Buy from NZ? I tried but come on...

**martybabe** · 2nd January 2011, 16:28

Originally Posted by awa355

The biggest disapointment with the local dealer is that they didn't want to try to locate parts. The alternator gasket the local dealer said did not exist, was in my letterbox 5 days after confirming my order with Sidney Motorcycles. And that was in the week leading up to xmas.

I hear that alright...Asked a guy to source me a part at the local dealers, big sigh and a pathetic 3 minute search and the computer says Nah. can't get it, No way.

Same dealer, different bloke, a few weeks later, spent best part of an afternoon on the interweb/ phoning contacts/dismantlers and the part was with me two days later. I don't mind paying for that kind of service and I don't think he even put any commission on for himself, just relying on future custom..and he's got it.

Totally agree with the cost savings online though, can be huge even after John Key has his share to pay for his holidays.

**bsasuper** · 2nd January 2011, 16:34

The only things a buy locally are tyres,oil and filters .I buy everything else from the US (yes for half the cost or better including shipping) that includes chain/sprockets, sparkplugs, any parts.And now riding gear, after buying a new jacket at $500 and when asking for a discount being told ohh no I would have to sell it at cost then, then seeing it at half the price few months later.I think most business think there is still plenty of money around, so mark up heaps,I hate to say it but my cash is going overseas untill bike shops here start selling at a fair price, the only thing that are cheap is the crap thats been sitting on the shelfs for 3yrs, because they put silly prices on way back then.If they priced it at a reasonable cost first up, theyed sell twice as much.

**awa355** · 2nd January 2011, 16:35

Originally Posted by martybabe

...Totally agree with the cost savings online though, can be huge even after John Key has his share to pay for his holidays.

I work for John Key ( sort of) and if he's expecting me to pay for his holiday, I just hope he aint planning on going too far.

**White trash** · 2nd January 2011, 16:41

Originally Posted by Virago

Hardly.

Bike shops aren't closing in droves because they're sick of making money...

Mate, are you living on a different planet to me?

Bike shops ARE closing, left right and centre. Established bike shops too.

I work in a bike shop, times are tough. Amazingly so. It's tough out there and most only just make ends meet. Some live week to week and start shitting when things are quiet, when you've got a staff of 20 people relying on that shop being open so they can feed their kids, it's worrying.

In Frasers case, I can fully understand the position, and would have done exactly the same thing. Importers need to have a closer relationship with their suppliers to make sure people WANT to spend their dollars here.

**SMOKEU** · 2nd January 2011, 16:43

Honda wanted to charge me $80 for a fuel filter for my bike. It's just a little piece of plastic, and being a carbied engine it's not the stronger, higher quality stuff that has to withstand the higher fuel pressures from an EFI engine.

Bike shops here often charge close to $1000, even more than that just for a single muffler. Add on a metre long section of pipe and you can expect to have your wallet $1500 lighter.

Then the bike shops complain how they're going bankrupt with the way the economy is. Money talks.

**Taz** · 2nd January 2011, 16:43

For $300 bucks I woulda left the seat bare!!

**Virago** · 2nd January 2011, 16:43

Originally Posted by White trash

Mate, are you living on a different planet to me?

Bike shops ARE closing, left right and centre. Established bike shops too...

Precisely my point...

**onearmedbandit** · 2nd January 2011, 16:50

I understand that being in NZ we are at the end of the chain, that there are lots of fingers in the pie to get the parts here, but that still doesn't add up. If I can import a single piece for less than what Blue Wing charge their dealers (I hope!!!) then someone is getting rich. And it ain't the dealers...

**Big Dave** · 2nd January 2011, 16:52

Originally Posted by White trash

Mate, are you living on a different planet to me?.

Planet Irony.

**bombsquad** · 2nd January 2011, 17:12

Originally Posted by Big Dave

Planet Irony.

Right next to planet sarcasm?

**bombsquad** · 2nd January 2011, 17:16

Originally Posted by awa355

I have also dealt with the Honda dealer locally and found their prices were astronomical. The biggest disapointment with the local dealer is that they didn't want to try to locate parts.

Haha I see your from TeAwamutu, I believe the Hamilton and TA dealerships are now owned by the same people and both are fucking useless!!!
ive had the same experiance with them not being remotely interested in trying to find something. I suggest going to either Boyds (they can still do great deals on honda stuff) or even waikato yamaha.

**Quasievil** · 2nd January 2011, 17:25

Originally Posted by bsasuper

I think most business think there is still plenty of money around, so mark up heaps

Youre Nuts aint ya for the record , I think most customers think business owners are creaming it.....
Do you ask for a discount on your oil and spark plugs to?

A $500 jacket is not exactly OTT ya tight bastard

**ICE180** · 2nd January 2011, 17:29

I just got two helmets for the prcie of 1 from germany including post of $40 NZD

so a grand total of $521 for two helmets of which one here cost $600

I tried to support local dealers but the price difference was to good
and yes I had tried them on here etc

**Mully** · 2nd January 2011, 17:38

Local dealers (when they bother to reply to my queries), either can't be bothered finding parts ("Frame Sliders for a GSX1400? Nah, they don't exist. No-one does huggers for them either") or try to charge me through the nose.

I've found frame sliders in AU for AU$218 - decided to try the local dealers before buying off-shore.

My e-mail query took nearly a week and it was (from memory) "AU$400ish, plus freight, plus Customs Clearance, plus GST"

So now I have a quandry - do I "support" the local dealers or be able to buy the hugger and the sliders for less than that and have some money in the bank for petrol?