Davis Service Center, Montrose CO

[Clovis]

Mr. Davis, thank you for saving the trip for two of my friends. I lead this particular trip down to the Devil's Highway in Arizona. A trip we had been planning and looking forward to since January when motorcycle cabin fever is at it's strongest!

I think the price was excessive but most of us are comparing it with the approximately $400 the tires would cost in Colorado Springs / Denver.

Given the alternative, if it were me I would have ponied up the $650 too. It was better then the alternative. If not for the price this thread would have a very different tune. But pricing aside, you guys saved the day for my friends.

I agree everyone was very nice and helpful. I picked up two pairs of sunglasses I've been looking all over for (a pair of cheapo Maxx high def -- only $20 but I bought some last year on a trip through New Mexico... lost them over the winter and haven't been able to find them. Luckfully you carry them so my wife and I both got a new pair!

Sometimes lessons are expensive but this was cheaper then the alternative (missing the trip or risking a blow out). At 100 miles in we estimated the tire had maybe 1000 miles left it in. The trip ended up being 1700-1800 miles total.

Justin Harward

[longrider]

I usually stay out of these threads due to my work but I have to comment here. First I must state that I am posting my personal opinions as a rider and am in no way representing my employer. We have all been way too spoiled by high volume shops and discounting. Michelins published MSRP on the PR3 is $302 for the 190/50-17 rear and $217 for the 120/70-17 front. That plus an estimated 7% tax and $150 labor is $705, $648 is obviously a small discount off MSRP. I have been in this business for 30 years (Yes, I am a FOG ) and have been at both ends in regards to size of shop. I have seen the cost difference volume gives you, and Davis could sell at straight cost and not be able to match the Denver large shop prices. As to the labor, $75 is a reasonable price for the amount of time it takes, the lower prices you see here in town are discounted by over half due to competition. My final comment is we dont make big money on tires, if we sold everything with the margin we get on tires we would be out of business in 6 months. Large shops have the luxury of giving up most of the profit on a product segment to compete due to the volume of everything else, a small shop can't afford that.

[Aaron]

It wasn't that I didn't pay attention, I had had an eye on the rear tire but I thought it'd make the trip since it had 2300 miles on it, wore less than half, and this trip was 1600 miles. It wasn't until Buena Vista when several of the experienced guys on the ride all felt like the tire wouldn't make it as the last half of the tire wears faster.

Lincoln, I apologize for posting this, but this was done after our conversation. Had I been happy with what you offered, this would have read quite a bit differently. I was looking for you to send me a $100 check, and this would have been a positive review. At $550 you'd still be banking, as I'm used to being out the door for $400 with the 2-3 sets I go through every season. Like was said, I was in the desert and needed water, and I understand that, but your prices are quite a bit higher than what I was expecting ($500). TFOGGuys is also a local business that gives back to our community (Which I am all for supporting by the way), but their labor price quoted right here is drastically less than half. And I'm sure their tire price is quite a bit lower as well.

I appreciate you taking the time to call me back and respond here. You have good people, your tech was absolutely phenominal, and it did save my trip. Your prices are your prices, there isn't much I can do about that, or could do about it even at the time. I did not look at your prices beforehand, that's my fault obviously, I just figured they'd be in the ballpark of what I was expecting ($500, 100 premium over what I usually pay for the short notice, immediacy, and your shop's location). I did not sign that form until after the service was complete and I was paying. Anyways, this isn't the place for negotiations. If you want to do that to change this review, you've got my phone number. If not, thanks again for the professional work and saving my trip, and I'll live with it.

[j0ker]

Lessons learned Aaron. I would say forget about it and move on.

[bulldog]

You have to at least give respect that the owner came on the site explain. I find that as a owner that cares about their customers at least because I've found a lot of shops that don't care! A $40 is better than most places would have done.....

This all reminds me of the South Park Wal-Mart episode. Everyone complains the small mom and pop stores don't have the same prices as Wal-Mart, yet everyone continues to go to Wal-Mart putting the small shops under. I am sure these smaller shops would love to be able to compete in prices, but like others said they would go under fast. As a consumer it is harder to not go for the cheaper prices (myself included), but for a small business owner this has to be so hard.

http://www.southparkstudios.com/clip...s-of-wall-mart

[modette99]

Montrose is a seller's market, unfortunately. I price my tires to be competitive with both local and internet vendors. I'm interested in having repeat customers and referrals, so I keep the costs of service in line. In Montrose (and many other small towns) there is a large difference between "local" pricing and what they charge travelers that they think they will never see again.

Yep, and they also forget the power of social media today and forums.

I remember a number of years ago reading about a guy on a Busa needing a rear tire and the place charged him some crazy OEM MSRP book price no one ever pays charging $300 install because well the guy was just passing through. A shame a place does that in this day in age...

Word gets around...

[modette99]

I usually stay out of these threads due to my work but I have to comment here. First I must state that I am posting my personal opinions as a rider and am in no way representing my employer. We have all been way too spoiled by high volume shops and discounting. Michelins published MSRP on the PR3 is $302 for the 190/50-17 rear and $217 for the 120/70-17 front. That plus an estimated 7% tax and $150 labor is $705, $648 is obviously a small discount off MSRP. I have been in this business for 30 years (Yes, I am a FOG ) and have been at both ends in regards to size of shop. I have seen the cost difference volume gives you, and Davis could sell at straight cost and not be able to match the Denver large shop prices. As to the labor, $75 is a reasonable price for the amount of time it takes, the lower prices you see here in town are discounted by over half due to competition. My final comment is we dont make big money on tires, if we sold everything with the margin we get on tires we would be out of business in 6 months. Large shops have the luxury of giving up most of the profit on a product segment to compete due to the volume of everything else, a small shop can't afford that.

So what is the break down of a MSRP $302 rear and $217 front? MSRP is ($299.95 for the rear)

So what do you pay for a rear tire as a shop? And if it's higher then online places why not order from those online places yourself?

That rear is $175.88, free shipping (I have gotten better deals from online when I order 2+ tires and been told I'll save more if order even a larger quantity) so I know you as a shop can haggle and setup special accounts with these big guys to save you and your custoemrs $$$$$

http://www.chaparral-racing.com/Prod...90-879825.aspx

So plop on $50 to make money on the tire, that is still $225.88.

Another thing I noticed they claim the MSRP's are much lower then what you claim.
http://www.chaparral-racing.com/Prod...90-879820.aspx

So the front is $119.88 MSRP is stated as $186.95 ($30.05 difference then your MSRP).

I've had shops back East do the old, but MSRP is X amount...well then maybe you need to order from those online shops yourself and do a fair markup and save you and your customers money. They always have blank looks because I caught them in a lie. I think most people understand you need to mark up stuff in a small shop...but don't play games with us.

[FZRguy]

I think the shop went above and beyond to drop everything on a Saturday and get you back on the road asap. I would expect a $150 surcharge for that service. Comparing internet pricing to that kind of service is downright silly. Props to the shop owner for coming on here and sending you a $40 gift card.

[Aaron]

Back from the dead!


Since this service neither one of my wheels have been touched, and the tires are done. I'm going the smarter direction this time, and got the tires shipped to my door for $290.98. Drano and I went to pull the wheels off, as off the bike Rocky Mountain charges $20 a wheel to mount and balance, so I'll be at $340 when all is said and done. More than $300 cheaper than Montrose, I'll take it!

Anyway, the rear axle torque rating is 100nM, and Drano took the rear loose fairly easily. Onto the front. The torque rating is 50nM, half that of the rear axle. Drano is no small guy, and neither am I. We applied as much torque as we possibly could. Drano stopped because he feared he'd break the 5/8in solid steel bolt we were using to loosen the nut. It was lifting the bike from the stands and the nut wouldn't budge.

Maybe over the last 6,000 mi my front axle torqued itself to crazy amounts and the rear didn't, or maybe the tech tightened the ever living shit out of the nut, and dunked it in locktite. We'll never know, but I've got my beliefs, and that's that the tech just drove it right in with an air gun at 120psi. I guess I can see his side, having a wheel fall off is a huge liability. But he put the bike at more risk of that by driving it in with so much torque that it simply won't come off.

So I bought an axle socket ($16), and I'll hit it with my 1/2" drive breaker bar. If it still doesn't budge I've got a 4 foot long cheater bar that slides over the breaker bar. Quite frankly that will either loosen it, or break a lot of shit, as a 6tt long steel bar can probably exceed 1,000 ft-pounds with ease. I'll update when the axle socket comes in. I'll reinstall at 50nM, with locktite.

[Native]

pinch bolts need released?

[Aaron]

The procedure calls to loosen the right side pinch bolts. We loosened and removed them. The left side has to remain tight, it doesn't pinch the axle but it controls the wheel's distance to the TC/ABS sensor.

We checked the manual and followed the procedure.

[Native]

yep, that sounds right pretty much

[Aaron]

Ya we were following procedure.

We didn't have the right tools. Used a 5/8" bolt that has a 15/16 head (23.81 mm). Nut is 24mm, it was a good fit and this is how I removed the wheel axle off several bikes. Double nuts on the bolt, using a bigass pipe wrench on the inside nut. There was no way, but the amount of torque being applied was tremendous. Something was going to break, and 5/8" steel bolts don't break very easy, to say the least.

Got the proper tools coming, the nut will come loose, but I might just use my torque wrench to see how much torque it takes. But the torque wrench maxxes at 150ft-lbs (More than 4 times the called for torque), and I can almost guarantee we'll top that.

Also, should be noted. $290.98 was for the PR2, the PR3 that I got at Davis Service Center are $325.98 from the same place (Motorcycle Superstore). So, at best, assuming Davis can't get ANY discounts from the tire manufacturer to purchase them, and has to buy then at the same price you and I do, he still charged $279 in labor and fees.

[TFOGGuys]

Your tire prices are ok. I get $267.98 plus tax for the PR2s (120/70 &190/55) and $302.98 plus tax for the PR3s. We charge $13.99 each for off bike mount and spin balance, or $29.99 each on the bike, with tire purchase.

[Clovis]

Jim, I wish you were in the springs!

[FZRguy]

Air impact with impact socket will spin that nut right off, and don't ever use Loctite on an axel nut.

[#1Townie]

Ninjas. They're out there.

[Aaron]

Air impact with impact socket will spin that nut right off, and don't ever use Loctite on an axel nut.

Ya I plan on doing that. Now why no locktite? I pretty much use LT on every motorcycle bolt.

[FZRguy]

Ya wanna be able to get it off again without all this trouble? I'd put a lil grease on the threads before Loctite....very rarely use it. It won't come off if properly torqued.