WE ALL GET SMART

[LSUBOY]

I would venture to say that one of the most important things in life for a man or woman to LEARN is that "there is no such thing as a free lunch". You get what you pay for.

Um down here dicking around on the computer to get some new tires for my bike. I like the the Roadtec(s) and usually get about 10,000 miles onna set. Only problem is they cost 365 plus shipping. To which I said that I need to go back to the cheaper.......Avon Storms for 279 plus shipping and save a ton of money.

A quick check of the numbers in my driving log indicate that I would save 76 bucks by getting the storms but my wise ole mind says that "If you spend 75 more bucks, you will get a tire that is just as good but will last you from 2 tp 5 thousand miles more"?

Too many bikers would say that they will take the 279 set and save some bucks.......but when they get to about 50 or so, they begin to look back on all of the juice they have thrown down the drain because they were too ??????? to look at the big picture.

What Kind Are You?

 

[FJRBluesman]

Simple math, divide dollars by miles see what the cost is per mile. Handling also is a factor and may have an intangible cost that one may say is worth the extra cost. If the sets of tires one compares are similar in handling then it's a money factor regarding miles per set.

You have an excellent point, but it's not always about $$. It appears we think alike on total cost.

 

[Danno]

Don't forget the cost of mounting if you don't do it yourself. You'll mount more tires if they don't last as long.

 

[Mizz Bustanut]

Firm believer in "You get what you pay for". Too many times people spend money on the cheaper/sub standard product with the idea that they'll buy the better one next year, etc. My thinking is, look at the big picture. "Why buy it twice? Just get the right one the first time. it ends up less money in the long run."

Some people need the big picture drawn out for them, some catch on quickly and some just have more money than brains. Then again, some have no common sense.

 

[TriggerT]

I think the PR2's are some of the priciest tires out there for our bike, but since I should get 12K+ miles out of the set I have on now, AND they perform better than anything I have tried to date, I will be spending the money. Tires are something you should never compromise on, in my opinion.

 

[brazos parker]

My Dad always told me "A poor man cannot afford to buy cheap things." Never understood that too much until I got out of school, got a job and started buying my own things.

 

[Low Level FJR Pilot]

When it comes to my cage and my bike, I try to budget for the better things because there are people I care about involved in each of them. When we bought our new van, (never buy new always used or certified pre owned) I made sure that I bought the extra bumper to bumper coverage then took it to my local trusted Firestone and had them perform their lifetime alignment on it. Every time I feel I need the alignment re done or every 5K miles I take it back in. At $129.00 for the lifetime vice $60.00 for every alignment, I save a ton because I keep a vehicle usually for 70 to 100K miles from when I buy it. I will do the same the first time it needs breaks.

I read what everyone has to say on this forum to formulate a decision on what tread will last best for me and my riding style then buy the better. I didn't make that decision when it came to the BT21's and had to spend out in half the time for a new set of rubber. I now run the Michellin PRII's and will continue to spend the extra money to have a set of those on my bike from now on. I tend to do just the opposite when it comes to other things that are not consumables. I will search for the best deal and have found myself replacing what I got a lot sooner than I would if I had just spent the extra coin in the first place.

Key thing is, it took me most a long time to get to that point. Used to spend on crap to save a dime just to lose a dollar later. B)

 

[Tenchi]

Recently got stiffed because I NEEDED the new tires and only one place had em.

Decided go to the whole hog and replace both tires with a brand new set, BT020's to D607's. No regrets. 590 mi ride yesterday, and they were just freakin fantastic, both on and off road. Cost me an arm and a leg, so much that I'm going to learn how to replace tires myself so I can do it myself next time. Those f*ckers are just robbers behind the service desk.

Way I see it, if it keeps you from going down it's saving you money in the long run.