Tire rotation quote

[Bucketman]

I was at the dealer Friday and asked about tire rotation as my tires are wearing on the inside more than the rest of the tire. I was quoted $90 to do this. I have 9500 miles on the tires and expect to get another 3000 at least. I figure I would get 4000 if I rotated them. I don't feel the cost of rotation is worth it. I was also quoted $250 for two new tires installed. I feel these dealers may be pricing themselves out of the market. Any comments? Does anybody else feel that way?

[aeroshots]

My guess is your dealer has a minimum of 1 hour labor charge at $90. Lets see, jack vehicle, remove front wheels, remove 2 tires from the rims, install/swap 2 tires on the rims, rebalance, remount wheels to vehicle. I can see that charge at a motorsports dealer. But like you, I'd just run them and get new ones when the time comes.

[happyspyder2039]

I was at the dealer Friday and asked about tire rotation as my tires are wearing on the inside more than the rest of the tire. I was quoted $90 to do this. I have 9500 miles on the tires and expect to get another 3000 at least. I figure I would get 4000 if I rotated them. I don't feel the cost of rotation is worth it. I was also quoted $250 for two new tires installed. I feel these dealers may be pricing themselves out of the market. Any comments? Does anybody else feel that way?if you have uneven tire wear. Alignment is off or uneven tire pressure. I hear that depending on how aggressive you are in turns can cause it also. Personally I would not mess with rotation. Been there done that. Getting tires rebalanced can be a PITA.

[Bob Denman]

The $90 charge for this seems pretty reasonable; when you consider what it entails...
The choice is yours... ;)

[SPECTACUALR SPIDERMAN]

when you say tire rotation do you mean flipping the tire, balance and swapping to the other side, if so the price isn't too bad
from a m/c dealer but that can be done at a good tire shop for less. i know i would treat it as a car tire and charge
accordingly which would be considerably less then m/c.

[JayBros]

I agree with happyspyder. I also offer that I am prone to pushing it in the mountain twisties but with a laser alignment and Ron's sway bar my tire wear is spot even.

[Bucketman]

when you say tire rotation do you mean flipping the tire, balance and swapping to the other side, if so the price isn't too bad
from a m/c dealer but that can be done at a good tire shop for less. i know i would treat it as a car tire and charge
accordingly which would be considerably less then m/c.
Thats what I was thinking. Looks like I have some buying to do at Spyderfest.

[Purple Guy]

I paid $60 to have my rear tire mounted & balanced so $90 to swap 2 fronts IMO isn't out of line...

[finless]

While $90 seems reasonable, I would take them off myself and go to a car tire place. Chances are they will charge you $15-$20 per tire.

Bob

[happyspyder2039]

While $90 seems reasonable, I would take them off myself and go to a car tire place. Chances are they will charge you $15-$20 per tire.

Bob:agree:

[ARtraveler]

If you do decide to do a tire rotation, make sure they get the treads facing in the correct direction. A simple flip flop without changing out the rims will have the tires going backwards.

[BLUEKNIGHT911]

Tire rotation is a total waste of money and it doesn't fix the problem......It's very doubtful the tire pressure is causing the un-even tire wear.........find someone who does the ROLO / OUTLAW lazer alignment ( look on the HOME page here ) it will be the BEST $125 or you will ever spend.......I'm on my third spyder and after the Kenda's wore out, I went with Car tires.......Never been happier ......way better tires....last much longer.....if you can get the wheels off any car tire place can put new tires on the Spyder rims ......also the front can be high speed spin balanced at that shop..............the rear however must either be balanced at a MTC shop or use BEADS or something else ....( I actually don't balance the rear wheel )..................Hope this helps you out ....Mike :thumbup: .....................................PS...I see you are going to Spyderfest :yes:.....there should be 4 vendors there who be doing alignments !!!!!!!!

[Pennyrick]

Tire rotation is a total waste of money and it doesn't fix the problem......I'm on my third spyder and after the Kenda's wore out, I went with Car tires.......Never been happier ......way better tires....last much longer.....if you can get the wheels off any car tire place can put new tires on the Spyder rims ......also the front can be high speed spin balanced at that shop.............)..................Hope this helps you out ....Mike :thumbup: .....................................PS...I see you are going to Spyderfest :yes:.....there should be 4 vendors there who be doing alignments !!!!!!!!

I agree that tire rotation is a waste of time and money. Have done this and could never get the front tires balanced properly afterward. There is something about directional tires that once they get worn into one side of the Spyder makes them almost unusable when dismounted and remounted to run on the other side. Cost of dismounting, remounting and install was $125. I finally gave up on my 2011 RT and just replaced them. I made the mistake of replacing with OEM tires.

On my 2012 I decided not to rotate but to replace. Cost of going with the same size Bridgestone Potenzas at the local Tire Plus store for mounting and balancing (after I took them off) was $110 for both. (The dealer wanted $339 for installing two new Kendas).

[Chupaca]

I also had wear problem, had Squared Away do the alignment and the wear is evening out. Tires now have close to 30,000miles and a ways to go. But if you do decide to do like stated and run them to a tire shop...:thumbup:

[PaladinLV]

Just get 2 good car tires for up front and you'll never need to worry about "directional rotation" again.
If you must just a simple swap.

AJ

[Orange Spyder Man]

if both tires are wearing on the inside... rotating them won't solve a thing... IMHO its an alignment problem...

P.S. don't replace your tires with substandard 2-ply Kendas ... they are junk


osm

[BajaRon]

Get it laser aligned and put 2 good car tires on it. You'll be out the door with the tires for around $150.00 in most places and you'll get better tire wear with the alignment.

[900Dave]

I agree with most of what was already stated. Must be an alignment problem. I had the Rolo alignment done on mine. Just past 11,000 miles today on them and I plan on putting another 11,000 on them before replacement. I have no plans of rotating them. They do have a slight cupping to the tread but the wear is even across the tire. I added 2 more lbs of pressure the other day to try to prevent any more cupping.

As far as car tires, I for one am not completely sold on them. I have about 4500 miles on my Kumho on the back and I can tell you the traction is not near as good as the OEM Kenda, wet or dry roads the Kenda would completely outperform my Kumho.

[Professor]

As far as car tires, I for one am not completely sold on them. I have about 4500 miles on my Kumho on the back and I can tell you the traction is not near as good as the OEM Kenda, wet or dry roads the Kenda would completely outperform my Kumho.
I'm glad you said that. Motorcycle tires wear faster than car tires for a reason: they are stickier. I love the idea of low cost and increased wear, but in exchange for safety? That extra stickiness is something you may never need, but the right (or wrong) situation, a few feet shorter stopping distance or a touch better traction could make the difference between just a change of underwear or a long, painful and expensive hospital stay. It's probably the MSF instructor in me, but the old saying, "Penny wise and pound foolish" may apply here.

I'm not a tire expert, so I could be wrong, but those are my thoughts.

[cptjam]

Come see us at Spyderfest. We will laser align your Spyder, and reset your BUDS! Then get new tires, and enjoy! Joe

[Bucketman]

Come see us at Spyderfest. We will laser align your Spyder, and reset your BUDS! Then get new tires, and enjoy! Joe
I will be looking for you. Do I have to make an appointment now

[Bfromla]

From my info ive found most dealers lack the balancer machine & have to out source that part of work sux , but done right. Fyi i got 15miles on rear 16,1on one front b4random flat. Other side good going to change @20k just for safety. Agree with Air pressure ck. Laser alignment good idea after u know its not tires. & getting new tires @same time wouldn't hurt new & true. Way i do my '68 truck. Fyi.


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[Bfromla]

Come see us at Spyderfest. We will laser align your Spyder, and reset your BUDS! Then get new tires, and enjoy! Joe

Price??



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[Professor]

Come see us at Spyderfest. We will laser align your Spyder, and reset your BUDS! Then get new tires, and enjoy! Joe
I'm not trying to be picky. I need to decide how best to spend my limited Spyder money, so I have some questions about laser alignment.

1. How durable is an alignment? If I have you guys align it, then hit a couple of potholes or ride several miles on a really rough road, is it likely to knock it out of alignment?
2. Related question: Typically, how often should a Spyder be aligned?
3. What's wrong with regular (non-laser) alignment?
4. Assuming my dealer did a good job with pre-delivery set-up, is laser alignment so much better that I will feel a difference in handling and in tire wear?
5. Do you sometimes start to align a dealer-aligned Spyder and find that it doesn't need to be changed?
6. What are BUDS?

I hope my asking so many questions isn't a hassle, but I can't help it. That's just what professors do. :rolleyes:

Thanks.

[Bob Denman]

Short answer: the alignment will last until YOU bugger it up! :shocked:
If your roads are free of potholes; it could last for years... ;)
If you live in the Northeast: :gaah:
The laser alignment is WAY more precise than anything that the dealer can do by measuring distances to fixed points...
He won't check the alignment as part of the PDI... unless his shop is an amazing one!
As far as the bike being perfectly aligned right out of the box? Anything is possible, and even a blind hog will find an acorn once in a while...
BUDS is the diagnostic system that is used most often by dealers to connect directly with your bike's computers, for diagnostic purposes. It will also be used to re-set various sensor parameters, and pull up error codes, and engine performance data.

[Gray Ghost]

I'm not trying to be picky. I need to decide how best to spend my limited Spyder money, so I have some questions about laser alignment.

1. How durable is an alignment? If I have you guys align it, then hit a couple of potholes or ride several miles on a really rough road, is it likely to knock it out of alignment?
I don't think I have ever run across anyone who has gone out of alignment just because of a rough road. Now if you hit something hard enough to bend something all bets are off.

2. Related question: Typically, how often should a Spyder be aligned?
ROLO laser alignment aligns the front wheels to the rear wheel, if you do something to change that geometry then it would be time to at least have it checked. Once you are used to riding a properly aligned Spyder you can usually tell if it starts pulling to one side or the other.

3. What's wrong with regular (non-laser) alignment?
The ROLO alignment is designed to align your Spyder to the same precision that you would normally find on race cars. A system that aligns to the frame is never going to get you that type of control. There are many threads on laser alignment here. I can't think of anyone that reported not being satisfied with the results of having their Spyder aligned. And the number of folks who had their factory aligned Spyders checked and no laser alignment needed is very small.[/QUOTE]

4. Assuming my dealer did a good job with pre-delivery set-up, is laser alignment so much better that I will feel a difference in handling and in tire wear?
With ROLO alignment you can see on the laser targets exactly how bad off the alignment is. Some are worse than others, the more off the alignment is the more your tires will wear. And you should be able to tell the difference in handling.

6. What are BUDS?
In the computer systems for the Spyder there is a setting that lets the Spyder know what "straight" is. If your alignment is changed, then the value stored in the computer is no longer valid. Part of the alignment process is to hook your Spyder up to the computer diagnostic system (BUDS) and reset that sensor so that it knows what the new "straight" is.

[Bucketman]

Come see us at Spyderfest. We will laser align your Spyder, and reset your BUDS! Then get new tires, and enjoy! Joe
I have a few things I want spend some money on and I want to prioritize these things. I'm very new to Spyders as you can tell from my join date and posts. Can you please tell me the cost of the laser alignment at the show.

[Professor]

Short answer: the alignment will last until YOU bugger it up! :shocked:
If your roads are free of potholes; it could last for years... ;)
If you live in the Northeast: :gaah:
The laser alignment is WAY more precise than anything that the dealer can do by measuring distances to fixed points...
He won't check the alignment as part of the PDI... unless his shop is an amazing one!
As far as the bike being perfectly aligned right out of the box? Anything is possible, and even a blind hog will find an acorn once in a while...
BUDS is the diagnostic system that is used most often by dealers to connect directly with your bike's computers, for diagnostic purposes. It will also be used to re-set various sensor parameters, and pull up error codes, and engine performance data.
Thank you so much! In one quick response, I learned a bunch. I appreciated it.

[Professor]

And thank you Gray Ghost!! Great information. I think I need to do it.

[Bob Denman]

Glad to help! :thumbup:
(I'm normally not this useful... :D)

[Professor]

As far as I know, nobody does this in the Dallas area, so I'll try to get it done at Spyderfest. Is it first-come, first-served or are appointments being taken? From what I think I know so far, there are two that may be available in Springfield - Squared Away and LeMonster. Am I correct?

Sheesh, you guys answer and I come up with more questions. But this is the best place I know to get great answers. :bowdown:

[Bob Denman]

If you look around in here; you might find a link to their dealers...

http://www.spydercomfort.com/alignment.htm

[Professor]

Thanks Bob. It turns out that my dealer - where I bought my RT - does it. They sure hide it well. No one there has ever said a word about it. When I had them install the anti-sway bar would have been a perfect time to have mentioned it. I'll call Tuesday and see if they can get it done before we head for Spyderfest.

Thanks everyone for your help!!

[JerryB]

Hi Professor,

Re: They sure hide it well. No one there has ever said a word about it.

Personal opinion only: This would scare me away.

You mention going to SpyderFest. I recommend that you get it taken care of there.

Again, just an opinion,

Jerry Baumchen

PS) The cost is usually about $110 - $125; maybe slightly more at some places but those are good ballpark numbers.

[Professor]

Hey Jerry,

I was thinking the same thing. Just because the dealership does it doesn't mean they do it well. Watching LaMonster's video shows me that even with the precision of the system, experience is still a critical ingredient. So I want someone who has done a lot of them. So I'll get it done at Spyderfest. Now I have to find out whether or not I need to make an appointment in advance. I'm hoping one or more of the providers are following this thread.

Jim

[DJFaninTN]

I'm not trying to be picky. I need to decide how best to spend my limited Spyder money, so I have some questions about laser alignment.

1. How durable is an alignment? If I have you guys align it, then hit a couple of potholes or ride several miles on a really rough road, is it likely to knock it out of alignment?
2. Related question: Typically, how often should a Spyder be aligned?
3. What's wrong with regular (non-laser) alignment?
4. Assuming my dealer did a good job with pre-delivery set-up, is laser alignment so much better that I will feel a difference in handling and in tire wear?
5. Do you sometimes start to align a dealer-aligned Spyder and find that it doesn't need to be changed?
6. What are BUDS?

I hope my asking so many questions isn't a hassle, but I can't help it. That's just what professors do. :rolleyes:

Thanks.


Do you or have you ever gotten your car alignment done? If you hit a major, major pot hole sometimes it might or might not need another alignment.

Yes you should be able to tell a difference when you start riding it after your alignment. Adding a real sway bar helps out as well.

If you spend that much for a bike, why would you not want to spend $125 to make sure your bike is properly aligned? :dontknow:

[jaherbst]

While $90 seems reasonable, I would take them off myself and go to a car tire place. Chances are they will charge you $15-$20 per tire.

Bob

Few tire places have the right spindle for this. Been there done that.

Jack

[jcthorne]

You can only 'rotate' the front wheels. Most tire shops have no trouble mounting or balancing the front wheels. At least Discount and NTW do not and the Hunter spin balance machines and no touch tire mounting machine are pretty common these days.

On the other hand, if the tires are worn on one edge, it would be money better spent getting the alignment fixed and just replacing the tires. Rotation will just move problems around.

[sandeejs]

Oh, no! It just turned noon, and I've already learned stuff!
Thank you so much for all the informational responses, AND thanks to the O.P. for bringing it up.
~Sandee~ ;)

[finless]

Few tire places have the right spindle for this. Been there done that.

Jack

No problem around here with that.... Allen Tire and Discount can do it.

Bob

[Bucketman]

Well, I took the wheels off and took them to a local tire shop..$31.00 for both wheels. I figure I have about 20 minutes jacking it up removing wheels and reinstalling. Will be taking for a 70 mile ride this afternoon. Will report if handling has changed. Planning on getting Laser Align at Spyderfest. Thank you people for all the wonderful responses. Hope to see some of you at SF. I have a 14 Matte Silver RT limited and so does a few hundred others I suppose.
Jim (Bucketman)