Ranting about NZ retailers

[Robert Taylor]

Pyramid Parts is the parent company and these are simple paper cartridges not spin-on. Pyramid do a lot of business in the UK, and were recommended on the XJR owners forum, so I'm confident they are fine. If the state of the one that came out (that was supposedly changed just before I picked up the bike, along with the tar like oil) was anything to go by then the what I've put in is an improvement. I'm not going to get that technical about it, but I'm also not paying what the retailer expected me to pay for an OEM part. If I bought 8 new OEM filters then I could have bought a lower mileage engine from a wrecker.

While I have your attention, I need to visit and do something about these "Ohlins" shocks. They're a bit under sprung. Some '99 R1 forks would be an idea too - one day . I shall call in the New Year.

Ok, no worries. We are away a lot through January by being ''burdened'' with road race contracts. Do check with me to see if we can make it all work with your timeframe

[James Deuce]

Ok, no worries. We are away a lot through January by being ''burdened'' with road race contracts. Do check with me to see if we can make it all work with your timeframe

Will do. Have a lot of jiggery pokery to do before then, so January will probably turn into March anyway.

[Road kill]

Well they would say that wouldn't they? Did you expect they would tell you how wonderful thier competitors are?

They weren't putting shit on them "they were simply stating what I've since found is a fairly well known thing to a lot of people.

Not that it really matters,but if I do get the feeling somebody is dumping on the "other guys" in any bussiness or individual I deal with "I stop having anything to do with "them" from then on.

At the end of the day all any of us have is our word,so if a persons word is to dump on the competition "it says a lot to somebody that listens to what's really being said in the way that I do.

Here's an example of how I look at it.

I enjoy a bit of Kayak fishing and very resently I bought a new Kayak.

I was looking at two yak's from different manufactures and visted the factory show rooms of both of them.

I also asked the same thing of both them in a round about way,,,,what do you think of so an so ?

The first place I went to admitted the competition make a pretty nice product but also stated their own product was just as good,,plus they would do me a better deal on any extras I wanted.

The second place told me about how much better their boat was and how lacking the other guys boat was,,,and they wouldn't even give me a free fucking tee shirt.

Tell the truth,,,I already knew pretty much all I could about both boats which are both top of the range for their type but I really wanted to know what sort of people I was dealing with.

Obviously I bought off the first place because to me anybody that's honest enough and has enough faith in their own product to simply give credit where it's due are the people I want to deal with,,,plus I got my free tee shirt.

[AllanB]

There is no customs or GST on items landed under NZ$400 incl shipping. I hear on the radio today that there is a push to have the Government revisit this and have a zero limit. The PM stated it is complicated and unlikely to be revisited soon.


Oil Filters (factory Honda) - NZ$28, USA$9. I have a USA Honda parts supplier who sells on line - ypou look up the same factory parts lists as our dealers do and order you bits. I got multi oil filters last time I was ordering bits. I've ordered parts simply as I was going to modify the original but the USA price is low enough to order a new one to fark around with and keep a stock bit for just in case or eventual resale.

[Flip]

Like most kiwi suppliers the saying "Caveat Emptor" applies to their business practices.

[kevie]

I wouldn't mind knowing what year and model bike this was to fit. An extremely possible explanation is that the part you got ex USA was a NOS part, sitting on a shelf for many years until the dealer simply wanted it gone at whatever cost. A starter motor purchased 20 years ago will owe a whole lot less than one ordered from the factory today.

Its a 1981 Yamaha Virago XV750

No its NOT an old stock off the shelf covered in dust item!!

And YES I figure it is Aftermarket ..... unlike some people I dont have an issue with using Aftermarket items. And at US$92 its dam cheap price compared to the $1400 quoted by NZ retailers

Heres the link to the site I bought it off (and with paypal was sooo easy and convenient to make the purchase)....
http://electricmotorserviceonline.co...1-P609740.aspx

well worth the look if you after similar bike parts,

[bogan]

There is no customs or GST on items landed under NZ$400 incl shipping. I hear on the radio today that there is a push to have the Government revisit this and have a zero limit. The PM stated it is complicated and unlikely to be revisited soon.

I think you'll find the limit is not the amount the item is worth, but how much the tax on it is worth. Bike parts and things with just the standard duties works out to be around 400, but things like clothing which has extra duties is a lot lower iirc.

I agree with Robert on this one, ideally every private importer should pay the same gst and import duties that businesses pay, those who don't factor that in, and get 'stung' really have no right to whinge about it.

[nzspokes]

And they still are to lazy to open Sundays......

[_Shrek_]

just payed 300 for a set of inlet manifolds for XT600, so can I get them cheaper from import? & the O-rings on the back where in NZ can I go for them cheers

[kevie]

just payed 300 for a set of inlet manifolds for XT600, so can I get them cheaper from import? & the O-rings on the back where in NZ can I go for them cheers

they look the same as my XV750 manifolds.

I got the rubber o-rings from an engineering supplies shop here in Huntly for 50 cents each .... Yamaha charge $20 for them.

[avgas]

I am surprised no one imports cheap Chinese tyres yet. Could make a killing fitting them.

[Flip]

I just landed a half doz tyres for my sidecar 3.5x19s. They were only $20 each. I also got 2 new wheels complete with bearings,tubes and tyres for $85 each (ex military surplus).

The NZ supplier wanted $200 for a single sidecar tyre.

The problem here is simple, there are too many fucking fat cunts getting involved in the supply chain. They seem to think that a 100% mark up at each step of their supply chain is perfectly normal and reasonable. They all squeal like fuck when their importer, distributer and retailer mates miss out on a sale when the customer goes directly to the same supplier they do and gets the parts at 20% the ripoff kiwi retail price.

Its not just the MC industry that is ripping the customers off. I have just got a supplier in HK to supply us with brass water valves at 10% the price the local suppler does.

[Timber020]

Oh man dont get me started. Alot of the gear I am after cant be brought online, companies such as stihl and husqvarna have strict no online sales policy. It got a bit embarrasing for husqvarna years back when guys working on the factory floor in sweden were buying saws THEY WERE BUILDING IN SWEDEN and exporting to the US online from the US cheaper than they could get them fresh from where they worked even with the company discount.

One chainsaw carb. here $326 and took a month to get here. I could have got the same unit from USA for $130 and was here in less than a week.

Its cheaper for me to fly to LA, buy 4 small pro chainsaws, fly back than buy 4 here locally. (and I get a few movies, sleep and meals)

Starter motor for stump grinder here is $780, get one landed here from USA for $240

Solanoid for diesel engine $700 is less than $200 in the US.

And the list is a long one, its often not the retailers, is the distributors that are nailing us

[AllanB]

I agree with Robert on this one, ideally every private importer should pay the same gst and import duties that businesses pay, those who don't factor that in, and get 'stung' really have no right to whinge about it.

I've no issue with paying GST on anything I import - it would still be significantly cheaper than local or I would not be importing it. And be in stock, and get here quicker.....

I was after a set of Renthnal road bars - price was not so much the issue as I'd done my research but the colour I wanted was not available in NZ apparently unless I special ordered and waited three months. So I ordered from the UK, turned out I saved a few bucks and the bars arrived within one week of placing my order! The poor bike shop was buggered by their supplier (NZ wholesaler) with zero support offered to him. I'm pretty sure if they had made an effort I could have purchased the bars here within a accepted time frame.

Ditto a HJC helmet - the graphics I wanted were not on the shelf, at $450 helment in NZ. I ordered ex USA - it was on special for US$99 - I could have purchased two!

I'd like to point out here that I have spent $ in NZ - Robert has had my hard earned coin and I am very happy to promote the quick service he provided me.

[Flip]

Ditto a HJC helmet - the graphics I wanted were not on the shelf, at $450 helment in NZ. I ordered ex USA - it was on special for US$99 - I could have purchased two!

GST on the import was only $15, + importer 100%, + distributer 100%. Thats why a $100 lid costs $450 here,its the fat cunts on the gravy train.