V-Max parts - overpriced?

[Shuriken]

The great thing about getting parts for your V-Max is that there are a lot of them and they are readily available. The bad thing is that every V-Max part I've looked at is like 5 times more expensive than parts for my other bikes. And that sucks.

I bought my XS11 a few years back for $450 and restored it. I probably have $1200-1500 into it all told now, including purchase price. But it doesn't really need anything.

It seems as if you buy a Max for $450 (yeah right), it will take like $5k more just for starters!

Why is the demand for parts so high? Why are Max prices so high compared to other parts? Anybody have opinions about this?

 

[themattreid]

Why is the demand for parts so high? Why are Max prices so high compared to other parts? Anybody have opinions about this?

Supply and demand at its finest. Not a lot of people looking for quality parts so they're expensive. And I mean "not a lot of people" when you compare our crowd to the the gsxr/cbr/ninja crowds buying bling for their bikes.

 

[Redbone]

I would think that the volume of busness does not allow the vendors to pass on lower prices to us. Either that or they are taking advantage of us poor (and I mean poor!) Vmaxers.....
You know though, I think we are kinda lucky to have the support we do have with quite a few vendors. If all the parts were dirt cheap then we would see everyone with look alike modded bikes. I think that would be, as that driving instructor in the Budwieser commercials says when the trainee crashes, "Not so good".

 

[backfire]

Also, I think most of the quality parts out there (USA or European made) are usually either custom hand-built components or they are one-off parts; which in either case will typically demand higher prices for the end product, since they are produced in very low quantities, by hand, for a relatively low sales volume market.

Most of these quality parts I've seen offered by many vendors are probably not making them rich with profit, so they charge what they have to so the product is even viable to sell/build in the first place for the time needed to produce it the right way.

It looks like most of the vendors that produce premium parts for our bikes do so more out of the passion and love they have for the machine rather than a monetary motive, so if they have to charge a bit more to bring us nice parts and they work as advertised, than I am more than willing to support those who support us- even if it costs me more...that's ok.

john

 

[Shuriken]

I agree, but what about OEM parts? How is it that a simple sissy bar, pegs, windshield, or tire costs so much? How about $8 dollars for a little bolt?

 

[lankeeyankee]

Your comparing apples and oranges an XS1100 to a VMAX

One the VMAX isnt really a popular bike such as Hayabusa Gixxers so there is less volume made for the VMAX
Alot of custom parts takes time for R&D labor hours of thinking so there you have less sales due to not as popular so that equals to less profit how do you close that profit margin raise the price
I may think of making something for the VMAX and may sell 100 of them
I may think of selling something for a GIXXER Hayabusa and wow I can sell double

Qaunity closes the gap on profit margin
You havent seen nothing yet just wait till the new 2008 model max comes out and engineers starting hitting the machine shop making custom parts those are the prices that are going to be high due to demand and not many on the road = $$$$$$:eusa_dance:

 

[davidon]

i think Ducati parts are more..I once was going to buy a shifter linkage but it was like $110 th_signs132 so i passed on it

 

[one2dmax]

It's always hard to judge supply and demand on any item. I know I don't make a lot on my stuff but didn't try and start up the business to do that. I wanted to be able to get parts at a discount for my own uses and then resell the same stuff to others. Most everything I sell has been tested or used by me and put through hell with my use.

Some of the stuff we were making before the business was "Official" and was done for locals and friends. We started making more stuff and it naturally evolved from there.

Sean Morley