Why buy via your local distributor?

[avgas]

wtf ??????????????????

Thread topic has been done to death here.
I predict the future of this thread will go down the same path.

- Customers will complain that it is now a global market, and they can go anywhere.
- NZ stores will complain their margins are not sufficient.

Everyone loses. Again.

[GSers]

Thanks Guys for the different links. There's significant differences in price depending on what country they are sourced from given current exchange rates.

From motorradgarage.com.au, who SW Motech list as their Australian distributor
$339 AUS = $427 NZ

From Twisted Throttle.com
$200 US = $252 NZ

I'm surprised at the difference on whats a relatively cheap item. I wonder how much shipping from the US is.

Last time I bought handle bar risers from these guys the freight was bloody expensive they use standard size boxes no matter what you order. So get more than 1 thing buy something else to fill up the box even if you are just going to sell it when it gets here.
As for time delays with orders and service this is my uptake working for an international company.
The big companies are more worried about making money for there share holders instead of offfering there customers service. They think there branding is so good that the customer just has to wait for there product. Where as the small independent sources goods from different suppliers and if they are good they will know who will deliver on time and who wont the ones that supply will be getting 90 percent of there business. Its a shame that all manufactures seem to think they can get all there shit made in China so they make the biggest margins but still dont carry any stock. It has become very much a goods made to order supply chain.
As for buying stuff in from overseas do your home work remember you wont pay GST on alot of items which is now a bigger saving this will help to offset the price of freight.
We are now in the 21st century and all the manufactures and governments have pushed for a global economy so you can either get on the band wagon or keep your head in the sand either way the user will pay.
regards GSers

[Padmei]

As for buying stuff in from overseas do your home work remember you wont pay GST on alot of items which is now a bigger saving this will help to offset the price of freight.
We are now in the 21st century and all the manufactures and governments have pushed for a global economy so you can either get on the band wagon or keep your head in the sand either way the user will pay.
regards GSers

How can you get away without paying GSt on imported goods?

[avgas]

How can you get away without paying GSt on imported goods?

By not declaring them......

[Quasievil]

How can you get away without paying GSt on imported goods?

If its over NZD$400 you will have to pay GST on it, unless youre lucky.

My opinion on this subject as a "local" supplier is that I really dont mind to much where people buy from NZ or offshore, what I think is a bit rich tho is the regular attack on the NZ "struggling" motorcycle industry with comments such as high margins etc.
Yes its a global economy........but only one way (for the most part) I dont think USA bikers buy products from NZ based shops.

there are a couple of reasons for that
1/ We simply dont have the economies of scale they do so we cant compete on new and importantly, old stock clearouts (thats where you get alot of good deals)
2/ The NZ Wholesalers are very protective of the age old distribution model i.e
importer / wholesaler- retail shops, in the states you often have this importer/ wholesaler- internet shops, the margins on the later are lower hence better prices for the consumer, couple that with a strong economy of scale scenario like the US then its easy to see why many NZ bikers go offshore to buy their bits and bobs and gear.

so in NZ (in my view) we are a bit buggered, the bike shops need a good margin to survive (I dont know currently of a wealthy bike shop owner) and the wholesalers protect it.
As I have said in another thread, I see and note now a strong shift of bike shops to a internet based sales channel..........the way of the future, you bet it is.
I predict in this country the importers of bikes will sell direct (suzuki kwaka etc) and the bike retailers will be very far and few between indeed, this is a result of the "global economy" I cant see bike shops existing in the current format, at best bike workshops.

Note this post down and revisit it in ten years, see if im right eh lol

[Willdat?]

Yes its a global economy........but only one way (for the most part) I dont think USA bikers buy products from NZ based shops.

I think some dealers like econohonda do actually sell overseas as they have a wealth of knowledge and parts that may or may not be available overseas. With older bikes buying wherever parts are available is the winner. My DR250 has parts from The Netherlands, USA, Aus, and of course locally but still doesn't run reliably.

[Quasievil]

I think some dealers like econohonda do actually sell overseas as they have a wealth of knowledge and parts that may or may not be available overseas. With older bikes buying wherever parts are available is the winner. My DR250 has parts from The Netherlands, USA, Aus, and of course locally but still doesn't run reliably.

Yeah I guess there are a few, prolly only those with very specific sort after products and skills, certainly not the main mass market stuff.
In saying that we sell to overseas often lol

[warewolf]

SW Motech available thru www.Norrus.net in Australia. I've had awesome service from them.

When I looked for something recently, they were just going to be middle-men like a local dealer: prices, out-of-stocks and delays included! I bought from Twisted Throttle in the USA, partly because the .DE site said to...

Last time I bought handle bar risers from these guys the freight was bloody expensive they use standard size boxes no matter what you order.

... but they charged US$48 on a $120 order to ship in a box 10 times the volume required. I felt that was a bit rude on their part, but was still cheaper & faster than estimates given for ex-Aussie.

[warewolf]

If its over NZD$400 you will have to pay GST on it,

Not quite. If the GST + duties is less than $50, then you don't have to pay. Bike parts are generally 0% duty, and under the 12.5% GST rate, gst on $400 was $50.

Now with GST @ 15%, you must declare & pay GST on anything over $333.33.

I see and note now a strong shift of bike shops to a internet based sales channel..........the way of the future, you bet it is.

Yes but their implementation is often flawed. Look at bits4bikes, the data is not very good, and if you find anything on there it is fulfilled by your local shop, but can often be had cheaper if you just walk in there and say, "I want item x from bits4bikes" and they hand it over (and/or get it in, then hand it over).

What they need to do is use the internet like we do to find the parts and land them promptly at a reasonable cost, without as you say being stuck in their existing outdated supply channels. That is the way forward.

However I wonder how much of this is happening because adventure is a niche within the motorcycling niche? MX/off-road parts ferinstance seem much more generic and much more frequently stocked. eg just within KTM's range, the SX/EXC bikes are much more common and share many parts. The LC4 Enduro is slightly different, but again has lots in common with the EXCs. The LC4 adventure is that one more step removed (especially the post-03 bikes) so has less in common with the EXC range than the LC4. Still many commonalities, but fewer.

[Phreaky Phil]

Ive been bitching about NZ being the "Land OF Pictures" for years. You can see what you want in a picture but you cant buy it here. Guess its down to small numbers but no one seems to have got on to the idea of being able to order 1 off stuff in for customers, at an extra freight cost of course. I believe when wholesalers order from the factories they have to buy in BULK. Huge $$$$ involved, and I guess thats why they only do 2-4 shipments a year. Thats also why they only bring in popular stuff they are sure will sell.
That doesn't help you or me who want trick goodies that we've seen in a mag or on the complicator.
Some brands (no names mentioned) must have some very healthy margins when you can bring pay retail overseas, have it sent over in 3-7days at ridiculous cost and it still be way cheaper than buying it from here in NZ ??? WTF
And while i'm at it, whats with Suzuki in having to FAX of to Wanganui for a price ? Who uses Faxes anymore in this age of computers. I can go online to an American site and look up a price. F.F.Sakes
While i'm still ranting, the Americans are ripping us blind for freight. The other day I went to order a special short choke cable from the US. $34 for the cable $39 postage. I didnt buy it !!

[dino3310]

While i'm still ranting, the Americans are ripping us blind for freight. The other day I went to order a special short choke cable from the US. $34 for the cable $39 postage. I didnt buy it !!

yesterday i looked at a $108 us and the freight was $111 WTF but only from that one site, wasnt that bad at the start of the year

[Eddieb]

yesterday i looked at a $108 us and the freight was $111 WTF but only from that one site, wasnt that bad at the start of the year

I just queried the shipping price on a set of crashbars from twistedthrottle.com as I thought it was high, their response was:

Unfortunately with recent changes to shipping sizes and limits this is now considered over sized and $160 is correct.

[dino3310]

bugger, maybe it might eventualy in time it might be just as cheap to get it locally maybe.











not

[bart]

Dumb question, but wouldn't it be cheaper to borrow someone's crash bars as a template, and get some made?

Is NZ's number 8 wire thing disapearing? Years ago if there were problems sourcing something, you made it, and usually for cheaper.

Kind of off the basic topic, but where have all the clever bastards gone.

[Eddieb]

Dumb question, but wouldn't it be cheaper to borrow someone's crash bars as a template, and get some made?

Is NZ's number 8 wire thing disapearing? Years ago if there were problems sourcing something, you made it, and usually for cheaper.

Kind of off the basic topic, but where have all the clever bastards gone.

Not sure with these. I don't have access to any mates in the trade so would be paying the going rates for labour etc. For the cost of importing them, at todays rates I reckon I'd get about 5 hours of labour for the same price, with material on top of that, plus the powder coating cost.