[Chasfield]

I am UK based and have just ordered a rear Avon AM26 for my Bullet from Hitchcock's.

With new tube, rim tape, VAT and shipping I am out 95 GBP.

 


Seems a bit dear, and I've got to rive the thing on yet. A few years ago I bought four new cheapo tyres for my car for 125 GBP fitted.


 

Are the sidewalls of my new bike tyre woven with gold thread or what?

[Leonard]

You will be crying in 6 or 7 thousand miles when you have to replace it.

[PhilJ]

You, my UK friend, are a victim of advancing years and are in denial of inflation.  

[Chasfield]

I, money ain't worf wot it was.

The last motorbike tyre I bought was in 1982, or there abouts. I think an Avon Roadrunner was 30 GBP or so - which pretty much checks out with what they are charging now.

However, car tyres do seem a bargain by comparison.

[Vince]

     Most of the cost associated with any manufacturing process are in planning, procurement, machinery, and post production inventory management including distribution. These costs are surprisingly consistent whether you are producing 1 or 100 or 1,000 or 10,000. The more you produce the more you can amortize the cost over thew larger number of units. So to get the cost down you must produce more. That is why car tires are relatively cheaper. Where Avon might produce 300 motorcycle tires of one specific type/size at a time, an auto tire might have a production run in the thousands. Add in the cost of engineering for the specific requirements of motorcycle tires and I am impress the prices are so reasonable.
     The cheaper motorcycle tires use the more common and cheaper automotive criteria, including manufacturing techniques.  This is why they handle so much worse. They are more closely akin to car tires.

[UncleErnie]

What about kenda or Cheng Shin?

[Geirskogul]

Man let me know where I can find some whitewalls in something other than the 16" (harley) sizes, and I'll give you 10,000,000 points!  (the points are made up and don't matter)

[Blue Ridge Wheeltor]

What about kenda or Cheng Shin?

I think Cheng Shin got out of the motorcycle business

[PhilJ]

Good riddance. Don't want Chinese products on my RE, especially tires. Probably got lead in em. 

[LJRead]

Just bought an Avon AM26 for my bike (putting it on now) for 80 bucks U.S. with shipping thrown in.  Had a small crate coming down from the U.S. anyway, so my daughter put it in the crate.  Nice tyre, but I think if i get 6000 miles from it I'l be lucky.  That's because it isn't really hard rubber.  However, the amount of miles I am likely to ride on this small island fits fairly well with the mileage.

It is from a store with Super in the name.

I get a feeling that the U.S. and probably England too are about to get hit by price rises.  Price rises for small things like tyres and prices going down for big ticket items like houses.

Nobody gets paid much here so the prices seem to stay low, when things are available that is. My brother-in -law is making about 25 u.s. dollars for a days work.  Thing is the world is gradually becoming more universal in its pricing, I think.  Gasoline here has remained at about five u.s. dollars per gallon.  The world will be entering a new era - it is called over-population.

[Blue Ridge Wheeltor]

The original poster mentioned the VAT (value added tax). They are trying to get one here in this country. Then the Cap and Trade, inflation/dollar sinking, and those prices will seem cheap. Here in NC, because the government spends more than the collect, they want to get a tax on services.

[baird4444]

Man let me know where I can find some whitewalls in something other than the 16" (harley) sizes, and I'll give you 10,000,000 points!  (the points are made up and don't matter)

seems like cooper or coker had a limited selection of white walls...
              - Mike

[REpozer]

Yep, all true. Wish our money wasn't being printed so fast, and dropping in value.

[Chasfield]

The original poster mentioned the VAT (value added tax). They are trying to get one here in this country. Then the Cap and Trade, inflation/dollar sinking, and those prices will seem cheap. Here in NC, because the government spends more than the collect, they want to get a tax on services.

VAT is no fun at all. I once thought that purchase taxation and pay as you earn taxation were supposed to be alternative systems. In the UK we do both at the same time, so you are effectively taxed on already taxed income.

Soon your country will be like ours.

 

[UncleErnie]

We have national, state, county, and city taxes.  Most items taxed and how much varies from state to state.  In some states, food sales are taxed, some states there is no tax on food sales.  Almost all places tax restaurant sales.  Several layers of tax on gas.  On my car and motorcycles, I have insurance, title transfer fees, state value tax yearly, registration fee every year, yearly inspection, and registration renewal fees.   County and city tax on my house / real property every year.  National and state taxes on any income.  Taxes on my inheritance when my parents or any other relative dies. 

I have a sneaking suspicion folks in the USA re taxed about as much s folks in England, but we like to pretend we're not.  I also have a feeling we waste more than the English government, but I could be wrong.

[Cabo Cruz]

Yes, Br. Chas, those Avon AM26 tyres are a bit pricey... but you are guaranteed a more enjoyable Bullet with them between the seat and the asphalt... lean your bike and enjoy a new and improved Bullet ride, brother!

[Chasfield]

Thanks, PJ.

I am hoping that the tyre will  give me a more solid and relaxed cornering experience.

My stock rear tyre has a somewhat flattened profile and gets up onto the edge of the tread. It squirms around a little, leading to what we Brits would once have called a threepenny bit mode of cornering.

Historical coinage notes for US brothers:

The threepenny bit was part of our pre-decimal coinage and was notable for being 12 sided - AKA the "spanner tanner".

The tanner, or sixpenny piece, was another obsolete, small, pre-decimal coin and was AKA "half a bob", i.e  half a shilling.

I think I will stop now as there is no end to all this coinage stuff.

[PhilJ]

Wow Chasfield, and I thought we had it bad with our worthless penny. 

[The Garbone]

I have a sneaking suspicion folks in the USA re taxed about as much s folks in England, but we like to pretend we're not.  I also have a feeling we waste more than the English government, but I could be wrong.

Not even,  I was over in Europe in the mid 90s and its not all that bad, just a difference in lifestyles.     Things did not seem as hyper dynamic as they can get over here.    London was pretty cool...   I guess it comes down to "show me the money."  and the wild west...