Weather permitting, I am definitely game for next Thursday at the Vortex (4/23).
I found this great tire place, haven't had the work done by them yet but I'm getting warm fuzzies from the phone call I had with the owner. Their business model is basically a tire shop, and to offer the best pricing and labor than any other bike shop being that they only do tires and oil changes.
The even better part is it's owned by two brothers, and the dood told me something no other Yamaha dealer has told me yet... actually two things... We'll treat your bike as if it's our own, and he said he can't promise he won't scratch my black wheels but if he does he'll replace my wheel. He said his machine is for high end wheels and although he can't promise since it did crush a guys wheel once that it won't damage my wheel but he will make it right if it does.
Check em out: www.twobrotherstires.com
I am getting new tires this weekend or next week, will update you guys how it went.
Not sure about the rest of you but finding a good mechanic, being that I'm not one, has been the hardest part for me and my bikes. I've had work done at Mountain Adventures on my Vstar, they scratched the front fender, told me it was there when they inspected the bike prior, and when i got home I realized I was missing two screws out of the air filter cover. Rode it from Conyers to downtown Atlanta with one freakin screw in the cover, and it was a phillips and not a allen head bolt. Called them about it when I got home, they again told me in a pre bike inspection those screws were missing. I had pictures from 2 days prior listing my bike on Craigslist and guess what, the screws were all in the air filter cover.
I had a new grips put on at Metro Cycles and drove away and not 20 miles down the road the fukin thing came off.... Guess I should try more work myself but I would rather pay someone that will do it right. When I have time for my bike I want to ride it, not work on it. Tires, I would never try to do myself.
Chris