Mid Tour Tire Change | GTAMotorcycle.com

Mid Tour Tire Change

slowbird

Well-known member
I'm finding myself in the awkward situation where mid-way through the trip I'm planning my tires will most like be a bit square'd off due to all the slabbing. The tires as they are now are still decent enough that changing them before the trip would be a waste.

Not the first time I have had to do such a thing, but it was a pain and I had no choice to do it on the spot, where I was at the time.

So my question: Is getting the tires done in the states a better idea? Will it be generally less expensive even with the exchange rate? (since most things are cheaper down there) or should I get them done during one of the times I'm popping back into Canada?
 
How much life is left on them now?

I was out in Colorado and Utah end of July. My rear tire was fine, but front would not make the trip so I opted for new front and rear. When the time comes to replace the tires I put on for the trip I will just put the old one back on again.

I prefer the peace of mind of not needing to worry about getting new tires mid trip.
 
Depending on the length of the trip plan ahead for the location of the tire change and maybe include an oil change.

If you have an active forum like StromTroopers you can ask who is best to go to in a given area plus be aware of tax differences....as in some states have none and Calif is $$.

If you know a set will last the trip....my preference is to not do a midtrip change...but that's much easier with "go forever" K60s.
 
If being done by a shop, likely cheaper in the US. Or swap the tire now and keep the half used one for use later. Depending on how long it takes you to wear out a tire.
 
You will lose at least half a day of your vacation doing the change.
If being done by a shop, likely cheaper in the US. Or swap the tire now and keep the half used one for use later. Depending on how long it takes you to wear out a tire.
 
Yeah potentially. Then again the last tire change I did while on tour was a couple decades ago. Pulled in and was out in less than a couple of hours...IIRC.
 
Do shops even charge money to install tires on an SSSA VFR?
 
My experience with tires in the US are prices about 40 % less than CAN prices. However, now that the dollar is so low vs. the US buck net savings are not high, maybe 5 or 10%. Bonus is that installation is often included in the cost of the tire. I had front tire changed in Southern Ohio a few years ago and it was $90 US all in and about 1.5 hours wait time.

If you're committed to wearing the tires out vs. changing them before the trip I'd do some planning in advance as to where you're going to be when the tires need to be changed out and call a few dealers in the area to check out tire availability, prices, install cost and to see if they will accommodate you as a drive in with a quick turnaround time.
 
If being done by a shop, likely cheaper in the US. Or swap the tire now and keep the half used one for use later. Depending on how long it takes you to wear out a tire.

+1 on change it out now. Save yourself the hassle.
 
How much life is left on them now?

Can't say for sure. They have plenty of tread left but they are beginning to look like they are starting to square off. They are PR3's and the date code shows they are from 2014. They were on the bike when I bought it last year and that was about 8,000kms ago. My plan was to ride about 3,000kms West and get them changed for new tires as by then they'll probably be squared off. Then enjoy the real twisty roads in Colorago/Montana/Calgary/BC on the new rubber.

I prefer the peace of mind of not needing to worry about getting new tires mid trip.

+1 on change it out now. Save yourself the hassle.

Yeah, same. The only reason why I don't want to swap them before I leave for the trip is because I feel it's such a waste to be slabbing it for 3,000kms on fresh rubber.
 
Do shops even charge money to install tires on an SSSA VFR?

Yeah don't get me started. All the tire changes I have done on the VFR and it's always full pop for installation even with the SSSA.

My experience with tires in the US are prices about 40 % less than CAN prices. However, now that the dollar is so low vs. the US buck net savings are not high, maybe 5 or 10%. Bonus is that installation is often included in the cost of the tire. I had front tire changed in Southern Ohio a few years ago and it was $90 US all in and about 1.5 hours wait time.

If you're committed to wearing the tires out vs. changing them before the trip I'd do some planning in advance as to where you're going to be when the tires need to be changed out and call a few dealers in the area to check out tire availability, prices, install cost and to see if they will accommodate you as a drive in with a quick turnaround time.

Much thanks. This is sort of what I was thinking when I posted this. Retail price for tire is less usually in states but exchange rate almost makes it a bust.
 
Can't say for sure. They have plenty of tread left but they are beginning to look like they are starting to square off. They are PR3's and the date code shows they are from 2014. They were on the bike when I bought it last year and that was about 8,000kms ago. My plan was to ride about 3,000kms West and get them changed for new tires as by then they'll probably be squared off. Then enjoy the real twisty roads in Colorago/Montana/Calgary/BC on the new rubber.





Yeah, same. The only reason why I don't want to swap them before I leave for the trip is because I feel it's such a waste to be slabbing it for 3,000kms on fresh rubber.

Can you pull the tire easily in a parking lot? I ended up on a trip up north on my then 06 FZ6 and needed a tire. After phoning ahead to confirm he had a tire I pulled into a shop, popped it up on the c stand (gotta love those on a bike), pulled the wheel off in the lot, and rolled it in. Then walked to a nearby fry truck for lunch while the tire was spooned.

If you can do at least that much yourself it makes the job quicker and more likely a shop could fit you in.
 
slowbird View Post
Can't say for sure. They have plenty of tread left but they are beginning to look like they are starting to square off. They are PR3's and the date code shows they are from 2014. They were on the bike when I bought it last year and that was about 8,000kms ago. My plan was to ride about 3,000kms West and get them changed for new tires as by then they'll probably be squared off. Then enjoy the real twisty roads in Colorago/Montana/Calgary/BC on the new rubber.

that actually sounds like a decent plan.
 
I had the same concern & opted for a new rear tire in the States, rode it out ok, way cheaper
 
I had the same concern & opted for a new rear tire in the States, rode it out ok, way cheaper

If you shop around here, you can find a better deal than in the States due to the fact that our dollar is still much weaker. Tires are one thing where the deals are not significantly better south of the border. For example a set of 120/180 BT016PRO cost me $256 tax in, shipped to my house. That would be hard to beat.
 
The main reasons I am debating the tire change during the trip are:

-I'm worried my current 3 year old PR3's with atleast 8k on them will be not in the greatest condition after riding 3,200+ kms to roads that are the twisty mountainous delights that are the likes of Beartooth, Going-to-the-sun, Independence pass etc etc...

-I'm worried that putting fresh rubber on now, and then slabbing it 3,200kms+ will be a waste of a good tire.

I think theoretically, the plan to change the tire mid-trip is better. However, it could be an issue. Replacing the tire now, before I leave seems like a waste of $$, and rubber, but is playing it safe.

Who knows, maybe by the time I get out west the tires will be fine? Apparently the PR3's are known to go 15,000-20,000kms. Just riding twisty roads on square tires is ******.
 
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Some people ship tires to the destination that they're having them put on. e.g. Alaska.
 
Who knows, maybe by the time I get out west the tires will be fine? Apparently the PR3's are known to go 15,000-20,000kms. Just riding twisty roads on square tires is ******.
3200kms shouldn't significantly square off a brand new tire like the PR3 to seriously affect your enjoyment of twisty roads. Once you get to the twisty roads, your tires will round up nicely and you likely won't notice a thing. Change the tire before you go and enjoy the ride. Then you still have your old tire when you get back to get full life out of each tire.
 

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