Tire vendors at Sturgis?

[DaSpyda]

I'll be riding from Central Florida to Sturgis this August, and I read on FJR Forums that the rear Diablo is expected to last about 3,800-4,000 miles.

It's almost 2,000 miles just to get there...and I'll get new skins just before I leave.

Now, this is probably a dumb question, but will there be vendors there that would have the correct size/model available so I can get a new rear tire there?

Is it necessary - or am I able to - plan ahead with any certain vendor so I can be certain to get what I need?

Thanks, this Forum is a tremendous reference...

 

[rammer9460]

DaSpyda,

If you were at the rally and needed a tire for a motorcycle made by "The Motor Company", then you could have your choice of vendors right on Lazalle street in Sturgis.

There is a Yamaha dealer in Spearfish, 20 miles from Sturgis. I'm sure you could get a tire there, I don't know if it would be what you want, and their schedule might make getting it installed when you want it a pain. Getting into a dealer to get service work done during the rally is not easy. I know the rally is months away, but maybe a call to the dealer to discuss a service appointment would be in order??

Good Luck, and you wont be the only one there on an FJR,

Erik.

EDIT TO ADD. https://www.outdoor-motorsports.com in Spearfish

 

[user 213]

I think Rammer is spot on. I'll be there too in August, but not on the FJR. I would suggest one of two options for optimal results and lower stress.

1. Buy the tire you like now, contact the Yamaha dealer and ask if you can ship it to them at the end of July and have them hold it for you for install when you get there. Lots of dealers will do this w/o issue. Or - Call them in July and order/buy the tire of your choice with your credit card, then make sure to let them know you will be in wanting it installed on the date you choose in Aug. Might even want to schedule an appointment for the install.

2. Wear out the what ever you've got on and install some Pilot Roads, PR2s, Avon Storms or Bridgestone BT-021s and ride to Sturgis and back on the same tires w/o any problems, plus some more riding. Most of these will give 5-10k, depending on your riding style.

 

[PapaUtah]

There is a Yamaha dealer right in Sturgis who will take care of your needs. I would contact them in advance to make sure they have the tire on hand with your name on it. They usually have a trailer from one of the major manufacturers to help with mounting. Stay away from the vendors downtown. They are trying to fund their entire retirement off a single sale. They offered to replace the rear on my FJR last year for a mere $400. JP Cycles is also there for the event. I am not sure about their pricing or if they mount and balance at the show.

 

[jekirby]

2. Wear out the what ever you've got on and install some Pilot Roads, PR2s, Avon Storms or Bridgestone BT-021s and ride to Sturgis and back on the same tires w/o any problems, plus some more riding. Most of these will give 5-10k, depending on your riding style.

Thanks for saying something. I was wondering if I missed something as he should get there and back on most any good tires. If it were me and I had to get tires, I would take my chances on finding some on the way home after you are a little further east of the prairie. It has been my experience that things tend to cost more in SD then in a more densly populated state/area. I have had good experiences getting deals at trade shows but not rallies. There are a lot of gypsies at rallies trying to cash in on the adrenaline of the event. MHO

 

[ian]

Shinko from ridenow.com, $90 including shipping, Good for 6,000+ miles (a couple of thousand more than the Pirellis). Spare me the "oh my God, it'll slip"; doesn't for me but I'm a geezer! Ian,Iowa

 

[Shane]

I'll be riding from Central Florida to Sturgis this August, and I read on FJR Forums that the rear Diablo is expected to last about 3,800-4,000 miles.
It's almost 2,000 miles just to get there...and I'll get new skins just before I leave.

Now, this is probably a dumb question, but will there be vendors there that would have the correct size/model available so I can get a new rear tire there?

Is it necessary - or am I able to - plan ahead with any certain vendor so I can be certain to get what I need?

Thanks, this Forum is a tremendous reference...

If you're in Sturgis during the rally, ANY tire you have on the FJR will be sufficient gripwise due to the major usage of the good roads by riders of *scenic speed* bikes w/hand-signaling pillions. :angry:

Agree w/posters above--ride there and back on one set designed for that mileage.

Shane

 

[ian]

I live in Council Bluffs, Iowa-right on I29. If you need a tire an the way back I'll have one as well as a tire changer and bike lift. I'd be glad to help you mount a new rear tire. PM me for my cell # if needed. Ian, Iowa

 

[charismaticmegafauna]

And....be careful not to leave your Yamaha unattended/unwatched/unprotected at night -- the bad-bikers (ass-less chaps/vests/colors, etc) that infest Sturgeon will take it and throw it on a bonfire to prove ...... I don't know what it proves?... (but, they've done it before).

 

[kmkirlin]

There is a Yamaha/BMW/Suzuki dealer at Sturgis, just off I-90 Exit 32 in Sturgis. Here is their website:

https://www.sturgisyamaha.com/

I was in Sturgis in June 2007 and needed new tires for my FJR. They had Metzlers in stock at a good price (discounted off list; reasonable mounting and balancing charge). Nice people to deal with. While I was waiting for the tire change, I spoke to several employees. They told me that, during HOG week in August, they bring in extra personnel and average 70 tire changes per day over the 10 days of the rally. I can't even imagine how much business the Harley dealer gets if the metric dealership is doing that kind of business.

BTW, if you input their address on a Garmin GPS or on MapQuest, it will guide you to a point several miles south of Sturgis on Vanocker Canyon Road. That's a great road to ride, but that's not where the dealership is located. Vanocker Canyon Road becomes Junction Avenue just south of Exit 32 on I-90. The dealership is actually located on a side street on the North side of Exit 32 and to the West of Junction Avenue. If you are coming West on I-90, you take the exit ramp to Junction Avenue and turn North (right). You will see the dealership to your left once you're on Junction Ave. It's on a side street one block west of Junction Ave. across the railroad tracks. As soon as you turn north on Junction Ave., get in the left lane and turn left at the first opportunity (one block north of the exit ramp). I don't know the name of the side street. After you turn left, the street crosses the train tracks then turns south. The dealership is on your right just after that street turns south. Don't know why they have the Vanocker Canyon Rd. address. It's confusing as hell.

I have not been to the HOG rally, but have friends who live out in western S. Dakota. They tell me the whole western end of S.D. is jammed with bikers during the rally with lots of drunks riding bikes and lots of posers who don't now to handle their Harleys even when they're sober. The Black Hills are already crammed with RVs during the summer months. So if you go in August its a humongous traffic jam, I am told. Suit yourself, but if you want to enjoy the Black Hills, I would go there sometime in June or July instead of early August.

 

[user 213]

There is a Yamaha/BMW/Suzuki dealer at Sturgis, just off I-90 Exit 32 in Sturgis. Here is their website:
https://www.sturgisyamaha.com/

BTW, if you input their address on a Garmin GPS or on MapQuest, it will guide you to a point several miles south of Sturgis on Vanocker Canyon Road. That's a great road to ride, but that's not where the dealership is located. Vanocker Canyon Road becomes Junction Avenue just south of Exit 32 on I-90. The dealership is actually located on a side street on the North side of Exit 32 and to the West of Junction Avenue. If you are coming West on I-90, you take the exit ramp to Junction Avenue and turn North (right). You will see the dealership to your left once you're on Junction Ave. It's on a side street one block west of Junction Ave. across the railroad tracks. As soon as you turn north on Junction Ave., get in the left lane and turn left at the first opportunity (one block north of the exit ramp). I don't know the name of the side street. After you turn left, the street crosses the train tracks then turns south. The dealership is on your right just after that street turns south. Don't know why they have the Vanocker Canyon Rd. address. It's confusing as hell.

Thanks for the info. The side street North of I-90 is also Vanocker Canyon Road, which is why the confusion exists. For grins, I mapquested it and it showed the location just south of the RR tracks, but still in the wrong place from your description. You can also get to the dealership by going South of the freeway on Junction Ave. and taking a right onto East Deadman Road, then right again onto Vanocker Canyon Road.

 

[DaSpyda]

I live in Council Bluffs, Iowa-right on I29. If you need a tire an the way back I'll have one as well as a tire changer and bike lift. I'd be glad to help you mount a new rear tire. PM me for my cell # if needed. Ian, Iowa

Thanks, Ian...

I will PM you when it gets closer...