Buying Gear from OS, right thing to do?

[Mick DMember]

LC4skin wrote:

Quote:

And I just read up TBs post about the Tenere and he seems to have sourced a fair bit of gear for it from overseas. Hypocrite.

I would say that statement is a bit harsh LC.

The only thing on the whole bike that was bought OS by TB was the screen. ONLY because none where available in Australia at the time, that was after going to Suttos for advice first.

That dial dodad thing, was bought of a guy in Brisbane who frequents XT660.com

So $179 out of a couple of thousand dollars is a small percentage really.

Hard call in my book, that one mate.

[Matt BakerMember]

I should have put a smilie face at the end of that sentence.

Im just geeing him up, I know he loves Suttos and uses them most times.

But if I can save by buying overseas Im going to do it, the local bike shops need to make money and I need to save money. I buy alot of stuff online from overseas.

At the risk of sounding like a prick (which I am) im not going to lose sleep worrying about bike shops going broke, they all seem to have plenty of money to build bigger and better showrooms.

[Scott SouthwellMember]

I think the key here guys is to haggle. If you find a good price online go and ask your local shop what deal they can do. They may not be able to match it but may come close enough to get your money anyway. If they blow you off grab that online deal and enjoy the saving, their loss.

[Mick DMember]

Scotty wrote:

Quote:

I think the key here guys is to haggle. If you find a good price online go and ask your local shop what deal they can do. They may not be able to match it but may come close enough to get your money anyway. If they blow you off grab that online deal and enjoy the saving, their loss.

GOLD,,,good call Scotty……fair enough.. a dealer that is prepared to haggle, wants your business.

[corey heatherMember]

Well this afternoon i called Mudntar after Phil saying they can get any part and spoke with Rod about getting a new Magnet for my speedo drive after break 4 in the last 12 months. For the life of me i can not work out why i am breaking them and yes i do line it up right.

Any when i order a new one from some Wise Man in coffs harbour they are happy to sell but can offer no advise why this happens to me. But now Rod is going to look into it for me and hopfully fix my issues.

Moral to my story is that Yes some local dealers are no better then if i ordered it online from the states or alike BUT then you have people like Brock, Rod and Phil that i are willing to go out of there way over 1 small part for me.

BIG CHEERS TO THE BOYS AT MUDNTAR

[Adam RodgersMember]

I buy most of my parts locally i.e. Central Coast. I believe in supporting the local community where I can. I have spoken to local dealers about OS prices and they agree that sometimes (most times) they find it hard to compete. I see part of the problem being the distributor / importer. Here in Australia we pay for the privilage for a distributor to import parts, add their percentage (100 or more %) then the dealers % on top of that. It beggars belief that a part can be shipped from China or Japan to the USA via a USA local shop then to Australia (to your front door) for less than a part bought by our local distributors and then sold to us by our local shop. This includes genuine parts from the major Japanese bike shops.

Someone must be making some dollars however it appears its not the local shop.

Competition will eventually dictate the market. Hopefully the local market can rearrange itself to remain competitive and still in business. A person will pay a small amount extra to support the local guy however when big dollars are involved the hip pocket speaks loudest.

Well thats my opinion anyway :unsure:

Adam.

[Aaron WildeMember]

phil wrote:

Quote:

i work in a local bike shop and people buying stuff over seas is hurting us bad.
what people need to understand is we are not ripping you off!
stuff is cheaper from america simply because they have massive buying power.
the australian motorcycle industry is tiny in comparison to them let alone the world, so obviously they can purchase product in much greater quantities than australian suppliers therefore making it cheaper.
secondly everything is made in china, then american companies buy it from china and our suppliers have to then import it from america where the companies are based ( Fox , Thor etc). everyone along the line needs to make a cut out of it or we all go broke, so it’s not like australian companies are making a killing off it cause thats far from the truth.
our profit margins haven’t changed in years and if anything they have dropped.
so if every one buys shit from the internet, local shops go broke and close, no one can fit your parts, or fix your bike, or spend time giving you advice with your problems,or sell you a new bike, or try on clothing to check sizes before you buy, or return faulty items, or loan you a part to get you out of trouble or any other services your bike shop provides???
i know its tempting to save money, i’m in the same boat. but you have to think of the big picture
this problem is hurting all small busines’s not just the motorcycle industry as all australian dollars at them moment seem to be feeding a downwards american economy that is not helping out australia at all.
The Importers are trying the best they can to compete with the american market because they are suffering aswell but they simply dont have the buying power.
And also all the importers buy there stocks well in advance when the dollar was shit and now that it is in comparison they cant cut all there profits and go broke as there is no point. And its not like america gives them a Rebate when the dollar gets better they just have to wear it and battle through the hard times.
at the end of the day we look after our customers as best we can, espescially loyal customers.
and we all need to make a living somehow.
phil, brock
mud n tar m/c

Don’t worry China will take out the middle men. Once the factories are set up they will back door them. Its only a matter of time. I personally buy from bike shops if they support or are involved the local bike racing/trailriding that i do full stop.

[GregMember]

micknmeld wrote:

Quote:

LC4skin wrote:

Quote:

And I just read up TBs post about the Tenere and he seems to have sourced a fair bit of gear for it from overseas. Hypocrite.

I would say that statement is a bit harsh LC.

The only thing on the whole bike that was bought OS by TB was the screen. ONLY because none where available in Australia at the time, that was after going to Suttos for advice first.

That dial dodad thing, was bought of a guy in Brisbane who frequents XT660.com

So $179 out of a couple of thousand dollars is a small percentage really.

Hard call in my book, that one mate.

Yeah thats right Mick, I tried 3 Australian screen manufacturers, 1 wasnt interested, other wanted me to send my screen to WA so they could use it for a mould the screen would be 3 weeks and there was no discount for the use of my screen to be used as the mould. And the other one in castle hill said they would have screens on line in the next 12 months and I should wait :blink:

The Kev fueling mod came from Brisbane

As for calling me a hypocrite with or with out smileys is out of line and unfair

TB

[Jason GreenMember]

As consumers we have the right to choose where we spend our money.For me customer service is very important if the salesperson is not interested in making a sale then I will go elsewhere the internet has changed the way consumers shop and all types of industries must adjust to there market.Asia is taking Aussie jobs away and technology is doing away with trade skills ect as a whole people will buy what they want or need regardless where it is made if its the right price then a sale will be made I use to work for an aussie company OPSM now we are owned by the French and the Italians and the work is being outsourced to Thailand .I will be looking for a job soon because of this.We can’t compete with big companies wanting more profits for the share holders.They tell us everyday we must make more for less.I have to think what can I do other than make spectacles I was thinking a motorcycle sales job would be great but it looks like everyone in the retail industry is suffering too. Ohwell we will just have to plod along and try to be positive as long we can breath and ride bikes I will be happy

[glennMember]

i`m all for supporting your local shop owners,they get to know you,and you get to know them, The one I deal with has unbeleivable knowledge and is willing to get that illusive part in for you and keep the price to a minimum, I aknowledge he is doing himself out of a Bob or two when I get a bargin, but the service he provides me when I enter his shop, encorages me to inform other fellow bike riders to take their beasts to his shop when they need something done hence increasing his business
Yeah I have bought off ebay,and yeah I will again , but for all major things ,its off to cycletune Tamworth for me. support your local, For F#*k sake your one yaself.

my 2 bobs worth, and thats american dolaars. :cheer: :cheer:

Boony

[alanMember]

not allbike shops are helpfull some take for ever to serve you talk about order a part could take weeks its often easyer to buy parts over the internet but not always from over sees .personly i would prefer to support the local guy butfor some of us it doese not work in both time and money(just wont to go riding and get it fixed and price)often its quicker to get the parts elsewhere

[Adrian LeeMember]

I buy all my gear from OS,the price differance is just to great to ignore.At the moment im looking into an exhaust for my bike and boots for myself and buying OS will save me around $400.

[scott bockingMember]

The LBS (local bike shop) will always be there to sell bikes and to service them. Their chunk of the P&A (parts and accessories) market will shrink as the www’s open the broader market. And that is what it is, a broader market. If I buy a part from Sydney my LBS has lost the sale the same as if I had bought from OS.
The investment for the LBS to carry a full range of P&A is becoming too great. There are to many products so they either stock bits and pieces or they go full on but they just raise their margin to do this as they will always have slow lines that need to be sold at discount. It is splicing the industry into two segments. The bike, service shop and the P&A store. A brick and mortar shop will retain the bike sales/ service and the P&A business will increasingly become the realm of the warehouse style online store. As the world shrinks under the grip of the internet where this warehouse is located starts to become irrelavent.
Consumers have choice and if you are a competent bike mechanic you have even more but at the end of the day we all need a relationship with a LBS. The good retailers will find their place in the new market and the bad ones will disappear.

STM

[glennMember]

Be very interested to here from a LBS on this topic.yes rocket some LBS`s do taint your view on the trade,and others can do exact the oppersite, service is what the client remembers in my books.parts ,are parts when it comes to the crunch. I will save money where I can and I do not mind spending a tad more for the same product if i recieve good service, EG: i went to the bottlo today, got the slab from the cool room put it on the counter, old mate never even looked up from the form guide,I went to hand him my efpos card ,he just turned the swipie thingo around and I completed it all myself , except for putting in the purchace amount, he says, you want a reciept,I says, dont fukn strain yaself ya knob ,grabbed me slab and left, prick still never looked up.Hence I will not be going back to the BYO at Northgate Tamworth , no matter how much cheaper their product is.how much is postage for a carton of new stubbies from the states 😆 😆 😆 :woohoo:

Boony

[GregMember]

Boony wrote:

Quote:

Be very interested to here from a LBS on this topic.

Boony

Hey Boony two already have posted in the thread (Phil and TISCO), and another with years in the industry as well (Fossil)

You should read the whole thread mate :laugh: :laugh: :laugh:

It is worth reading their views mate

TB

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