Track Tac

Why do tires cost so much?

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Priceracin04

Member
Lets keep this user friendly here please. I am asking a question as to why does a Taiwan built tire have to cost the racer so much? Back when we had the old HT3 maxxis they had a ton of rubber on them and the cost was in the low 30's for a 8.00 Then came tire cutting and technology. Then Maxxis goes to a low rubber tire and all of a sudden tires cost more but you are actually getting less. Hmmmm something does not sound quite right does it "Paying more but getting less". Then we go to the all wonderful 9.00 tire and its a beauty and its fast. Wow !! What more could you ask for right? It is so thin on the edges that you have to flip it after one race and after two races or maybe three you throw away a tire that has good rubber on it but is worn out about a half inch on the edges. Time to buy a few more for just under 60 bucks a piece. I just got thru reading a post on why the engines cost so much and why the prices are reasonable. So without this turning into a finger pointing contest, does anyone know why a 9.00 maxxis tire should cost what it cost the racer when it leaves Taiwan it probably does not cost 5 to 10 dollars a tire. I am sure I will feel better when I know the reason behind all this is not just greed or the government making a little off import fees. P.S. Maybe just a little bit more rubber on the edges would pacify us all and make everyone happy . Until then it is what it is. Doug Price
 
Cost of production, cost of importing, cost of testing, cost of advertising, everything cost more than it did in the mid 90's when maxxis hit the racing scene...... But don't just single out maxxis. Firestones, Vegas, Burris, are all roughly the same price. Vega and stones both being made over seas, and Burris being made right here in the USA..... All of those costs that I mentioned above are still there no matter what brand.
 
Priceracin04 said:
Lets keep this user friendly here please. I am asking a question as to why does a Taiwan built tire have to cost the racer so much? Back when we had the old HT3 maxxis they had a ton of rubber on them and the cost was in the low 30's for a 8.00 Then came tire cutting and technology. Then Maxxis goes to a low rubber tire and all of a sudden tires cost more but you are actually getting less. Hmmmm something does not sound quite right does it "Paying more but getting less". Then we go to the all wonderful 9.00 tire and its a beauty and its fast. Wow !! What more could you ask for right? It is so thin on the edges that you have to flip it after one race and after two races or maybe three you throw away a tire that has good rubber on it but is worn out about a half inch on the edges. Time to buy a few more for just under 60 bucks a piece. I just got thru reading a post on why the engines cost so much and why the prices are reasonable. So without this turning into a finger pointing contest, does anyone know why a 9.00 maxxis tire should cost what it cost the racer when it leaves Taiwan it probably does not cost 5 to 10 dollars a tire. I am sure I will feel better when I know the reason behind all this is not just greed or the government making a little off import fees. P.S. Maybe just a little bit more rubber on the edges would pacify us all and make everyone happy . Until then it is what it is. Doug Price
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Doug, you may be thinking the HG-3. When the HT-3 came out you could buy them for around low to mid 40s, thats about 10 years ago.
 
BrendanFitz #73 said:
Maxxis also make off-road truck tires. The price of everything required to win in Karting will just keep going up.
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The number of winners does not seem to keep pace with the increased prices.

No matter how many more racers there are running expensive tires, there is still just one winner per race.

Carlisle turf tires can be bought for less than $20.00 today............and if every competitor ran Carlisle turf tires in any given race, the winner would win on a cheap Carlisle tire...........and all of the rest of the field would lose on a cheap Carlisle tire.

Lots of kart racers pride themselves on just how much they spend to race. So, the more expensive the better..
 
Priceracin04 said:
"Lets keep this user friendly here please"........"So without this turning into a finger pointing contest"....."I know the reason behind all this is not just greed, or the government"! Until then it is what it is. Doug
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Ya gotta admit....that is kinda funny! However...in-truth. it comes down too (2) very simple reasons! #1; "Supply and Demand"...#2; Karting (and ANY Hobby) is a LUXURY and Noboby 'has too' do it!!!
 
SORRY FOLKS MY BAD.. I did not mean to single maxxis out . For sure there are others that are just as expensive . My apologies to maxxis. But my question was why so much ? There very well may be justifiable reasons but lets hear them. Thanks
 
Supply and demand, but also consider the production volumes for this tire. I would venture to guess that in the grand scheme of things, there aren't a huge number being produced. Lower volume specialty tire = higher cost.
 
I dont think that its supply and demand so much as its just because its for racing. You can buy a 14" Ohtsu street radial for $46 online. Whats the demand for that tire? And considering that it is a steel belted radial with more standards and regulations to meet, probably 10 times more rubber and much more technology and advertising involved in a brand that I have never heard of. Ohhhhhh ADVERTISING !! Thats it !! Who is paying for those free tires given away at the end of the season banquets and big races? Who is paying for those banners at the tracks? I KNOW !! Its me, its you, and every person sitting on the grid with you. Very few of us will ever benefit from these freebies but we all pay the price ..... because its racing.
 
The unilli is the only tire so far that I thought was a good deal. $99 a set was a resonable price. Only problem it wasent fast enough to run in a open tire format. I sure don't think the kings are a deal. There wear isn't good either. So what do we do? I guess we pay to play or we stay home & find something else to do.
 
Spec tire programs get cash to tracks and cost racers money by decreasing supplier options there is only one real maxxis supplier- gold speed Don't equate maxxis car truck bike trailer tires to maxxis kart tires, totally different import deal. Open tires: speed costs money how fast do you wanna go? Dudes always find a way to make cheap racing expensive
 
Any time a product touches another person, the cost goes up, usually at least 10 percent for each of those interactions. So, if that tire touches 4 levels of distributorship before it goes to the end consumer, you can see how the price mounts up. That's why I don't see why some of the smaller brands still cost very close to a larger brand such as Maxxis, when they have lower numbers of folks who touch them.
 
LanexaSpeedway said:
Supply and demand, but also consider the production volumes for this tire. I would venture to guess that in the grand scheme of things, there aren't a huge number being produced. Lower volume specialty tire = higher cost.
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That tends too be the definition of 'Supply and Demand'. :)
 
racer47 said:
I dont think that its supply and demand so much as its just because its for racing. You can buy a 14" Ohtsu street radial for $46 online. Whats the demand for that tire? And considering that it is a steel belted radial with more standards and regulations to meet, probably 10 times more rubber and much more technology and advertising involved in a brand that I have never heard of. Ohhhhhh ADVERTISING !! Thats it !! Who is paying for those free tires given away at the end of the season banquets and big races? Who is paying for those banners at the tracks? I KNOW !! Its me, its you, and every person sitting on the grid with you. Very few of us will ever benefit from these freebies but we all pay the price ..... because its racing.
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Trust me.....If there were an 'over' supply of a particular tire....you Will/would see prices Drop (a little). Conversel y...If there were a 'Shortage' of that Same tire....you would see a 'HUGE' price Increase! That's called the 'Free Enterprise System' (full of 'Suckers')! :)
 
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