Cost of parts and shipment times gripe

[Mumbles]

Basically I’ve just tried to purchase parts for my ZXR over the last 2 weeks and found prices to be higher in NZ than anywhere else in the world (well UK and USA).
The other thing I can’t stand is once I got over the price I was expected to wait 3 weeks as the product was X Japan!
I have ordered non bike parts in the US (Las Vegas Nevada) on a Friday night and they can be landed in Auckland on the Monday waiting for me to pay for the customs/clearance. Now I understand that the freight price can be high, but I make that decision as the parts are needed and often I can’t wait 3 weeks. Why cant companies in NZ do the same? I don’t like to hear this “yes sir I understand that you urgently need those parts but I’m afraid your still going to have to wait 3 weeks as our supplier hasn’t got it in stock and their next order is due then” why can’t I get “yes sir I understand that you urgently need those parts but they currently aren’t in the country I can arrange for those parts to get air freighted for you but there will be a additional charge, or you can wait 3 weeks for it to be delivered from our supplier”. I just can’t believe we still have this kind of service level here!!
Have any of you folks got any good web sites you’ve dealt with for parts supplied to NZ from anywhere? I’ve found one in the US one in the UK and one in Aus but not ordered anything from them as have got brother in law in Japan who is looking for me. But this could be a start thread for international web sites to purchase parts off


Local one here though for some parts http://www.bits4bikes.co.nz

[98tls]

Problem with many of the good overseas sites ive dealt with is that they wont send overseas,easy though if you know someone local to them,which in fact is also (running for cover but really dont give a fuck) helpful when wanting to avoid a call from our local customs re $ value.Best ive ever had was 6 days from England,not bad considering ive had 2 weeks from Dorklnd.

[Hitcher]

Three weeks? Luxury! Buy an Aprilia if you want to experience truly glacial parts delivery timeframes.

[Ooky]

Three weeks? Luxury! Buy an Aprilia if you want to experience truly glacial parts delivery timeframes.

http://www.af1racing.com/store/Scripts/default.asp
http://thetuningworks.com/shop/index.php?cPath=23

both deliver within the week and are about 1/2 the price inc shipping

[twistemotion]

I understand your pain Mumbles.

I've found the NZ Kawasaki importer/agent absolutely pathetic, both in terms of stock levels (common items for common bikes) and delivery time frames, and have had to courier parts from a Kawasaki dealer in Sydney (not one handle for a GPX 250 in all of NZ). It's just appaling service, I really don't know why they are still the agents. Even a stupid indicator bulb for my '08 model would take 3 weeks.

When complaining to my local dealership about having to wait 3 weeks for a part, they said to me "but it comes from Japan"

[Hitcher]

both deliver within the week and are about 1/2 the price inc shipping

I know. I need my bits for warranty matters. I think that it's a cunning ploy on Aprilia's part to see warranty components delivered after the two-year factory warranty expires.

[bsasuper]

NZ is nothing in world of bike parts, what we use is next to nothing compared to big markets, thats why we pay a premium.I enquired as to the cost of 4 spark plugs, that will be $194 thanks!, found the same item in UK for $80 landed.

[AllanB]

Here's the story I was told by a dealer a few years back (Kawasaki), rings true and makes it relatively understandable.

The importer stocks 'essentials', 'breakables' and some 'rebuildables'. Other shit gets ordered ex Japan.

Goodies that are not in stock by the importer are ordered by the dealers ex Japan through the importer. Each country(s) get a 'day' a week to order ex Japan (Kawasakis day was Thursday). So if you go in on Saturday morning to order a part and it's not in stock Japan will not know until (in the case above) Thursday. Close to a week is gone.

Japan does it's own thing then sends back stock once a week as well.

If you are lucky it's one week, unlucky 3.

Expedited orders don't exist for one reason. To you it's really really urgent and you need it NOW. The problem is there is 999 other people around the world wanting parts NOW as well and NZ is a piddly market so we would pop down the priority list.

The order system would/could not cope and it would end up taking 10 weeks to get a genuine factory warzawoop to allow your indicators to blink at a WOF regulated rate.


Aprilia is Italian. They run a different system.

Send an order for a part and the guy who reads the e-mail takes a siesta. Then he has a few public holidays. And another siesta. And a pubic holiday. Then a siesta. Then a weeks annual leave. Comes back to work and forwards your parts order to the stores man who's job is locating said part.

He receives the order and takes a siesta. Then he has a few public holidays. And another siesta. And a pubic holiday. Then a siesta. Then a weeks annual leave. Comes back to work and locates your part. He then gives the part to the man who's job it is to wrap your ordered part.

He receives the part and takes a siesta. Then he has a few public holidays. And another siesta. And a pubic holiday. Then a siesta. Then a weeks annual leave. He comes back to work and wraps your part. He then gives the wrapped part to the man who's job it is to courier said part.

He receives the order and takes a siesta.............

Don't even start on their postal service ..........

[James Deuce]

Why are you paying Customs duty on stuff you import for yourself? You should only be paying GST for stuff worth more than $NZ400.

Motorcycle stuff bought for personal use is exempt from Customs duty.

I get stuff from the UK and it takes 4 days to turn up and is 2/3rds the price of NZ sourced stuff, including really expensive shipping.

Someone with a motorcycle related business will be along to tell us what bastards we are, very very soon.

[98tls]

Red wine,its accessability and quality of is the real problem with buying/ordering anything from Italy.

[James Deuce]

Aprilia is Italian. They run a different system.

Send an order for a part and the guy who reads the e-mail takes a siesta. Then he has a few public holidays. And another siesta. And a pubic holiday. Then a siesta. Then a weeks annual leave. Comes back to work and forwards your parts order to the stores man who's job is locating said part.

He receives the order and takes a siesta. Then he has a few public holidays. And another siesta. And a pubic holiday. Then a siesta. Then a weeks annual leave. Comes back to work and locates your part. He then gives the part to the man who's job it is to wrap your ordered part.

He receives the part and takes a siesta. Then he has a few public holidays. And another siesta. And a pubic holiday. Then a siesta. Then a weeks annual leave. He comes back to work and wraps your part. He then gives the wrapped part to the man who's job it is to courier said part.

He receives the order and takes a siesta.............

Don't even start on their postal service ..........

The Aprilia issue is not related to the originating company or its distribution network. Piaggio are a very different company to Ivan Beggio's Aprilia.

The issue lies elsewhere.

[Mumbles]

Problem with many of the good overseas sites ive dealt with is that they wont send overseas,easy though if you know someone local to them,which in fact is also (running for cover but really dont give a fuck) helpful when wanting to avoid a call from our local customs re $ value.Best ive ever had was 6 days from England,not bad considering ive had 2 weeks from Dorklnd.

Yep Thats one of the reasons to start this thread, see if anyone found site/s that will ship to NZ

http://www.af1racing.com/store/Scripts/default.asp
http://thetuningworks.com/shop/index.php?cPath=23

both deliver within the week and are about 1/2 the price inc shipping

Thanks Ooky just what we needed to start seeing and hearing

I understand your pain Mumbles.
I've found the NZ Kawasaki importer/agent absolutely pathetic, both in terms of stock levels (common items for common bikes) and delivery time frames, and have had to courier parts from a Kawasaki dealer in Sydney (not one handle for a GPX 250 in all of NZ). It's just appaling service, I really don't know why they are still the agents. Even a stupid indicator bulb for my '08 model would take 3 weeks.

When complaining to my local dealership about having to wait 3 weeks for a part, they said to me "but it comes from Japan"

I was told when I complained that they couldnt do anything as they where a franchisee and could lose it (parts and bikes) if they tried to sorce parts from another supplier

NZ is nothing in world of bike parts, what we use is next to nothing compared to big markets, thats why we pay a premium.I enquired as to the cost of 4 spark plugs, that will be $194 thanks!, found the same item in UK for $80 landed.

Well tell us the site you used if you used one....

Why are you paying Customs duty on stuff you import for yourself? You should only be paying GST for stuff worth more than $NZ400.

Motorcycle stuff bought for personal use is exempt from Customs duty.

I get stuff from the UK and it takes 4 days to turn up and is 2/3rds the price of NZ sourced stuff, including really expensive shipping.

Someone with a motorcycle related business will be along to tell us what bastards we are, very very soon.

My stuff was no for a bike but for work and it was more than $400 by the time it had landed in NZ

How do you get your stuff from the UK .... post it here

And if anyone here with a motorcycle related business sticks their 2cents in good on them.... If I had a bike business that couldn’t compete in a global market with the internet then I’d be rather worried “good will” only goes so far and when you’re on a limited budget sorry mate but I’ll take the save me some money option every time (as long as the parts are same quality) but in saying that “good will” and “great service” will get me to come back in the door for misc stuff like oil filters etc... (I support local when I can).

[zx rider]

I have got stuff from the USA many times and UK once or twice. No problems at all.
A lot of the US sites seem to specailise in some brands or style of parts, so, what bits are you after. Maybe i can point you in the right direction.
Cheers, Lance

PS. If anyone is after 2nd hand parts try Victorian M/C wreckers in Melbourne. Very good range and service. Top guys.

[bsasuper]

**EBAY**

[geoffm]

http://www.af1racing.com/store/Scripts/default.asp
http://thetuningworks.com/shop/index.php?cPath=23

both deliver within the week and are about 1/2 the price inc shipping

I see your Aprilla and raise you a BMW. When you can land parts ex UK, including postage to the doorstep for 30-60% of the NZ price, in a week vs the NZ 4+ weeks, why support local dealers? Certainly don't add any value and never hold any stock.
This assumes you can find a BMW dealer - they are kinda rare.
Gone back to Japanese for now - had enough of Euro parts ripoffs.
Geoff