The last thing my CB200 needs before getting on the road is new tires, and this is the only thing on my re-assembly of the bike that I never thought of doing myself. I just got it back from the mechanic and I am extremely upset. I need you guys to talk me off the ledge before I blow a gasket (in my head, not on the bike (this time)).
The tires are way too big for the bike. I let him recommend the tires to me and I followed his recommendation blindly -- I share the blame because I shouldn't have let him talk me into it. I just figured he knew more about it than me so I followed like a sheep.
Here are my gripes and some pictures. Should I ask them to refund me for the tires? Or just cut my losses and never go back? What about the labor? It was $300 for the tires, $250 for labor, and some for the tubes. That's a lot of money for me, and completely offsets the point of me getting a cheap bike to work on.
Thanks for letting me vent. This forum is cheaper than therapy.
The tires are way too big for the bike. I let him recommend the tires to me and I followed his recommendation blindly -- I share the blame because I shouldn't have let him talk me into it. I just figured he knew more about it than me so I followed like a sheep.
Here are my gripes and some pictures. Should I ask them to refund me for the tires? Or just cut my losses and never go back? What about the labor? It was $300 for the tires, $250 for labor, and some for the tubes. That's a lot of money for me, and completely offsets the point of me getting a cheap bike to work on.
- The wheel straight up rubs against the brake arm when it's just sitting there. My understanding is that the tire expands during riding, so if it's rubbing while stationary I assume it's quite unsafe while riding
- They did a terrible job balancing the tires -- I rode it home before realizing the other issues and it felt like I was riding on a wavy road the whole time
- The chain is so tight it barely has 1/8" of slack. It's an easy fix of course, but it just shows me they didn't take any care when putting the wheel back on.
- They had to bend the bracket that holds the chainguard away from the wheel and towards the chain. It will probably bend back without breaking, but now the chain has almost no room for lateral movement
- Not 100% their fault, but they left the petcock on for the 4 weeks they had it and I know my petcock and carb floats don't seal 100%, so now I won't feel safe until I change my oil. Easy fix, but everyone with a vintage bike knows to turn the petcock off, right?
- Now both tires are touching the ground when it's on the centerstand. Not a big issue, but I liked having the rear wheel spin freely while cleaning the chain or even just during storage so I know it's not going to flat spot
Thanks for letting me vent. This forum is cheaper than therapy.