Ractech and a rotting stench

[dipshit]

I wonder how many people who moan about the cost of motorcycle parts in New Zealand have ever run their own business.

I'm sorry, but when I hear of people in NZ having to pay $1800 for a GSX600F headlight that goes for $272 USD overseas... or $2500 for a Honda ST1300 headlight that goes for $350 USD overseas...

...I have no sympathy for the bike industry in NZ if its customers find other alternatives.

That kind of pricing is simply retail suicide.

[avgas]

Errrrr why are RaceTech having pricelist on an international website.......then not making this RRP
this is international business 101 no no

[Slyer]

Racetech make a good product, springs and emulators transformed my bike. Was close to buying from the states but bought from CKT in the end. No hassles but I did pay $300 for my springs and another $300 for my emulators...

[dipshit]

The list price on this item is retail nz$1500.

http://www.hyosungsource.com/parts/g...meter-assembly

The price on that page is nz$. Explain?

The only explanation I can think of, is that the importers and distributors in the NZ motor industry think we are stupid. (sure, the retailers probably don't have much of a margin on it)

[Viscount Montgomery]

Like I said before, all the excuses, all the grandiose statements, all the side-tracking, all the weasel-words from the apologists, the hollow, insincere hype of 'supporting the country' - none of it erases the stink.

FACT: Racetech NZ have pulled a lousy cynical stunt by shutting down access to a previously available great product, and are now blatantly without a moments hesitation, attempting to palm off the same product to the local market at TWICE THE FUCKING PRICE.

It's NOT complicated. It's not rocket science. It's very very simple. Are people that bloody stupid that they can't see what's going on here?

[Ronin]

Back when I owned a retail outlet the margins were so tight that the cost of getting an item couried to Wanganui from the distributor in Auckland put my purchase price above an auckland retailer who would supply the item with free delivery, and it would beat my item to the door.

Lmao.

And buying in bulk, 100 minimum units would save me about 22c per item.

Same industry is worse now. Someone in a shed somewhere selling the same item online for the same price that I buy it for before I put any margin on.

[The Stranger:Me]

Or maybe the American market and the New Zealand market are two totally different things.

American importers order items in the thousands - New Zealand wouldn't even get to order them in the hundreds.

Who do you think gets the better buy price from the manufacturer?

So why don't the local distributors cut a deal with the American importers - after all, that is all a private importer is doing isn't it?
We were after an exhaust for a race bike, over 4k here, 2.8 from the states. Local distributor couldn't supply for 6 weeks, it was here from the US in a week.
Why didn't the local distributor simply do what we did and order it from starcycle FFS?

[LBD]

The list price on this item is retail nz$1500.

http://www.hyosungsource.com/parts/g...meter-assembly

The price on that page is nz$. Explain?

Steve

The only explanation I can think of, is that the importers and distributors in the NZ motor industry think we are stupid. (sure, the retailers probably don't have much of a margin on it)

I think some clever software at work....When I click on the link I get some funny asian currency pricing....The site must detect your region and price in your local currency

[The Stranger:Me]

I'm sure with a bit of round the houses you could by whatever you wanted from overseas. You take the risk and pay your money and yes often it can be less then the same item here.

But What about after sales and warranty? CKT is without equal in its after sales service in my opinion. I would gladly pay $100 more for something that will be looked after mostly FOC and with any amount of advice and the convienience of being local (dont forget CKT are never far from anyone during the winter and summer series).

New Zealand is a small player in a massive market, we dont hope to compete in cash terms but we make up for it in fukin good service, those that don't provide that level of service wont be around for long.

I've struggled to rebuild a late model R1 with top quality SH parts over the last few weeks. If I lived in America or England it could have been done in a matter of days and for a lot less $$$ but its the price you pay for living in 'Gods Own' I'm currently getting the second front end sent from the good old US of A because the first one vanished en-route!

Belive me if you can source your parts here (even if a little dearer) buy it here.

When will people learn? VICTORIAN MOTORCYCLE WRECKERS!

[SixPackBack]

The same situation prevails in Australia and Canada and probably a few cother economies, not because of the local distributors. I would explian but its commercial and sensitive, and not for making massive profits as so many incorrectly think.

As stated a reasonable explanation is yet to be forwarded. If you value local customers inform them as to the 'why'; honesty may win the day.

The reality is that many would love to support local distributors but find the large disparity in cost a major barrier. And if overseas distributors are gaining far greater discount on volume, why do Ohlins/Racetech prostitute their very own market?.......It reflects badly on the brand/s and must test the loyalty of local distributors.

The disparity seems to only affect certain brands and products, we cannot [for example] purchase cheaper motorcycles overseas [all things being equal, tax etc]. So why do only certain products come in prohibitively priced?.....The argument of volume hardly applies given NZ's size.

[golfmade]

Bing stenches here in Taiwan as well then, and the crock of it all is most of the stuff I've looked at is fuckin' made here in Taiwan but exported to the States.

Two case in points:

Computer parts. Built a desktop a year or so ago and was looking at the price of the exact same parts here in Taiwan as back home. Even though most of them were made right here in Taiwan, it was a couple hundred US more to build my desktop then it would have been for the exact same parts back in the States.

Bicycles: Giant bicycles are a Taiwan brand and made here as well. They have some sweet looking beach cruisers that I've had my eye on. But, go into a local Giant shop and they have no way of getting the cruisers. Go on to Giant's American website, cruisers galore. Taiwan website, nada. Furthermore, contact several bike stores back home who I did business with before, they won't ship internationally. So, no beach cruiser for me.

Not quite as severe as what you're talking about but I thought the world was supposed to be more and more open.

[slowpoke]

Some pretty bitchy whining here about the price of stuff. Simple solution: if you don't like it don't buy it. So what if someone has tied up the rights to sell something, it happens in all sorts of industry's for all sorts of products and it's up to the retailer what they decide to charge. I repeat, if you don't like the price don't buy it, the concept isn't exactly rocket science.

So what's the next bitchy whiny thread gonna be about? "I bought this Race Tech product direct from Race Tech in the 'States and now the local Race Tech agent won't help me out with it?!!". Yep, you don't mind rubbishing a business by name, but won't post your name and/or relinquish rights to the after sales service that business would provide. To compare simply buying a spring from the 'States to buying a spring + service from the local agent simply isn't comparing apples to apples.

It's just not like buying a TV, or a headlight from overseas. You don't have to go to the 'States for training to become (or continue to be) an accredited headlight salesman or service agent. Your business doesn't suffer while you are doing said training. You don't choose to trek all over the country helping out people who put their lives on the line racing headlights. You don't invest time and money in developing headlights to suit the local conditions. You don't have to build/buy specialised equipment for servicing headlights, both workshop based and transportable. Etc etc

Not to mention in the 'States you can defray all that cost over 100's of units, whereas in NZ you have a 20th of the sales to defray it against, and have to wack GST on top of that. And try contacting your supplier in the 'States on a Saturday arvo when you have got some problems at the track and see what response you get........

I dunno, I reckon we're actually blessed with the standard of suspension service in NZ. Rain or shine there are at least 2 well regarded businesses who front up to the race meetings (in the North Island at least) and you don't have to be in a factory team to have a free of charge chat with either of them. So you may only have an average road bike, the old axiom of "racing improves the breed" applies as much to the technicians as sit does to the machines.

[tri boy]

The after sales assistance from RT is the real value in NZ.
Maybe he should ask people to quote their CKT invoice# when they ring him to whine about the poor handling of their bike after they butchered fitting emulators/cartridge units etc that they got online at a slightly cheaper price.
Same at track days.
Glad I'm out of the industry now. A new generation of plonkers have eclipsed the last generation by a thousand fold. MHO

[Kiwi Graham:Me]

When will people learn? VICTORIAN MOTORCYCLE WRECKERS!

Tried them mate, got my clutch cover from them but alas no front end.

[sidecar bob]

Its for reasons like this that i dont do work for people that are in BMW car club.
You get a bunch of idiots with access to the internet that think they are suddenly smarter than an individual that has put a working lifetime into understanding how to get the best from the product they own.
Finding a spring chart on the internet does not make you a suspension technician, merely an idiot.
While i occasionaly take the piss out of Mr Taylor in good humour, i cant recall another product/ company of any sort that offers the level of after sales service he does.