Another reason not to use a dealer.

[old2soon]

While my lady is on the lift for the rear end maint and lube i decided to get those pesky stock valve stems replaced.  Went to my local friendly chopper shop and he won't be back til next week. Darn it. Soooo i decided to go to my local friendly Honda shop. Feel free at this point in time to throw out derogatory and insulting remarks.  Trust me on this-you ain't gonna say sumpin i havn't thought or expressed out loud already.  Long story about the same length. Honda labor rate here is $65.00 an hour. Now mind you i had already let out the air in the tires. This is the shop that wanted $50.00 a wheel and sign a waiver to install my darkside choice.  All they had to do was break the bead remove old valve stem install new valve stem reair the tires.  $40.00 later and $10.00 shop supplies(whatever in h3ll those are) $50.00 total they patted me on my keester and sent me on my way. It's not ALL bad news-the upside is i'll put my lady back together tommorrow and ride Sunday. I could have waited til next week-but i missed out on the riding when it was warmer in January.  So pay a little extra and be ready and ride Sunday. The moral here-still lookin i guess. I'm hooked-ridin way more important than waiting. RIDE SAFE.

[Fudd]

Was the shop supplies the valves?

[old2soon]

Was the shop supplies the valves?

  Nope=brought my own in. After i saw AND paid the bill i left before my mouth got me in trouble. RIDE SAFE.

[Buda]

The air used to seat the bead and fill the tire?

[RainMaker]

This is what I use - I've had it for over 20 years.

$44.95 bead breaker

http://www.harborfreight.com/automotive-motorcycle/tire-wheel/bead-breaker-92961.html

[scoot]

 I goota say if that's "all they had to do" then you should have done it yourself. Sorry, for being blunt, but these places have to pay electric bills, heat the building, buy the equipment, pay the guy that does the work, pay for his training. Pay for the insurance that if you have an accident walking on his property he's covered, the insurance that if something happens and his work is found at fault he's covered.
 I didn't read where somebody found you carrying your wheel down the street, and put a gun to your head and forced you into a van. Then took you to a dark room in the back of the shop and threatened your life if you didn't let them do the work.
 A freind of mine works as a tow truck driver. He gets a lot of calls for people who lock their keys in their cars. One evening he got a call to one of the local malls. When he pulled up there was a man standing there with his family, and sure enough his keys were locked in the car. So, my friend got the car unlocked (took him all of maybe 5 minutes). While holding onto the keys he went back to his truck, and filled out his papers. He asked the guy for $40. The dude went off on my friend. Telling him he wasn't gonna give him $40 for less then 5 minutes work, and that was highway robbery. He just went on and on calling every name in the book. Finally my friend walked over to the dude's car, open the door, threw the keys on the floor. He pressed the lock button and closed the door. He turned around and told the guy to get his own d*^% keys out of the car himself. The guys wife ended up giving him $75 to get the keys out, again.
 

[Stanley Steamer]

Was the shop supplies the valves?

  Nope=brought my own in. After i saw AND paid the bill i left before my mouth got me in trouble. RIDE SAFE.

It was the charge for exchanging "Fall" air for "Winter" air!!.......

[Jess Tolbirt]

usually shop supplies are for the rags and hand cleaner and floor sweep and stuff like that,,,

[Fudd]

This is what I use - I've had it for over 20 years.

$44.95 bead breaker

http://www.harborfreight.com/automotive-motorcycle/tire-wheel/bead-breaker-92961.html

I'm too much of a cheap skate to even have one of them.  I have an 8" C-clamp I bought for $12 and to little peices of wood.  I can't afford $45 for luxury items.

[bscrive]

I just got a new tire put on the rear of the valk and they charged me:
$45 to take the old tire off and mount the new tire
$8 for, and get this, "an environment fee".  Does that fee go to help the environment?  Sh!t no, it goes into the provincial coffers.  
$5 for shop fees
$7.54 for taxes charge on everything including the "environment fee" for a grand total of $65.54.  I don't begrudge the dealer, he has to make a living, and I am not going to do it myself because I have powder coated rims.  What really gets me is how I have to bend over and grab my ankles for the government.  I would love to shove there "environment fee" up their posterior.  
Thank you David Suzuki and Al Gore.  Hope you both get what you deserve.

Rant off....beep

[R J]

I just got a new tire put on the rear of the valk and they charged me:
$45 to take the old tire off and mount the new tire
$8 for, and get this, "an environment fee".  Does that fee go to help the environment?  Sh!t no, it goes into the provincial coffers.  
$5 for shop fees
$7.54 for taxes charge on everything including the "environment fee" for a grand total of $65.54.  I don't begrudge the dealer, he has to make a living, and I am not going to do it myself because I have powder coated rims.  What really gets me is how I have to bend over and grab my ankles for the government.  I would love to shove there "environment fee" up their posterior.  
Thank you David Suzuki and Al Gore.  Hope you both get what you deserve.

Rant off....beep

That fee is for the tire disposal.

I know as we are charged for each and every damn tire we take off and dispose of.    They won't let us drive down the freeway anymore tossing tires in the ditch.

We also have to keep anti freeze and tranny fluid, along with engine oil in separate tanks.    We get charged for the removal of all that crap, so, the costs get passed off onto all the customers..........    We used to have a used oil burning stove, it had to be cleaned weekly and one day the bottom fell out, so we went to a regular furnace and an AC unit for summer.    Still have to dispose of that stinkin oil.    We had none of those costs, 25 years ago.

[bscrive]

RJ,

The real crappy thing about having to pay the environment fee is that if I go to my local dump they no longer charge to dispose of a tire because they now have uses for them, don't know what that use it is but if the dump don't charge us then why does the dealer?

[old2soon]

Having worked in a auto repair shop and having driven a wrecker i know the owner of said company is in business to make a profit. I do not begrudge them a reasonable(no i do not know what reasonable would be) profit. I do understand overhead and insurance. I was part owner of a mobile home repair business a long time ago. Had my local friendly chopper shop been there today the same job from him would have been in the $10.00 range. Yes and yes again-i was in a hurry. I guess it's the wide swing in prices more than anything else that upset me a tad today. That and most important-do NOT want to miss any more of this warm January riding weather we are due more of Sunday. Sometimes i guess when you're between a rock and a hard place ya gotta bite the bullet-even if it bites you in the wallet. I would quit posting entirely if i was not ready to take a little heat in return now and then. Besides-had i NOT said a word NOBODY but me and my brother would have known about this. Come on spring and summer. I'm usually always ready to ride. RIDE SAFE.

[old2soon]

RJ,

The real crappy thing about having to pay the environment fee is that if I go to my local dump they no longer charge to dispose of a tire because they now have uses for them, don't know what that use it is but if the dump don't charge us then why does the dealer?

  One word comes to mind-PROFIT. RIDE SAFE.

[Thulsa Doom]

I goota say if that's "all they had to do" then you should have done it yourself. Sorry, for being blunt, but these places have to pay electric bills, heat the building, buy the equipment, pay the guy that does the work, pay for his training. Pay for the insurance that if you have an accident walking on his property he's covered, the insurance that if something happens and his work is found at fault he's covered....

All those same expenses are in place before he even walks in the door. They are simply the cost of doing business. They are the risk that the business owner accepts based on his forecast of future business.
Lower costs build good will with potential future repeat clients. The OP may decide not to patronize the business again and may recommend same to his friends, costing the dealer more future money than he earned with this single vist.
Fair prices are fair to both parties and usually encourage better relationships.

[Big IV]

I have something similar to this.
http://www.harborfreight.com/automotive-motorcycle/tire-wheel/bead-breaker-92961.html
I had my front tire broke loose, replaced the valve stem, and had the wheel back on the Valk while I was waiting on a bike shop to call me back and quote me the job.

[art]

The way I see it is the same problem all over the country.The wages paid today.A blue collar worker dose not make enough money to be able to buy what he wants  because wages have not kept up with the cost of living.We cannot continue going like this forever,something has to give.With housing,transportation,energy,health ins and food if you don't make $100000 gross a year you are not going to be able to afford the things you could 20-30 years ago.I am retired an having a hard time an I'm lucky to have a home with a small mortgage ,an old truck and a bike that was paid off eight years ago

[Bigwolf]

I have had it with shops!  Today I finished making my hillbilly tire machine and a tire removal and install tool.  Then I used it to install the dark side tire.  My first attempt to make the tire tool had a geometric problem that I corrected and it now works just fine.  To break the bead I used a couple of pieces of 2x4 under the rim to protect the rotor and rim and a 36 inch length of 2x6 carefully placed to drive my suburban up on.  I like the C-clamp idea but I don't happen to have one large enough yet.  I do plan to get one! 

Wolf

[Skinhead]

Having worked in a auto repair shop and having driven a wrecker i know the owner of said company is in business to make a profit. I do not begrudge them a reasonable(no i do not know what reasonable would be) profit. I do understand overhead and insurance. I was part owner of a mobile home repair business a long time ago. Had my local friendly chopper shop been there today the same job from him would have been in the $10.00 range. Yes and yes again-i was in a hurry. I guess it's the wide swing in prices more than anything else that upset me a tad today. That and most important-do NOT want to miss any more of this warm January riding weather we are due more of Sunday. Sometimes i guess when you're between a rock and a hard place ya gotta bite the bullet-even if it bites you in the wallet. I would quit posting entirely if i was not ready to take a little heat in return now and then. Besides-had i NOT said a word NOBODY but me and my brother would have known about this. Come on spring and summer. I'm usually always ready to ride. RIDE SAFE.

At least the heater works in your car.

[RainMaker]

This is what I use - I've had it for over 20 years.

$44.95 bead breaker

http://www.harborfreight.com/automotive-motorcycle/tire-wheel/bead-breaker-92961.html

I'm too much of a cheap skate to even have one of them.  I have an 8" C-clamp I bought for $12 and to little peices of wood.  I can't afford $45 for luxury items.

When I bought it 20 yrs ago, it was far cheaper. I've saved hunreds using it.

[RoadKill]

They only charge what people will pay         

[old2soon]

Skinhead-10 dash 4 on the heater working in my cage.  I was thinking exactly that being as we never got past 28 degrees today.  I'm gonna put my lady back together Saturday and ride Sunday iffin the weather guessers are anywhere near right on their pred-er guess. Like i related earlier-don't want to miss anymore of this unbelievable January weather we be having. RIDE SAFE.

[GOOSE]

RainMaker....I was kinda surprised when I hit your link, and up popped the same bead breaker that I have used for many years...except that it now costs 3 1/2 times what I paid.  

[hubcapsc]

... hillbilly tire machine ...

-Mike

[RoadKill]

... hillbilly tire machine ...

-Mike

Log splitter works too and I've even done it with sledge hammer,tire iron and a maul.

[Bigwolf]

When ya have the will, you can usually find a way.  I have used the tire tool and sledge hammer method too but only on steel wheels.  I don't want to try that on my aluminum wheels.

Wolf