High cost of bike parts

[kerryg]

I've owned a few bikes over the last few years, including a couple that I bought as insurance write-offs and did up and got back on the road again. Great fun but a real learning curve. I'm doing a similar thing now and I guess, although I thought I was unshockable pretty much, I've been shocked by just how ridiculous/insane the costs of some items are. Items you look at and think, OK, I can see how that would should cost me $100-200, allowing for room for a mark-up for everyone in the chain, and it costs $1000. That sort of magnitude of difference. A plastic turn signal= $200 when an aftermarket one, just as well made but lacking a DOT number or whatever, is, say, $20 or $30. A single vinyl decal 300mm x 50mm ($80). A set of rotors ($800-$900). I won't mention specific brands, and anyway I don't think that it is a problem with only some of the brands but pretty much all (I've owned Italian, British and Japanese). I also don't think (although I can't say with certainty) it is the fault of the local bike shop, which I don't believe take a big margin on these things, but probably either the factory and/or the distributor.

It has a lot of downstream implications: one example, bikes cost more to insure because if you drop one the cost of the parts adds up so fast that your bike gets written off for even quite minor damage. Another: even second hand parts from a wrecker cost plenty because they tend to index the cost (e.g. 30 or 40%, say) of used parts to the cost of new parts.

I've looked at costs on the web and prices seem much the same in the USA or Europe, so I don't think NZ customers get stung much worse than others, at least not that I can judge.


Call me paranoid, but IT FEELS LIKE A CONSPIRACY!!! HOW CAN THEY JUSTIFY THESE PRICES??? I could possibly understand it to some extent (but still not wholly) if the NZ distributor is carrying stock of parts for x number of models going back x number of years but they don't, they get them ex Japan/Italy/UK etc in most cases unless it's a very common part. I am also extremely doubtful that factories in Japan (where they invented the "just-in-time" system) or for that matter elsewhere are holding large stocks of parts for bikes they made 10 years ago; maybe some, but I bet they keep limited inventories and outsource new supplies from time to time when their inventories run down.


What's my point.......??? Maybe we are being screwed in the arse, and we should not be bending over, dropping our trousers to our ankles and offering ourselves for a rogering every time we buy a factory part. Starting by giving the parts boys in the bike shop stick when we are being particularly egregiously given it in the arse, and asking for contact details to the distributor and factory and making our outrage felt.........

[Smorg]

Bikes are not as popular as cages.................more cages, more parts, mass production therefore avalible at a cheaper price.

Less bikes less demand for parts smaller production creating higher prices.............but then again thats just a guess

[White trash]

I assure you, bike shops put huge mark ups on these parts, but they've got overheads to meet and the distributors aren't making it any easier either.

You want cheap parts, buy a Buell.

[Paul in NZ]

Could not agree more... It is one of the main reasons I refuse to purchase a late model bike. The cost of doing any real maintenance and insurance is crazy....

Have a look here...

http://www.mgcycle.com/

Go to parts and accesories

http://www.mgcycle.com/parts.html

It's in US$ but this is why I like my Moto Guzzi... Part for bikes back to the 60's all at reasonable prices and clearly shown PLUS great support for racing, restoration and custom work. In some cases NZ prices from Moto Kiwi are even better...

GO GUZZI!

[Paul in NZ]

You want cheap parts, buy a Buell.

Trashy - I've told you once and I've told you a hundred times... There is a difference between cheap and inexpensive.... Glad to see you finally realised what it is...

[kerryg]

I assure you, bike shops put huge mark ups on these parts, but they've got overheads to meet and the distributors aren't making it any easier either.

You want cheap parts, buy a Buell.

Everybody needs to make a buck, no problem with capitalism at all (all for it in fact). "Cheap" is not what I'm talking about. "Less of a complete rip-off" is more my meaning. I don't own a Buell, so "cheap" Buell parts kinda don't help me at present... or anyone else (makes the majority I'd guess) who owns a bike other than Buell.

As a matter of interest, how much do some typical Buell parts cost (I'm curious)? Say mirrors, headlight assembly, tank, whatever....just roughly is plenty good enough. Maybe my next bike needs to be a Buell

[limbimtimwim]

What's my point.......??? Maybe we are being screwed in the arse, and we should not be bending over, dropping our trousers to our ankles and offering ourselves for a rogering every time we buy a factory part. Starting by giving the parts boys in the bike shop stick when we are being particularly egregiously given it in the arse, and asking for contact details to the distributor and factory and making our outrage felt......

Kinda not relevant, but I seem to recall reading that once Wheels magazine (A fine Australian publication about cars) built (Or maybe just priced up) an entire Holden Camira out of new parts. The cost?

About $1,000,000 !

[Lou Girardin]

Everybody needs to make a buck, no problem with capitalism at all (all for it in fact). "Cheap" is not what I'm talking about. "Less of a complete rip-off" is more my meaning. I don't own a Buell, so "cheap" Buell parts kinda don't help me at present... or anyone else (makes the majority I'd guess) who owns a bike other than Buell.

As a matter of interest, how much do some typical Buell parts cost (I'm curious)? Say mirrors, headlight assembly, tank, whatever....just roughly is plenty good enough. Maybe my next bike needs to be a Buell

Buell bits are really cheap compared to most, ($30 for an indicator), but I wouldn't say retail mark-up is huge. I object to paying $180 for a piece of coloured plastic moulding for the Bandit, and Suzuki bits are supposed to be cheaper than other Jap brands!
The same situation applies to cars. A few years ago there was a call for an enquiry into parts pricing, but it was all too hard for the Govt. Like fuel pricing now.

[Motu]

Think of the part you want,get a designer to design it for you.....take the design to a pattern maker and get a pattern made,then go to a production shop specialising what whatever format it is made from and oraganise a production run of 100,and see how much your part costs.

[kerryg]

Think of the part you want,get a designer to design it for you.....take the design to a pattern maker and get a pattern made,then go to a production shop specialising what whatever format it is made from and oraganise a production run of 100,and see how much your part costs.

Motu, I take your point BUT.....

Some of the parts I've bought (I'll use turn signals and mirrors, both often broken in even minor crashes, as examples) are common to god-knows-how-many-models from the same bike manufacturer, covering several years of production. I have no doubt whatsoever that they have "economies of scale".

And you know as well as I do that Jap bikes are assembled from outsourced items that are common to many bikes: calipers by Tokico etc, wheels by Asahi, mastercylinder by Nissin, etc etc. I don't buy the logic that the costs of making a certain part are amortized over 100 bikes.

[Ixion]

Could not agree more... It is one of the main reasons I refuse to purchase a late model bike. The cost of doing any real maintenance and insurance is crazy....

Have a look here...

http://www.mgcycle.com/

Go to parts and accesories

http://www.mgcycle.com/parts.html

It's in US$ but this is why I like my Moto Guzzi... Part for bikes back to the 60's all at reasonable prices and clearly shown PLUS great support for racing, restoration and custom work. In some cases NZ prices from Moto Kiwi are even better...

GO GUZZI!

The most impressive thing about that site is that they don't need to subdivide it by model !

Which is one of the main reasons why parts are so dear. Once upon a time (back in Briddish days), there was a very high level of interchangeability of parts between different models of the same marque. And the same part was kept for years and years and years. So one could speak simply , for instance , of a "Pre unit BSA gearbox" Which was used on a dozen or more models over a period of decades. And this is what I think MG still do. It is a VERY sensible philosophy.

So why don't other makers do it? Simply, because you, the buying public, don't want it.

Nowdays, every year the new models have to look different. And be tweaked or changed in one way or another. I've seen it right here on this forum, people complaining that the 06 models "are hardly any different to the 05 models". And the constant efforts to extract a couple of extra horsepower mean constant mechanical changes.

The price you pay for constant change is that parts cost more because the manufacturer must amoritise all the change costs over only a few years production, usually on a single model .

GO GUZZI, indeed. Pity they're as rare as hen's teeth, and cost the earth.

[Ixion]

Motu, I take your point BUT.....

Some of the parts I've bought (I'll use turn signals and mirrors, both often broken in even minor crashes, as examples) are common to god-knows-how-many-models from the same bike manufacturer, covering several years of production. I have no doubt whatsoever that they have "economies of scale".

And you know as well as I do that Jap bikes are assembled from outsourced items that are common to many bikes: calipers by Tokico etc, wheels by Asahi, mastercylinder by Nissin, etc etc. I don't buy the logic that the costs of making a certain part are amortized over 100 bikes.

Have you checked the pricing in GN250 parts ?

[geoffm]

Bike parts are extremely expensive. I have found that in many cases, the Japanese parts cost more than the Beemer parts. An upper fairing for the RG500 = $2k - unpainted!
I have compared parts here an doverseas. Suzuki seem to be much the same around the world, but BMW parts are more expensive here, sometimes by a lot. The US price on BMW parts is slightly less than here, but the German prices are signifcinatly less - usually around 30% less. One example - fork staunchion in NZ = $900 incl GST (+wait 3 -4 weeks), or 170 euro ($300ish) from Germany. If anyone wants BMW parts, I can recommend www.siebenrock.de. Delivery is the same or less time than orderin through BMW NZ, who never have any parts in stock anyway. www.motobins.co.uk is another good source.
There are a number of parts suppliers on the Net (eg www.bikebandit.com) with online microfiches and parts lists/ pricing. makes comparisons easy.
If you can manage the transport, Ebay helps a lot. I have got a few parts from Ebay, but shipping is a pain without someone in the country to sort it out. A lot of sellers won't send overseas, or charge heaps and use DHL/ Fedex, etc, which makes it uneconomic.

Geoff

[ajdarrell]

I think we do get boned somewhat in NZ.

A mate of mine recently needed new cams and rocker arms for his ZZR11. He priced them in the states and from his local dealer in CHCH.

The result was, he could fly to LA, have a weeks holiday, buy the bits and bring them back. All this and he would have a couple of hundred left over from the price quoted here.

I have a late model beemer and I buy all of my bits (only filters, plugs, etc) on the web from the UK. Including frieght it is generally about 30% cheaper.

Basically, we don't have the population here to worry the manufacturers so we get boned.

Could be worse, we could have a population like Japan and prices would be cheaper but then you would have no where to ride without 10,000 other tossers on the road.

[Motu]

But the parts are still used over a much shorter production span than Euro or US bikes.I have far more experiance with car parts,because that's all I do every day.We have seen a huge reduction in parts prices over the few years,but that's because we are getting parts from China,I pay $16 for steering rack ends,they used to cost $200...disc rotors now cost ne $35,I used to pay over $80.

But genuine parts are different story - a few years ago a common part that failled was the vacuum advance unit,for a Japanese car these would cost around $150 to $350....but for a Pontiac Firebird I could buy a vacuum advance unit for $9.That's because the Japanese unit was used over a production run of maybe 6 months,where as the GM distributor has been made since the mid 1950sProduction costs well and truely absorbed.

Oh,whiles I've spent the last hour writting this I see Ixion has explained it much better than me as usual.The modern Triumphs were built on a modular system to spread parts across a wide product range,it makes so much sense,but is seldon done.