Member Contributer zx5go Posted April 15, 2008 Member Contributer Share Posted April 15, 2008 Ok, so I have a No-Mar tire changer and I've been mentioning to a few fellow riders that I wouldn't mind changing their tires to make back some of the cost of the equipment. Now some of them want to take me up on my offer but we have to come together on a price. Any suggestions? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer dutchinterceptor Posted April 15, 2008 Member Contributer Share Posted April 15, 2008 I leave it up to them to pay how they want. Some will stuff a few bucks in my box of wheel weights, others will buy me dinner, and some will buy alcohol. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer Rivcyko Posted April 15, 2008 Member Contributer Share Posted April 15, 2008 Depends on if you're look'n to be fair, or dirt cheap. $10 a tire is a good deal. (Do you balance?). Are you prepared to hear gripes? At 10, I would think any small mars could be overlooked, for the price. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer zx5go Posted April 15, 2008 Author Member Contributer Share Posted April 15, 2008 Ok, that's for the close friends, but word has spread and now I have people calling that I don't know and that are 3-4 people down the chain from people I do know. People wanting me to perform installs around their schedule. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer zx5go Posted April 15, 2008 Author Member Contributer Share Posted April 15, 2008 Depends on if you're look'n to be fair, or dirt cheap. $10 a tire is a good deal. (Do you balance?). Are you prepared to hear gripes? At 10, I would think any small mars could be overlooked, for the price. I won't be marring any wheels. I do have a balancer from No-Mar as well but I only have stick on weights. Those are fine for most newer bikes but don't look so great on older bikes. I guess I am prepared to hear gripes. Cheapest local shop is $25/tire if you bring them in off the bike and $45 rear and a min of $50 front if you bring in the bike. I told the first guy I'd do the set for $40 if he brought the bike...but we did not discuss balancing. I don't think it would be worth my time at $10/wheel if I had to take them off. I'd be pretty happy with $10 per if they brought me the wheen off the bike. Down side is, I always change valve stems when I put on new tires, I have weights to match my wheels, etc and I'd prefer to do the same for those people that I change tires for. I don't want someone saying I did something wrong just because they were trying to get by "on the cheap". That also means I'd need to start keeping valve stems, different weights, etc on hand. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer Polarbear Posted April 15, 2008 Member Contributer Share Posted April 15, 2008 Oh oh. Changing tires for other people, strangers that it, usually means that they may complain, especially if you guys don't share a close friend. :mellow: The more you charge, the more you'll have to "warranty" your work, and explain new scratches on the rims. Ask yourself if it's worth the money? :dry: Or maybe you charge cheap and let them know right off the bat that you have a NO-BS policy, and they must agree to this beforehand. But what do I know. P.P-M Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Darth Bling Posted April 15, 2008 Share Posted April 15, 2008 ...People wanting me to perform installs around their schedule. You own the tire changer, you set the hours. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer Rivcyko Posted April 15, 2008 Member Contributer Share Posted April 15, 2008 Ok, that's for the close friends, but word has spread and now I have people calling that I don't know and that are 3-4 people down the chain from people I do know. People wanting me to perform installs around their schedule. Such is life, when you have the tools and know-how. Are you balancing??????????????????????????????????????????????? Can you guarantee no mars? Answer those first, (and how much griping you can personally deal with), and that will narrow the field a bit. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer Rivcyko Posted April 15, 2008 Member Contributer Share Posted April 15, 2008 wow. 4 posts before I got my second in. 10, off bike, no stems, no balance, is I guess, is what I was state'n. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer zx5go Posted April 15, 2008 Author Member Contributer Share Posted April 15, 2008 Oh oh. Changing tires for other people, strangers that it, usually means that they may complain, especially if you guys don't share a close friend. :mellow: The more you charge, the more you'll have to "warranty" your work, and explain new scratches on the rims. Ask yourself if it's worth the money? :dry: Or maybe you charge cheap and let them know right off the bat that you have a NO-BS policy, and they must agree to this beforehand. But what do I know. P.P-M Yeah, I guess I need to do a few and see if it's worth my time and putting up with complaints. I'm hoping to make some new riding buddies out of the deal as well. I've already been contacted by a member of a Honda Magna "colony" from a local trucking business...more guys that recognize the merits of the V4 engine can't be all bad! What I'd really prefer to drive the business towards is bikers that know how to change their own tire but lack the proper equipment. If they could either bring their wheels over off the bike or ride over and take 'em off with my tools and then either assist with changing on my No-Mar or do it themselves that would be near perfect and I'd be very likely to charge $0 for that (or for tips!!). Rivcyko, $10 off and ready to change sounds right to me also. I think I may be undercutting myself a bit saying $20 per on the bike. Mainly because if it isn't a VFR then I just wouldn't feel right without looking up some info on their ride, taking my time, and doing everything right. I'll let you know how it goes with the first one ('94 Magna supposed to be coming by with a set of Metzelers this weekend). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer BonusVFR Posted April 15, 2008 Member Contributer Share Posted April 15, 2008 Friends only ..............for beer and food! And make them help! I am scheduling changes around when I have to do one of mine anyway. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer Motor_Ref Posted April 15, 2008 Member Contributer Share Posted April 15, 2008 I leave it up to them to pay how they want. Some will stuff a few bucks in my box of wheel weights, others will buy me dinner, and some will buy alcohol. You seem to have a good selection of friends. :mellow: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
soichiro Posted April 15, 2008 Share Posted April 15, 2008 I would change tires for my friends. We could hang out and work on bikes. Even withe no mar a scratch is alsways possible. What would happen if some squid got squished leaving your driveway? I would only do it for good friends because I know they would fill my tank and belly on the next ride. A friend of a friend of a friend is ridiculous, no thanks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted April 15, 2008 Share Posted April 15, 2008 Other than the gripes, the number one thing I would be worried about is liability. With 3 to 4 people deep from who you actually know you never know who you are dealing with these days. You could get sued by the next fool who claims your incompetence caused his accident. I can just see it, you change the tires, get paid, he leaves your place and wipes out on fresh tires. Scummy lawyer picks up the case. Not being paranoid here, I'm just saying. It ain't worth it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer Polarbear Posted April 15, 2008 Member Contributer Share Posted April 15, 2008 Yeah, lawsuits, I'd be worried about it too, especially for guys you don't know that well--or at all. Keeping the possibility of lawsuits in mind, taking the wheels off the tires would be a bad idea too, since they can claim that you didn't put them back on properly, bolt was loose, etc. But doing it for closer friends who also agree to work on it with you may be a decent solution, cause then they can't take you to court if they wipe out cause they were involved in changing the tire too, right? Don' t know, just trying to see if there's an acceptable solution. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Auspanglish Posted April 15, 2008 Share Posted April 15, 2008 If I wee you I'd keep it simple. Avoid the hassle of having to look up torque for bolts and methods of removal/installation on models you're not acquainted with. Make the policy a wheels-off only, charge 15 for unkown and special rates for mates and do the balancing for 5 more. That'll cover the wieghts you'll have to keep in stock. You could make the balancing tarif 5 for one and/or two wheels if you felt it was too much... or play with that depending on customer attitude... you don't want neighbours complaining that there's a constant stream of motorcycles coming in and out of your driveway... and yeah possible accidents just with that would be enough to concern me a little... and the legal suits... na... keep it simple. There will be no receipt on offer I assume so... consider the traffic coming in and out... as far as the working into others' schedules is concerned, if you coincide great, if not... when YOU say. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer Motor_Ref Posted April 15, 2008 Member Contributer Share Posted April 15, 2008 Ok, that's for the close friends, but word has spread and now I have people calling that I don't know and that are 3-4 people down the chain from people I do know. People wanting me to perform installs around their schedule. With all the whining babies out there who think everyone is their mother, I wouldn't change tires for anyone but a real good friend. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer cruzinaz Posted April 15, 2008 Member Contributer Share Posted April 15, 2008 I'm goin along with the trend of friends only, unless you have business insurance to cover a mishap thats not your fault. Keep in mind as soon as it becomes a business, it also becomes a JOB, do you really want nights and weekends working on others bikes when yours is sitting? Keep it fun, and remind yourself you bought the equipment for yourself Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer CBR_Rod Posted April 16, 2008 Member Contributer Share Posted April 16, 2008 If I was to do something like that I would have to say that it would be wheels off the bike only and I wouldn't do it for anyone I didn't know, unless they came in with someone I knew. 10-15 sounds about right per tire. They bought the tires themselves, I'd think they could go ahead and get valve stems if they wanted new ones as well. Waits ought to be cheap enough to keep a small assortment on hand. As for what to charge close friends, I'd say the earlier posters have it right, let them decide, then you'll know how much complaining to allow :rolleyes: (as well as who your friends really are) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VFR4Lee Posted April 17, 2008 Share Posted April 17, 2008 Prices may vary depending on the attitude of the customer. :rolleyes: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spud786 Posted April 17, 2008 Share Posted April 17, 2008 IMO if your routinally getting calls form strangers , might as well get paid for it $10 per tire is charity work, charge 20 and they pay for a stem Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted April 17, 2008 Share Posted April 17, 2008 Ok, that's for the close friends, but word has spread and now I have people calling that I don't know and that are 3-4 people down the chain from people I do know. People wanting me to perform installs around their schedule. With all the whining babies out there who think everyone is their mother, I wouldn't change tires for anyone but a real good friend. +1 on that and I use to be in the motorcycle business. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer Rivcyko Posted April 17, 2008 Member Contributer Share Posted April 17, 2008 Yah, come to think of it, you will be very opened to losing more than just your tire changer. People are not what optimism would hope they would be. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted April 17, 2008 Share Posted April 17, 2008 Other than the gripes, the number one thing I would be worried about is liability. With 3 to 4 people deep from who you actually know you never know who you are dealing with these days. You could get sued by the next fool who claims your incompetence caused his accident. I can just see it, you change the tires, get paid, he leaves your place and wipes out on fresh tires. Scummy lawyer picks up the case.Not being paranoid here, I'm just saying. It ain't worth it. +1 I wouldn't install the wheels on a persons bike unless I had liability insurance for it under a business name. I would change a tire off the bike with them providing all parts, as there is very little that they could sue for over just installing the rubber. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Contributer SAFE-T Posted April 17, 2008 Member Contributer Share Posted April 17, 2008 Friends and fellow 'club' members if you are members of a riding group. Tires off bike only. $10.00 each and balance with DynaBeads (cost + 20%). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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