My ATV has problems with flat front tires since I bought the ATV. The ATV shop sealed the bead with black goop. Several times. Plenty of tread on the tires. No dry-rot. After a few times of this (at $10 per tire each time), they said the wheels were dirty, so they wire-wheeled the wheels. Flat when I picked them up. So, they said buy tubes.
I bought tubes. A few days later, they told me the tubes I brought in (which had looked new, with nice flat folds, and were clean black rubber), were old and already had holes in them. Odd, because they didn't mention that when I took them in, completely unpackaged. They sold me a set of their tubes and installed them (without valve caps). When I picked up the tubes I'd taken in, they were filthy, and yes, looked used. The ATV made a ride around the neighborhood 3 Saturdays ago (on the sidewalk). 2 Saturdays ago, my son was sweeping the porch, and hit the valve stem of the left tire, and the air audibly leaked out in that area. The right was still good. The next Friday night, the right was still good. Last Saturday morning, the right was flat. I took both tires to the ATV shop. They ordered new tubes. I picked them up on Saturday. $93.xx! They offered me the old tubes, which were filthy. Got home, put the wheels on, let the jack down, and the right one was flat. No hissing or anything. I put my foot against the right tire, and the rush of air leaving the sounded like heavy breathing. I took the tire back to the ATV store. First, they said I'd probably hit a rock or thorn or something. Then, they said the tires had a bad bead, due to so many mountings and dismountings. After I reminded them that these had tubes, they said something in the tire had probably caused the flat. I asked if they checked for that before installing the tube, and they said that it must have been something that came into the tire from riding. I reminded them I hadn't had a chance to ride on it. They refunded me $46.
I'm thinking the ATV shop didn't clean anything. I further think my tubes they gave me back were good, but they flattened them. Am I being too hard on these people?