Where to buy Tires???

[kirmit77]

Where is the best place to buy tires for a 79 special for cheap??

[tarzan]

Local bike shop.You can get those chinese branded tires for about $50 a piece.Or ebay

[Hawkins]

My 80 SG had Cheng Shin tires on when I bought it. Not knowing the difference I rode them until they wore out, then bought Bridgestone Spitfires. The difference in handling and traction, esp on wet pavement, was incredible. The front used to slide out in turns with that cheng shin crap on. I wouldn't run Chinese tires on my bike if they gave them away. I just had a new Spitfire for the front installed and balanced for 125 CAD (~100 USD). Double the price of cheap tires, but cheap insurance, and a whole lot more fun to ride. MHO.

[mstic2000]

I just had a set of new Dunlop D404's put on my 1978 XS1100E from a local bike shop. Paid about the same price as if I would have got them off the internet. Paid a little extra for them to put them on but it was worth having it done right instead of me fiddling with them. They ride nice.

[John]

Is there a Cycle Gear anywhere near you? They seem to have the best prices, and if it is a cheaper price on there website, the store will honor the internet price.

[BigDick]

I have brand new dunlop elite 3's (haven't even worn off the nubblies) only about 90 miles and I'm really happy with them so far, but all of that is in town riding, with once or twice up around 90 mph.

[trbig]

Guys guys guys... there's plenty of tire threads to state your opinions of BRANDS... The guy was just asking for a cheap PLACE.

PLEASE!!! Can we not turn this into yet another tire thread?

Tod

[Wildkat]

A couple of options here...

Motorcycle Superstore

Cycle Gear

Guys guys guys... there's plenty of tire threads to state your opinions of BRANDS...

Are you sure?

The guy was just asking for a cheap PLACE.

Just consider the rest of the info a bonus...

Can we not turn this into yet another tire thread?

Awe c'mon... there's always room for just one more... kind of like Jello...
We could start talking oil too...

[mstic2000]

I just had a set of new (insert generic) tires put on my 1978 XS1100E from a local bike shop. Paid about the same price as if I would have got them off the internet. Paid a little extra for them to put them on but it was worth having it done right instead of me fiddling with them. They ride nice.

The names and places have been changed to protect the innocent.

[BigDick]

Guys guys guys... there's plenty of tire threads to state your opinions of BRANDS... The guy was just asking for a cheap PLACE.

PLEASE!!! Can we not turn this into yet another tire thread?

Tod

lol sorry Tod, I got carried away. IIRC I paid about $80-90 for my front and $105-115 for the rear at my yamaha dealer. They charged about $20--25 for install and balance with the wheels off the bike. I don't know if it's a site we can order through or if you have to be a dealer but he went through an outfit called tucker rocky distributing. They are at www.tuckerrocky.com

[fredintoon]

Where is the best place to buy tires for a 79 special for cheap??

Hi Austin,
for sure you can buy tires on the net cheaper than you can buy the same tires at the local bike shop.
But that only gets those tires to your doorstep. You gotta look at the installed cost.
Unless you are an expert and own a tire changer and a balancing set-up (or unless you really hate yourself) somebody has to put those tires on your wheels for you.
And unless you have "Bro with tire changer" that somebody is your local bike shop.
Option 1)
Show up with two bike wheels with bald tires on and say "Could you sell me new tires and put them on these wheels please?"
Option 2)
Show up with two bike wheels with bald tires on and two new tires and say "I bought these new tires real cheap on the net, could you put them on these wheels please?"
Imagine the different responses you'd get.

[Jerry]

If you shop online, Motrcycle Superstore generally has good prices. Currently they have the Dunlope Elite 3 for $116.00 with free shipping. (MT90HB-16) Front Elite 3 (MM90HB-19) is $87.00. Link is:
http://www.motorcycle-superstore.com

[SFerinTEXAS]

And if you have any warranty issues it gets even worse. I got dunlop E3 s from MAWONLINE and after a year or so noticed a possible defect in one of them . Researching options I found out if I had gotten them locally from an authorized local distributer I could take them back and a determination would be made on the spot. But NO because I got them online I would have to take it off and ship it to MAWONLINE before any determination could be made. Maybe a local store COULD do it but why would they if they have no obligation or incentive to do so.And yes Fred I hated myself after I did the m and b .

[Jerry]

Should add...Motorcycle Superstore has many brands of tires, I just picked the Dunlops as an example.

Fred:

The 2 local bike shops in my town charge the same for a mount / balance regardless of where you bought the tires. The service department is run as a separate entity from the parts counter. While it pays to check the installed price before you order on-line or through a dealer, my experience is that ordering on-line will save you some money every time on the total installed price. Granted, this may be different if you are a high-dollar customer, which I am not.

Only once have I seen a "buy It here, mount / balance free" deal, and that was when I worked in Madison, Wisconsin. There are deals out there through dealers on occasion, which is why it pays to check, just doesn't happen in my part of the world.

[DGXSER]

I will add that I bought tires form "tire rack" online before and had a warranty problem. The only recourse was to buy a new tire form them, pay the shipping on that tire, send them the defective tire paying the shipping on THAT tire, and hope they paid me for the bad tire after they determined any pro rating. Not to mention mounting charges they are not repsonsible for. Obviously a much simpler concept when you buy the tire local. How much DID I save???

As to mounting though, I just checked into this as Thuderstruck is due for a new rear skin (for some reason, I do not understand how it got so worn in five months). I was at my local Yamarobbers looking for clutch springs and checked into tires, they told me the tire price then stated mouting was extra, about $25 a tire. Since they sell me the tires as parts, and the service dept mounts them ( a separate building at this dealership). So I figure the mounting will cost the same no matter who I get it from.