Mobile motorcycle tyre fitters

[TorqueDirty]

Looking for some advice folks.

I have two bikes that need new tyres. My wife's SV650 (front tyre) and my Tuono 1000r (rear tyre)

I'm trying to work out the simplest way of getting this done correctly cost effectively and quickly.

Option 1. Wife and I ride to a place that will replace the tyres and hang around for what will be probably be ages while the tyres are fitted, balanced and then the wheels refitted to the bikes.

Option 2. Remove both wheels and take them to a tyre place, collect them the following day and refit in my garage (one issue is that I only have one paddock stand the neither bike has a centre stand so I'd need to buy another stand.)

Option 3. Buy in the tyres myself and use a mobile tyre fitter.

The last option sounds the obvious choice but I have no idea if these guys are any good.

Anyone used this sort of service and if so any recommendations? I live in the Central Belt of Scotland about 40 miles South of Glasgow and Edinburgh.

[markymarkthree]

Option 4 tell the mobile fitter the tyres you want and the price you can get them for. Mine will always beat that price.
Mobile fitter does an excellent job down here Somerset, hopefully you will find a good fitter up there.
Have a word with other bikers local to you.

[P675]

I've had it done mobile recently and it was the same price as taking it to the garage. That was Trusted Tyres based in Wolverhampton.

This guy might not be near you but when I did a trip up to Galloway I had a flat rear in the Dumfries Costa car park. He came from Castle Douglas and plugged it within 1.5 hours. Might be worth a ring if you can't be doing with the garage trip.

https://www.yell.com/biz/tc-tyres-castle-douglas-8...

[s p a c e m a n]

As above I'd start by phoning a mobile one and getting a price, the mobile one in my area seems to be well regarded and I'm going to try him next time.

I've got no one near me who would take the wheel off of the bike, they all want the wheels loose.

If I buy a tyre and take it all to them they want £20 and I've still got to drive there and back and wait half an hour.

I bought and fitted my own rear last time with a set of tyre irons in the back garden, took me an hour and it still needed balancing.

If a mobile fitter costs me less than £50 more than I can buy a tyre for then I'll bite their hand off next time.

[the cueball]

Option 5* - get pissed off with the lot of it and man maths yourself into buying the Rabaconda machine and DIY all your tyres...

• Don't do this... all that sub 5 minutes crap is, well crap! it takes me ages to do them!

[Steve Bass]

the cueball said:

Option 5* - get pissed off with the lot of it and man maths yourself into buying the Rabaconda machine and DIY all your tyres...

• Don't do this... all that sub 5 minutes crap is, well crap! it takes me ages to do them!

Perhaps the crap is you??

Agreed, sub 5 mins is a bit optimistic but sub 10, balanced and mounted is not too difficult.

[A500leroy]

Option 6 the most obvious, part ex them in and get two new bikes.

[CHLEMCBC]

P675 said:

I've had it done mobile recently and it was the same price as taking it to the garage. That was Trusted Tyres based in Wolverhampton.

This guy might not be near you but when I did a trip up to Galloway I had a flat rear in the Dumfries Costa car park. He came from Castle Douglas and plugged it within 1.5 hours. Might be worth a ring if you can't be doing with the garage trip.

https://www.yell.com/biz/tc-tyres-castle-douglas-8...

I use John at Trusted Tyres, too. Top bloke!

[Gaz Said]

Option 7: buy a decent used tyre machine and do them yourself. It's what me and a mate did.

[Krikkit]

Option 8: Buy a decent set of tyre levers and DIY - I do it now, easy enough, takes about 20 mins once the wheel is off. MotionPro kit was about 60 quid and have already paid for themselves.

[Opapayer]

Krikkit said:

Option 8: Buy a decent set of tyre levers and DIY - I do it now, easy enough, takes about 20 mins once the wheel is off. MotionPro kit was about 60 quid and have already paid for themselves.

Option 8a - price up a cost to refurbish your wheels after you’ve chipped the hell out of them with the tyre levers. Also, get a quote for a new garage door and window after you’ve launched the tyre levers through the closed window and put a massive dent in the door. Buy a big bunch of flowers for your wife and take her for an expensive meal by way of apology for all the swearing and kicking things. Buy several crates of beer / bottles of wine for your neighbours by way of apology for traumatising their kids with your expletive laden tantrums at it not working as easily as you’d hoped.

Option 9 - google local tyre fitters, build a decent relationship, pay for some tyres in advance so they’ve always got some set aside for you. Get them to do it all for you.

[trickywoo]

In my experience rear tyres are an easy diy. Front not so much.

[Steve_H80]

A500leroy said:

Option 6 the most obvious, part ex them in and get two new bikes.

The sad thing is I know people that do this 😀

I use a local car tyre fitter that also does loose bike wheels. Book everything online, drop the wheel(s) off and pick them up and hour later.

[TorqueDirty]

Thanks for all the suggestions chaps.

I'll resist the temptation to get 2 new bikes as these two have not been in the garage for that long! In fact my wife has only ridden hers three times since she got it.

I will also resist the temptation to change my own tyres. I'll give most things a go but I have tried before and it was soul destroying.

Message sent to local-ish mobile tyre fitter and failing that I have a guy about 30 miles away who will do it if I bring the wheels.

Actually quite excited about getting some new rear rubber on the Tuono. I put a new Bridgstone S23 on the front last month and it is awesome. The plan is to stick an S23 on the rear too, but this time move from a 190/50 to a 190/55 - I gather this makes the bike even more agile, which will be impressive given how well it already handles.

[s p a c e m a n]

Anyone ever tried one of these, the video makes it look a piece of piss

Proworks Road Tyre Machine


https://www.24mx.co.uk/product/proworks-road-tyre-...

[2ndclasscitizen]

TorqueDirty said:

Option 1. Wife and I ride to a place that will replace the tyres and hang around for what will be probably be ages while the tyres are fitted, balanced and then the wheels refitted to the bikes.

Why not just ride to the tyre place in the morning, get a cab/uber home, then come back in the arvo and pick them up, no need to hang around.

[OutInTheShed]

Personally, I like to take the wheels out and give everything a proper clean and check myself.
This probably takes an hour or two per wheel, might include changing the odd corroded fastener or small random tasks that are suddenly easy with the wheel out.
I take loose wheels to a good fitter who specialises in bikes or at least has a bike himself.
I have bought tyres myself and got them fitted, when I got a great deal on a pair. Mostly it's cheaper for the tyre shop to source the tyres.

I went through a phase about 15 years ago using mobile fitters for car tyres e-tyres? mostly because it was convenient while I was WFH.
But they became expensive compared to BlackCircles and booking at a tyre shop.

[s p a c e m a n]

2ndclasscitizen said:

TorqueDirty said:

Option 1. Wife and I ride to a place that will replace the tyres and hang around for what will be probably be ages while the tyres are fitted, balanced and then the wheels refitted to the bikes.

Why not just ride to the tyre place in the morning, get a cab/uber home, then come back in the arvo and pick them up, no need to hang around.

There's no way that a taxi both ways is cheaper than paying for a mobile fitter to come and do it all for you, plus you could sit at home in your pants rather than waste a morning.

I came down to a flat rear tyre this morning, and I just had to stick two new tyres on my van. Can you get run flat road tyres yet?

[FNG]

s p a c e m a n said:

Anyone ever tried one of these, the video makes it look a piece of piss

Proworks Road Tyre Machine


https://www.24mx.co.uk/product/proworks-road-tyre-...

That looks like just what I need.

I've changed a few tyres myself (and only paid for a pair to be swapped once, but it cost me £50 a tyre) and it can be done without chipping paint or launching tools. But a rotating foot is going to be a st ton easier than levers.

Main thing I can see with it is if it's not bolted down, it's gonna be tricky to pull on the arm while stopping the whole lot from spinning or sliding across the floor. But for 60 quid I will be getting one before I swap another tyre.

[LosingGrip]

I use a mobile fitter. Never had any issues. Price isnt too different to going somewhere. Bonus is I leave my bike at work, he speaks to reception, changes the tyres and I transfer rhe money across. No human interaction. Bliss!