the guys got to earn a living somehow.

What you going to do if the guy closes up?

[dunlop0_1]

Best way is to do it yourself IMO. Been doing it for years, bead breaker, levers and rim protectors about £50 off ebay. Never damaged one yet, even the mag wheels on the 996.

[littlejimmy12]

So, no taking into account the cost of the building, council tax, heating, lighting, equipment or any other overheads?

You didn't buy the tyres there, so no profit on a sale, the guys got to earn a living somehow.

What you going to do if the guy closes up?

To be frank if they close up I'll just go somewhere else!

[rac3r]

So, no taking into account the cost of the building, council tax, heating, lighting, equipment or any other overheads?

You didn't buy the tyres there, so no profit on a sale, the guys got to earn a living somehow.

What you going to do if the guy closes up?

Yes but there is a limit to how much you should charge.

However I think £30 a wheel doesn't seem too bad but as mentioned was it loose wheels or with the bike?

[revver]

I got charged £13 a wheel they were lose and i got the tyres of internet. Had to get rid of old tyres though or i would have had to have paid for that too.

[JMo]

Not wanting to jump in with a similar lack of sympathy, but I do tend to agree with Crust et al...

Was it a mechanic/workshop you took them too, or just a tyre fitters? If it was a workshop, then the mechanic could have been earning £60 an hour doing something else?

I've been in a similar position myself, and yes, had I known he was going to charge standard workshop rates, I'd have asked the guy to rebuild my engine, not 'just' change my tyres (and taken them to a dedicated fitters instead perhaps) - but that is what you get with a one-man show?

I've also seen monkeys change tyres, and to be honest, I'd rather pay a premium and not have the rims scratched, make sure they are balanced properly, and not least to make sure directional tyres are fitted in the correct direction (yep, that has happened to me... twice... at the same time... idiots!)

Also, you live in London of course - so that in itself is going to cost more than most places?

To compare, I used to pay £10 a (loose) wheel to have a tyre changed over, but that was on my dirt-bike wheels - no balancing, and no soft magnesium to scratch and dent... so to be fair, an hour for both including balancing (and especially if the wheels are still on the bike) is not so bad realistically... although I'd agree with you, it smarts a bit!

Jx

[Mr Cake]

It all depends on how, or where else you could get the job done. If you couldn't rip the wheels out and change the hoops yourself then you're at the mercy of the garage. I get mine changed over for nowt if I buy the scrubs from him and take the worn tyres away; its £5 a rim if I leave the dead ones with him. While young'un is swapping them over, I'm having a good oul bike related chops with the gaffer over a brew and poking round their British 125GP bike whilst its sat on the dyno. I haven't really got the front to take tyres to him that I'd bought somewhere else.

Jimmy Jimmy,
Jimmy Jimmy - Oooh...
Jimmy Jimmy,
Poor little Jimmy wouldn't let go...

...Jimmy Jimmy...

Silly boy,
Silly boy,
Silly boy,
Such a silly boy - The Undertones

C

[Sam69]

I think that takes the ****

thoughts?

May be something to do with the area you live in "London" just had two tyres removed to get my wheels powder coated he would not take any payment for his efforts. Next day I presented him with a box of Nambarrie tea bags and a packet of shortbread,which he was delighted to receive.
Returned a week later with the wheels to have the tyres re-fitted was told go put the kettle on while I fit them now will save you the journey back down. Says something about living out in the country eh! p.s. I did not purchase the tyres from them either.

I hope you parted from the Bike shop with the saying "I prefer to be kissed when being shafted!!!" :)

[He11cat]

This was tried this weekend did it want to go on my rim ... did it hell!!....

With the right tools is a piece of piddle ...
not for me as I am weak.

[Dukedesmo]

Half an hour per wheel, a bit steep but probably about right most places

If it's to loose wheels, it shouldn't be taking half an hour per wheel to fit. I buy my tyres on the internet and my local bike mech fits a pair for around £25, takes him about half an hour all in.

I wouldn't dream of buying tyres elsewhere and then taking the bike rather than loose wheels in to get them fitted, sort of goes against the keeping the price down ethos.

[Dookbob]

Changing a tubeless tyre is a joke if you use plenty of tyre soap on the beads, and balancing isn,t rocket science, short length of round bar or tube and a pair of axle stands. The self adhesive balance wieghts are on Ebay for next to nothing. Trials riders change wheels in the forest with a foot of snow on the ground, then inflate them by setting fire to a squirt or two of lighter fuel. It gets better and easier of course with a bit of practice, but at £30 a time now is a good time to start.

[slob]

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/abba-TYRE-CHANGE-PACKAGE-BEAD-BREAKER-WHEEL-BALANCER-/190605452529?pt=UK_Motorcycle_Parts&hash=item2c60f864f1

3 changes and it pays for itself, I'm sure you could find better prices if you hunted around a bit

[bialbero]

................it's not a skilled job, any monkey could do it............

why didn't you do it yourself then???????? littlejimmy12