The reason I’ll buy my parts from overseas

[Justin McknnonMember]

Ok, I have bitten my tongue long enough, but it has to be said,

I went to my local motorcycle dealer today, to get a heavy duty tube fitted, purely because with a 2 year old I didnt have time to fit a new tube for the weekend, I’m by no means a regular customer in fact I probably call into local bike shops once a year if that so I dont expect special treatment..

Generally I’ll buy my part etc from a friends dealershi (in another town) or ballards, so I drop it in yesterday around 4 ish, I’m told at the counter there will be a $25 fitting fee.. fair enough I cop that as it is slightly labor intensive, I’m then charged $44 f#$%king dollars for a tube.. a total of $70 to fit a new tube….

I look on ballards website, $20 for a heavy duty tube.. I could of bought a mate a carton to change the tube for me.. and will continue to do so in the future..

I dont want a discount, nor do I expect one however I need to voice that if local bike shops want to keep getting regular new business they need to at least try and be competitive, robbing walk in customers is not good business..

rant over

Has anyone else been robbed blind like this?

[AlexMember]

I defend no one however there be different brands and quality of heavy duty tubes right. There is Viper cheap and Michelin expensive. Wouldn’t be surprised if they were $20 difference. $25 to pop one side of the tyre off the rim and swap tubes – hmmmm. Then again in these days of unemployment and under paid staff, it’s probably fair enough.

[GregMember]

Sorry to hear your upset, I don’t know where you went (and don’t want to know) It’s a touchy subject eh and while I feel your pain I think it’s fair to look at this with an open mind or even from the bike shop owners shoes. Firstly without knowing the brand of tube it’s hard to say if you have been robbed IMO. The price of the tubes first, the tubes from Ballards for example what is it, a cheap heavy duty or an ultra heavy duty Bridgestone or Michelin like, Axel said. The price difference between the two can be more than $20. Besides Ballards for example don’t have a guy to fit it for you that convience that saves you doing it or trying to get a mate to do it. Oh yeah and if he pinches it the mate that is, you will be buying another where the shop would replace it (or you would think they would)

If you buy a tyre at a store I think they should fit it free (if you have the wheel there not on the bike) If you buy a tube well, I reckon there should be a fee to fit it, I mean they have to pay a bloke to do it don’t they, if you were running a business you wouldnt have blokes doing labour for free would you?

As for your title, good lucking buying that tube overseas for the weekend and getting the overseas shop to fit it :laugh: :laugh: Oh yeah and if we did buy everything overseas and didnt support our local shops who would bail us out at the last minute thrusday or friday arvo for our weekend fix.

As for the labour cost, most mechanics are charged at around $100/hr so 15mins for the tyre (I would think using a tyre machine they would take it of, inspect the rim band and tyre as to its condition and if its a flat why it went flat) is fair enough IMO

TB

[Geoff ForshawMember]

Trailboss wrote:

Sorry to hear your upset, I don’t know where you went (and don’t want to know) It’s a touchy subject eh and while I feel your pain I think it’s fair to look at this with an open mind or even from the bike shop owners shoes. Firstly without knowing the brand of tube it’s hard to say if you have been robbed IMO. The price of the tubes first, the tubes from Ballards for example what is it, a cheap heavy duty or an ultra heavy duty Bridgestone or Michelin like, Axel said. The price difference between the two can be more than $20. Besides Ballards for example don’t have a guy to fit it for you that convience that saves you doing it or trying to get a mate to do it. Oh yeah and if he pinches it the mate that is, you will be buying another where the shop would replace it (or you would think they would)

If you buy a tyre at a store I think they should fit it free (if you have the wheel there not on the bike) If you buy a tube well, I reckon there should be a fee to fit it, I mean they have to pay a bloke to do it don’t they, if you were running a business you wouldnt have blokes doing labour for free would you?

As for your title, good lucking buying that tube overseas for the weekend and getting the overseas shop to fit it :laugh: :laugh: Oh yeah and if we did buy everything overseas and didnt support our local shops who would bail us out at the last minute thrusday or friday arvo for our weekend fix.

As for the labour cost, most mechanics are charged at around $100/hr so 15mins for the tyre (I would think using a tyre machine they would take it of, inspect the rim band and tyre as to its condition and if its a flat why it went flat) is fair enough IMO

TB

+1 TB

After just coming back from an OS trip, for work, and seeing how other nations live, we in Aus have a very high standard of living and high wages etc and it needs to be paid for.
Where I just came from OS there is no such thing as trail bikes and or leisure type vehicles other than for the very, very wealthy so IMO we are very lucky in Aus to be able to do what we do. Where I came from OS the only thing that the normal population can afford is a Soccer ball for there entertainment…..

Just my opinion.

Left

[JohnMember]

I complained to myself about my $16 fitting fee from a local Honda dealer… now I see it wasn’t so bad after all!

Maybe you didn’t have the highly trained 16yo work experience, flat cap wearer I had to do mine? I feel your pain… but they are providing a “service”. Perhaps next time maybe asking not only how much for the goods but how much for the service, might prevent this from happening???

[Matt BakerMember]

$44 for an ‘ultra’ heavy duty tube is pretty much stock standard, heavy duty are about $25.

As for fitting, it don’t take too long, do it yourself.

[Damien BonoraMember]

Yeh it is a difficult one.
I have so far resisted the temptation to purchase overseas, as I too want to be able to call into my local shop and pick up tyres, try on helmets etc, plus while your there you can talk shite about bikes
It does however get a little frustrating when you know you are paying the extra but decide to support them anyway and walk away feeling like you weren’t looked after.
I recently purchased some knee braces ($380) from a shop that I would probably only visit a few times a year.
They fell apart after only 6 or so rides (still in warranty) and the shop wasn’t interested in helping at all, leaving me feel like I was ripped off. Lesson learned – will not buy from there again – EVER :angry:
Find a good local shop who will look after you and stick with them no matter what is my advice.

[peteMember]

I have been stung before but it was my fault and i had to cop it, i paid $90 to get two tyres fitted because i stuffed around and couldn’t pull my finger out and get it done myself
I will shop overseas but i still try to shop around here first cause i know that some of our bike shops will try to match overseas prices if they can, sometimes it works out to be the same price as the product plus freight, and if thats the case i will get it here every time.
You cant blame all aussie bike shops if one shop is ripping you off ( not saying they did ) if your not happy with the service go round the corner.
Try some of the site sponsors before you look overseas, they don’t mind looking after the Old Bulls

PTW

[JohnMember]

LC4skin wrote:

As for fitting, it don’t take too long, do it yourself.

Speak for yourself… :blush:

[JohnMember]

pete the wulf wrote:

Try some of the site sponsors before you look overseas, they don’t mind looking after the Old Bulls

PTW

Have to say Sutto’s looked after me recently with a helmet purchase 10% OFF just for mentioning OBT! Got to be happy about that!

[Justin McknnonMember]

Now I have calmed a little, I usually go through a different bike shop which is unfortunately located 1 hour south of port.. I made a decision due to having too much on my plate prior to the weekend to use a local dealer, I will not name the dealer as I am sure a number of people use them and are quiet happy with the service they provide..

I did not request an “ultra heavy duty tube” and if I requested a super special michelin or bridgestone HD tube I would expect to pay for it, I did not receive any “high performance” tube, I received a heavy duty tube in a black box which was not a brand I have heard of..

I understand that the bike shop needs to make money, I get it, but forking out $70 has done nothing but left a sour taste in my mouth, the whole reason behind the original post is to bring to light what Joe bloggs has to cop when he walks into the local bike shops..

At the shop I regularly use, I normally get a discount, and fitting is a case of “dont worry about it” this in turn leaves me walking out of the store feeling great and wanting to go back in, (hell I have been traveling back n forth to Taree for 2 years now) I’m not saying that you should do that for every consumer that walks in the door, but at least offer a cheaper alternative..

The sport is expensive enough as it is, if I was a bloke coming off the street to get my tube fixed and a bike shop hit me with $70 for a puncture alone (I shudder to think what I would have been charged if the tyre was still on the bike) I would be jaded, this in turn would lead me into looking OS for parts (hello rockmtnatv) or accepting that I cant afford the sport and selling my bikes.. Neither is good for the motorcycle industry

I for one have learnt my lesson, I will travel 2 hours to get my gear fixed at Taree Motorcycles and will not set foot in the above bike shop as I would much sooner travel then get f#@ked in the arse again

[corey heatherMember]

I recently brought a Dunlop geomax from Coffs Harbour Honda shop for $105 and got a ultra heavy put into it for $40 and free fitting. the free fitting is just standard when you buy a tyre there

[Richard WMember]

Wow, that’s almost a personal insult to someone that’s being shopping there for 30 years.

[Rory RockMember]

I’m sorry to hear you’ve had a bad experience, if it was our shop than I’m disappointed and can only think there has been poor communication on our behalf (they supplied a uh without telling u?), wrongly labelled part or human error. Either way I’m more than happy to sort it out for you with a refund or credit.
We ain’t planning on retiring early on tube fitting it must have been a stuff up.
Phone me tomorrow on 02 65836655 Rory Rock and ill fix up the price difference.

We sell the following hd tubes:-
– Kenda tuff tube hd $30
– Bridgestone mh $35
– Bridgestone uh $45
Prices from memory for 18″.
I will double check with my service dept but I thought we where charging $20 to fit.
If you had mentioned you where obt the guys have been told to knock 10% off parts.

Ps. Carton of beer to change a tube, unless you are buying them overseas as well that would be costing you about $35-40 per tube?

[Rory RockMember]

Also,
If you could pm or phone me to help me identify who served you it would be appreciated. Most of my staff (90% are off road riders) would have realised that was excessive price to fit a hd tube unless you had asked for the ultra heavy duty.
Rory

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