Ever Get the Feeling you have been ripped off?

[Fisty]

Went to Fowlers for a quote for a tyre. Fitted to a loose rim.

1 x dunlop roadsmart 180/55 ZR 17
1 x valve
disposal of old tyre
30 minutes labour.

In total £183.89

After picking myself up off the floor I did a bit of research and called a local trye company, and for the same price they will do me the front and rear fitted to loose rims.

Guess which one I will be using.....

How can these larger companies justify such high prices???
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Quietly and consistently taking the piss.
TL1000R | Hayabusa | ZXR400 | TL1000S | Bandit 400 V
Fatter and faster than Fret

[Carl_steveo]

I think they will justify it by the fact that people pay it. If people refused to pay the prices they wouldn't charge as much.

[Thom]

i'm looking to fit new tyres to the new bike as it's ones are well gone/going.

Tyres i found two bt45's for £110 delivered, the local bike place ive started using is charging me £20 to fit each tyre, balance them etc, so £150 for two tyres i reckon is ok, for one id be kicking myself!
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Current Bike: 1996 Yamaha TRX850 (The Japanese-Ducati One).
Previous Bikes: 1990 Honda NSR125 'Rothmans' (The smoking one), 1990 Suzuki GS500e 'Caf? fighter' (The loud one), 1987 Kawasaki GPX400r (The quick one), 1997 XJ600s Diversion (The reliable one), 2000 Kawasaki ER-5 (The spontaneously combustive one)

[bs16]

Sod Fowlups, nice place to look round and had to use them to get a HISS key done but too bloody pricey by far. Go to Protyre in St George/Redland, I rode in and got two BT021s fitted for not much more than that.

[Itchy]

Depends sometimes they have people by the balls, ie last year before I went to France 6 hours before my tour I wanted new tyres as the B14s looked a bit worn , they charged me £210 for them...

I could have got them for £180 but the tyreman I usually use was off in Spain too.
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Spain 2008France 2007Big one 2009 We all die. The goal isn't to live forever, the goal is to create something that will. In the end, your life will flash before your eyes. Make sure it is worth watching.

[Syx]

For cheap fitting you can go to car garages too - my local will fit tyres, including valve and balance, for £5 (a loose) wheel.

[ncrn]

I've only been into fowlers once and I just got a bad impression from the place in my first visit. Mainly after speaking to a sales rep, he came up to me and the conversation went as such..

Him: Hi can I help?

Me: Yeah I'm looking to get a top box for my ER5, do you sell them here I can't seem to see any?

Him: Ah yeah we have some over here *he shows me prices etc*

Me: Do you fit top boxes here?

Him: Well not me personally.

Me: *Blank look on face and pause* .. Do you as a company fit top boxes.. .

I left shortly after figuring I could probably do it myself for cheaper. Nice show room but yeah they kinda feel like rip of merchants to me.
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Past: 55 Sym Jet, 91 ZZR250, 03 NSR125R. Present: 97 ER-5.
https://www.nsr125.co.uk - NSR Owners forum.

[Whosthedaddy]

When I had new front and rear fitted, I was asked by the mechanic whether I had my lift still to take the tyres away otherwise I'd have to pay for disposal of the old rubber.

I said I'd foot the bill...






...all of £2 per tyre.

[Mr Nice Guy]

I've been calling around for a new set of Pilot Road 2's (current set on 8k and about done )

Two usual places are £220 fitted to the bike.

Ride On Motorcycles (Glasgow Yamaha) £309

Ye whit?
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Suzuki GSX-R750K4 ~ Mivv GP

[Villers]

My local garage quoted me £230 for a set of Pilot Road 2's for my Hayabusa, loose wheels too.

The cheapest Ive found on the net for both tyres delivered is £179.99. Wonder if I can get them fitted for less than 50 quid
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RS125 > CBR6 > SV650S > ZX636R > GSX1300RZ Hayabusa > 06 RSVR Mille > SV1000S > Street Triple 765 RS

[Mr Nice Guy]

They are on ebay for 168 plus a fiver delivery I think.

I can't do the loose wheel route though as a mate has a project constantly up on my front stand

(Lesson: Never loan a mate important tools you may need)
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Suzuki GSX-R750K4 ~ Mivv GP

[piazza]

Ride On just about sums that place up

[piazza]

Ride On just about sums that place up

[Itchy]

Nah alot of shops will quote you extortionate amounts namely because they don't want you business, I once got a U Shaped nail in my tyre (which punctured it twice) they wanted £70 to fix it....

Its not that they couldn't do it , it was because he didn't want to get his hands dirty over the job...

Its like insurance quotes of over 5K, they just don't want your business...

and on the off chance you say um ok they are quids in for the incoveinence.
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Spain 2008France 2007Big one 2009 We all die. The goal isn't to live forever, the goal is to create something that will. In the end, your life will flash before your eyes. Make sure it is worth watching.

[piazza]

Ride On just about sums that place up


sorry

[FerretFing]

This seller is actually Fowlers on Ebay (not sure why they don`t advertise the fact more) - always loads of cheap stuff - eg this coat;

https://cgi.ebay.co.uk/WATERPROOF-MOTORCYCLE-TORQUE-JACKET-LARGE-BLACK-RED_W0QQitemZ250316663910QQcmdZViewItem?hash=item250316663910&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14&_trkparms=72%3A1299%7C66%3A2%7C65%3A12%7C39%3A1%7C240%3A1318

hope it helps someone

[pyx_e]

[Phoenix]

Never paid more than £190 for tyres including fitting, usually £10 for both wheels either on bike or loose, but usually take them in loose. Order my tyres online, thought my last set I got from the mechanic to order as I had a punctured rear and he collected the bike so no time to fanny about ordering online, still £180 fitted for a set of Diablos.

[Gazdaman]

Protyre are excellent. Other than the guy who changes the tyres for the ride-in service. He thinks he knows everything about anything with 2 wheels.

And he makes ridiculous claims, like it's illegal to have mismatched tyres.

So use protyre, but only if they're fitting to loose wheels, or you're fitting them yourself.

I bought myself a set of tyre levers, and do them myself now.

Gaz

[bs16]

[twotakt]

Cabot tyres in Totterdown are always cheaper than Protyre and the lads working in there are sound.

Fowlers are good because they always have everything in stock, but there prices are not.

Ta,
Jacl
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R.I.P. Tareree Shiimi, 1985-2008

[damz]

[piazza]

Peter (Robertsons)in pollokshaws has been going for decades he only does repairs no sales.

[Kwaks]

[LeeR]

Protyre in Gloucester did me a pair of Metzler Tourances for £200 all in, fitted inc VAT, buggers chipped my rims though, why is everyone half-arsed?

I had a major service today at the mechanic, who's praises I've been singing all year long, only to be charged £406 yes four hundred and six pounds!

Last years service was £185, this year I had the clutch slave cylinder changed at the same time working out at £193, so the service cost £213 this time. I'm in the process of writing a letter of complaint especially as I'd asked for the throttle bodies to be balanced and the plugs to be changed, neither were done and they over-filled the oil again!

The shop owner reckons it took three hours to change an externally mounted slave cylinder and replace the fluid.

Actually I was in Fowler's last week and asked a shop boy if they stock graphite grease for locks, he asked "what do you mean?", well gee I dunno, maybe I meant what I said, ffs! It's a yes or no answer where I come from.
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My claim to fame: Austin Vince nicked my pen...