As if motorcycle parts aren’t expensive enough, sometimes you have a long wait for them to arrive with your bike inconveniently off the road.
We’ve heard of people waiting six weeks for something as simple as a sump plug or three months for a swinger adjuster tool.
It’s not acceptable to pay so much for so much inconvenience.
There are several causes for the cost and supply problems in Australia.
Economies of scale
For a start, motorcycle parts are always more expensive than car parts simply because there are not as much demand.
It’s about economies of scale and the same applies to motorcycle tyres. They usually cost more than car tyres.
Parts availability
As for availability, most importers don’t carry a comprehensive range of stock for all bikes, past and present.
If they do, they pass on the cost of having to warehouse the stock.
Other importers still charge a small fortune for all parts, yet don’t carry any stock for past models.
And there are some importers who don’t carry any stock but the bare essentials and order from the factory as required.
We won’t name names because the circumstances can be different for each model and each part.
However, it is worth asking the dealer about the importer’s policy on parts availability before buying a new bike.
It’s a scandal that is mostly to blame on importers, not the dealers.
Riders often blame the dealership because that is their point of contact, but dealers can’t be expected to carry all parts for all bikes.
They have to rely on the importers to have a ready supply of stock.
What’s worse is that some importers only fulfil parts orders in bulk once a month to reduce the costs of individual freight.
Internet orders
Is it any wonder that riders are now turning to the internet to order their own parts?
Some take less than a week to arrive which is sometimes faster than the importer or dealer can get them.
The problem here can be that the part is a fake or that it is not a recommended part and it voids your motorcycle warranty.
Read this warning about fakes.
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Have you had a long wait for a simple part for your motorcycle? Tell us about your drama in the comments section below.